ThePartyBus

Keanu Reeves had a bus that couldn't go below 50mph.

Harry Potter had the Knight Bus.

In Gothenburg, they have ThePartyBus.

Gotland and Zandra

Saturday night saw us venture out to the neighbouring island of Hisingen for a party on a mountaintop at Håberg (Sounds a bit like “whore-bare-yeah” ) for my friend Zandra, who is the partner of my friend known only by his place of birth, “Gotland” (his real name remains a State Secret).

After once again being forced to drink many shots and beers while being held captive by my Swedish inebriators, it was decided that we should move on to Gothenburg’s nightclubs.  But how to move a party off Hå-mountain and into the city? Does public transport even run at that hour? How much will taxis cost?  How many will we have to order?

“No, we’ll get ThePartyBus Jamie!”

Now in Australia, we have The Beer Bus. It’s the bus that gets you home at the end of the night when you are so heavily intoxicated that you cannot remember how you got home the next morning. How the hell did I get home last night? Hmmm…must have taken the beer bus. Rides on the beer bus are often followed by stints driving the porcelain bus, if you get what I mean.

But what the hell is ThePartyBus?

After being led by a friend who knew “a shortcut” which involved stumbling down the mountain through long grass and undergrowth and over rocky declines to the roadside, our group of 30 or so gathered together. 

“JurgenjurgenborkThePartyBus! BorkborkborkThePartyBus!” they discuss excitedly.

I ask Maria and her friend Sandra what the hell ThePartyBus is and whether it’s something well-known in Sweden.

“No idea” they tell me.

The answer soon reverberates over the horizon. As the bass lines break through the crisp Scandinavian air, the nearing sounds of electro house music behold the arrival of a London-style, red double-decker bus lit up in flashing neon.

“BORK BORK BOOOORKKK!!!! PARTYBUSSEN!!!!” exclaim the fever-pitched partygoers.

Pulling up alongside us, as I am about to board I ready my wallet to pay for my PartyBusFARE.

“No cost on ThePartyBus! Just paaaaartaaay bork bork!”

Climbing on to the upper level, beers are handed out, the beats encourage dancing in the aisles, pole dancing ensues, it’s mayhem. Laughter and smiles flood the deck as blonde hair is whipped back and forth and champagne flows.

THIS is ThePartyBus. 

...Better value than the Route 291 bus I used to take to school, I never once got a champagne on that for my $2.70 concession fare.