2025 Spain and Portugal Bus Tour

我們這一團一共有37位團員，加上導遊和司機共39人，我們坐的是一個全新的Volvo大型 遊覽車，可容納五十多人。在我們從Salamanca 出發往 Fatima 的途中, 車行不到15分鐘，就在路邊停了下來，過一會兒導遊告訴我們，遊覧車的車身有一個起降裝置，停車時把車身降下讓乘客上下方便，行駛時把車身舉高，以減少接觸地面的顛簸。車剛從 Salamanca 離開，車上的 Sensor 亮了紅燈，說起降機故障，不能把車身提升到正常的高度，所以無法正常行駛。導遊說司機正在跟遊覽車公司商量，看如何解決這個問題，因為當天是星期天，我們又是在一個人煙稀少的路上，如果要找機械師過來修理，至少需要一個鐘頭的路程。幾經交涉，決定把我們送到附近的一個加油站，等旅行社另派一輛車來接我們。到了加油站，天空已飄著毛毛細雨，我們等了大約 15 分鐘，遊覽車來了，但這是另外一家車行借調的車，不負責把我們送到我們的目的地- 約四小時車程外的 Fatima. 遊覽車開了快兩個小時，到了葡國境內的一個 shopping center, 把我們放下來，就跟我們 撒喲啦啦， 這時天已黑了，又下起傾盆大雨。我們在加油站換車時，大多數人的行李都還留在原車上，旅行社保證會把我們的行李送至今晚下榻的旅館， 但有人不放心，把大行李拖了下來。現在把一群人像難民一樣丟在這陌生的地方，拖著行李打雨傘，大家都濕淋淋的狼狽不堪，導遊把大家的行李集中在一起，他負責看守，讓大家去逛街，找點東西果腹，等待另外一輛遊覽車來接我們。據說這輛遊覽車是送了另一批客人之後，再從里斯本開過來，所以什麼時候會到，導遊也拿不定。等了一個多鐘頭，終於遊覽車來了，大家像大旱見了甘霖，都興奮的衝上了車，全部坐定後，司機反倒下了車，等了半天，不知又發生什麼事故，導遊廣播了：司機開了四小時車，需要休息15 分鐘，才能繼續開車，否則會被吊銷執照！

跑了和尚，跑不了廟，大夥已經坐上了車，心也定了一半，再說，急死了太監，皇帝老子依舊老神在在，奈何？ 終於熬過了這漫長的15 分鐘，車子上路了。又開了近兩小時，終於快到了，今晚的晚餐是在旅館內用 buffet, 導遊叮囑，旅館餐廳 9 點關門，我們可能9點到不了，已經請旅館務必等我們。要我們下了車，直衝餐廳吃飯，不要耽誤時間。於是，眼看旅館在望，大家都帶好隨時行李，準備好衝鋒陷陣，那知司機是不知道路，還是跟我們開玩笑，看著旅館從我們左邊過去，又在我們右邊出現，硬是繞了好幾個圈，才在旅館門前停了下來。這時已經是九點半了。下車時，赫然看到， 我們那輛拋錨的 Volvo 就停在旁邊，我們的行李都已卸空。

下了車，大傢夥急行軍進了餐廳（餐廳離旅館大門好遠！），導遊已經在催促 - 一次多拿些，要吃飽，沒有拿第二次的機會。我們吃飯的時候，幾個不耐煩的 waiters, 站在旁邊，虎視眈眈，盤子一空，馬上收走，折騰了一天，也實在沒有食慾，這一頓晚餐就在食不知味下，草草結束。

第二天早晨啓程前往 里斯本，原來的遊覽車要進廠修理，我們繼續乘坐替換來的車，這車比較舊也比較小，行李無法全部塞進車下的行李艙裏，最後上車的幾位客人的行李只好抬到車上放在後座。車行不久，又停下來了！司機下了車，把行李艙打開，又提了幾件小的行李搬到車上，行李艙的門再度關上，但是車子還在原地不動，過一會𠒇，導遊也下了車，只見導遊一面打電話，一面用西班牙語與司機熱烈的討論著，大家面面相覷，心想不妙！過了半天，好像有了結論，導遊上車來跟大家宣布，行李艙的門關不緊，車行時會打開，怕行李會掉岀來，已經聯絡找人修理，應該很快可以解決，請大家靜候。我們這羣老先生老太太，深受中國五千年文化薰陶，各個都很有涵養，竟然沒有一人口出惡言，而這些西班牙人，也深得中國人隨機應變的本領，過了一盞茶的功夫，一位高大的女士手中拿了一捲皮帶走了過來，與司機兩人動手工作起來。不一會兒，司機上了車，說修好了。頓時全車歡聲雷動，全體給司機鼓掌叫好。車子平安開到了下一站，下車一看，原來行李艙的門被皮帶五花大綁了起來。

傍晚到了旅館， 要拿行李回房間，可是行李箱綁得太緊，搭扣怎麼也打不開，同行的男士全部圍了上去幫忙，女士們則七嘴八舌紛紛獻計，後來我跑去旅館櫃檯借剪刀，出來時已經有人從隨身洗臉包裏找到一把小剪刀，把帶子剪開，哈哈，總算又過了一関！

我們在里斯本停留兩晚，第二天市區遊覽無需攜帶行李，我們依舊坐著関不攏行李艙的車跑了一天，到了第三天，原來的車修好回來了！ 這趟旅程中最驚聳刺激的遊覧車拋錨記終於有驚無險，圓滿落幕！

Gemini translations:

Our group consisted of 37 tour members, plus a tour guide and a driver, making 39 people in total. We were traveling on a brand-new Volvo full-size charter bus capable of seating over 50 passengers.

Less than 15 minutes after setting off from Salamanca for Fátima, the bus pulled over to the side of the road. Shortly after, the guide informed us that the bus was equipped with a hydraulic lowering mechanism—designed to drop the vehicle's height when parked for easy boarding, and raise it while driving to smooth out bumps on the road. Just after leaving Salamanca, a red sensor light flashed on the dashboard, signaling a failure in the lifting mechanism that prevented the bus from raising to its normal driving height.

The guide explained that the driver was in talks with the bus company to find a solution. Because it was a Sunday and we were stranded on a sparsely populated stretch of road, bringing a mechanic out would take at least an hour. After much negotiation, they decided to drop us off at a nearby gas station to await a replacement bus sent by the travel agency.

By the time we reached the gas station, a light drizzle was falling. After about 15 minutes, a replacement bus arrived. However, this vehicle was borrowed from another charter company and was not authorized to take us all the way to our final destination—Fátima, which was still a four-hour drive away.

This second bus drove us for nearly two hours to a shopping center inside the Portuguese border. It dropped us off, bid us "sayonara," and left. By then, night had fallen, and the rain turned into a torrential downpour.

When we had switched buses at the gas station, most people had left their main luggage on the original bus; the travel agency assured us it would be delivered directly to our hotel that evening. Still, a few anxious travelers had dragged their large suitcases along. Now, our group was dumped in this unfamiliar place like refugees, struggling with luggage and umbrellas, completely soaked and miserable. The guide gathered all the bags in one spot to watch over them, sending us off to explore the shops and grab a bite to eat while we waited for yet another bus. Supposedly, this third bus was dispatched from Lisbon after dropping off another group of tourists, so even the guide had no idea when it would arrive.

After waiting over an hour, the bus finally pulled up. Like rain after a long drought, everyone excitedly rushed aboard. Once we were all seated, however, the driver unexpectedly stepped off the vehicle. We were wondering what had gone wrong now, until the guide made an announcement over the intercom: the driver had just completed a four-hour shift and was legally required to take a 15-minute break before driving again, or risk losing his license!

As the saying goes, "the monk may run, but the temple stays put"—at least we were on the bus, which brought some peace of mind. Besides, as another idiom goes, "the eunuchs are dying of anxiety, but the emperor stays cool as a cucumber"—what choice did we have?

Once those long 15 minutes finally elapsed, the bus set off. After nearly two hours of driving, we were close. That evening's dinner was a buffet at the hotel, and the guide reminded us that the restaurant closed at 9:00 PM. Since we might not arrive on time, he had asked the staff to wait for us, urging everyone to head straight to the dining room as soon as we got off the bus.

With the hotel in sight, everyone grabbed their carry-ons, ready to charge in. But whether the driver didn't know the way or was just playing a prank on us, we watched the hotel pass by on our left, then reappear on our right, circling around multiple times before finally stopping at the front entrance. It was already 9:30 PM. Stepping off the bus, we were shocked to see our original, broken-down Volvo parked right beside us, with all our luggage already unloaded.

We marched into the restaurant (which was quite a distance from the main lobby!). The guide rushed us along: "Grab plenty of food all at once to fill up—there won't be a second chance!" As we ate, a few impatient waiters stood nearby, glaring like hawks and instantly whisking away plates the second they were empty. Exhausted from the day's ordeal, none of us had much of an appetite, and the meal ended hastily without us really tasting the food.

The next morning, we set off for Lisbon. Since the original bus needed to go to a repair shop, we continued our journey on the replacement vehicle. It was smaller and older, so the under-bus luggage compartment couldn't fit all of our bags. The last few passengers to board had to haul their suitcases onto the bus and stow them in the back seats.

Shortly after starting, the bus pulled over again! The driver got out, opened the luggage compartment, and carried a few smaller bags back up into the cabin. He shut the compartment door, but the bus remained stationary. A moment later, our tour guide also stepped out. We watched him talking on the phone while engaged in a heated discussion with the driver in Spanish. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, sensing more trouble ahead.

After a long while, they seemed to reach a conclusion. The guide came back aboard and announced that the luggage compartment door wouldn't latch properly and would fly open while driving, risking luggage falling out on the road. They had called for assistance, which should arrive soon, and asked us to wait patiently.

Imbued with 5,000 years of Chinese cultural refinement, our group of elderly gentlemen and ladies maintained impeccable composure; not a single person uttered a word of complaint. Meanwhile, the Spaniards demonstrated their own talent for improvisation. Before long, a tall woman approached holding a luggage strap, and she and the driver got to work. Moments later, the driver stepped back onto the bus and declared it fixed. The whole bus erupted in cheers and applause. We reached our next destination safely, and upon stepping off, we discovered that the luggage compartment door had been tightly bound shut with the strap!

That evening, when we arrived at our hotel and tried to retrieve our bags, the strap had been cinched so tightly that the buckle wouldn't budge. All the men gathered around to help, while the women chimed in with a flurry of suggestions. I ran to the hotel front desk to borrow scissors, but by the time I returned, someone had already retrieved a small pair from their toiletry kit and cut the strap open. Haha—another hurdle successfully cleared!

We stayed in Lisbon for two nights. On the second day, we did some city sightseeing without our luggage, spending the day in the same bus with the faulty luggage door. By the third day, our original bus was repaired and returned to us!

And so, the most thrilling breakdown saga of our trip ended safely and smoothly, bringing down the curtain on a truly memorable adventure.