My ferry left Wusong Port (吴淞码头) at 8pm. I reached just in time to board the ferry and while walking halfway to the ferry along the walkway, I stopped to take a photo of the ferry. Then I heard a woman shouted at me from faraway under the dimly-lit shelter "小姑娘快一点儿！船都快开了! 还拍什么照！ (Young lady hurry up! Ferry is leaving!)
Upon nearing the woman who turned out to be a fruit seller, she then said: "叫错了。这小伙子。到了普陀再拍嘛！" (Called out wrongly, you this little dude. Take the photo when you reach Putuo!)
I think my stature is sexy. That's why people often mistook my figure as a female from afar! Omg. Indeed I think I am more sexy than both of my sisters whom that same fruit seller might have otherwise mistaken as "uncles in the late 30s" with a beer belly.
So I boarded the ferry and then located my berth (bed on a ship/ferry is called "berth") on Deck 3A, berth no. 36. It was a middle-class standard cabin, with 8 berths in total. My lower berth was occupied by a mother and her daughter, who had difficulty climbing up the ladder. So I took her berth. Anyway, I prefer upper berth so I don't have to get near to the shoes of others left on the floor.
I went to the outdoor deck and watched Shanghai slowly disappear from my sight as we sailed out on the pearl river delta (珠江). For the next few hours, I indulged myself in a snoring symphony as soon as I sunk into my berth, hard as rock. Two old ladies were competing in a snoring contest. So much so that I began to question the quality of my ear plug.
Woke up at 0445 in the hope of watching the sunrise, but the sky was shrouded with thick, dark clouds. It was drizzling and I returned to my dreamy state of mind before hearing the announcement that breakfast could be bought on Deck 3 Cafe. So I had a bowl of minced meat noodles for 15 yuan, just to realise that I should have taken vegetarian instead, since I was on a pilgrimage trip to one of the 4 most reputed Buddhist mountains in the whole of China.
Reached Putuoshan at 0730am, sky turned sunny! And temperature began to soar above 30 degree celsius, unbearably hot!
Paid half price for admission to Putuoshan (just like an airport tax) for 80yuan upon presentation of my Foreign Student Pass. So I was delighted! As usual in China, I began hearing hagglers calling out for tourists who need accommodation and guide. And so I began to feign deaf by ignoring and not lend any facial expression.
Walked up a hill to Southern Sea Goddess of Mercy Statue (南海观音圣像). That was when I felt Putuoshan is just like Pulau Ubin on a bigger scale. Winding and steep roads, with green trees alongside. And that reminded me of my torturous cycling trips with my mates such as nb, ken and sc many years ago. Time really flies!
I sought for accommodation later at Puji Temple (普济寺) but was told that the 100 yuan single rooms were all taken. Only left with the 200 yuan twin rooms. Initially I wanted to go for it, but when I came to read "No in-room television," I decided to take my leave. What am I gonna do if without laptop with me and no TV? I put accommodation matter aside for the time being, and then took a minibus to a ropeway station.
The ropeway (cable car) which costs me 50 yuan roundtrip took me up to 佛顶山 (Buddha-top mountain), which commanded a bird's eyeview of Putuoshan and where the Huiji Temple (慧济寺) is sited.
Very soon, I was on the way downhill, and went to Thousand Steps Beach (千步沙) where I caught a good amount of sunlight. I looked at my watch, it was only midday, and I have covered the main attractions in Putuoshan. So I decided to leave the island and caught a 1235 ferry to Ningbo (one of the richest city in China).
While waiting for the ferry, a lunch of rice with tomato fried eggs and cabbage cost me 25 yuan. All things on the island are double the price as compared to elsewhere. Still, I had to waste 1/4 of the food since I am on a light diet these days.
Slept unglamorously on the ferry, lying horizontally across the 3-seater row as I was really really exhausted from the walking. And my flip-flops left blister on my feet.
Reached the port, and took what turned out to be the longest ride on a public bus ever - 2.15 hours - to the train station, for 5 yuan. Indeed worth the ride (travelling through time from cultivated fields to modern city), but not worth the havoc wreaked unto my skinny ass.
My ass felt a second major blow when I later took a 3-hour coach ride back to Suzhou for 115 yuan. Got to travel along the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (杭州跨海大桥), which seemed endless to me, and the longest sea-bridge I've ever travelled on. I later googled the bridge and came to know it is 36km long, the world's longest trans-sea bridge. My coach travelled along the bridge for over 15 minutes, across the sea can you imagine?? And this is happening in China, unbelievably.
I reached home at 9.30pm. Shack. I think I'm one of the few who managed to tour Putuoshan in such a few hours. Because I can walk really fast! The usual route is to stay overnight on the island. But I managed to save the cost on accommodation.
