A FEW THOUGHTS

Leaving Hanoi we got on the night train to Da Nang with the plan of getting a taxi there to Hoi An which is just 30 min away. We had booked what was called “soft berths” on the train so we could catch some sleep. This was considered to be the best standard and we actually chose to take a train taking 4-5 hours longer just to get that (as our first choice was full).

Arriving the train station we quickly found the train and our beds. It was a 4-man cabin and we were lucky enough to get to share with a nice german couple (as opposed to ill smelling old man or family with small kids crying all night). The standard wasn’t all that, but it was ok we figured. The rumour told us that there were no food or drinks on te train so I quickly decided to get some refreshments and some “ill-tasting coconut flavoured peanuts” from one of the many older women on the platform selling fruit, sodas, beer etc. We later found the train had a “restaurant cart” selling some kind of soup, some water and so on but we passed…

As soon as the train set in motion I got the feeling this would be a long trip. We talked for an hour or so but quickly headed for sleep… for a couple of minutes.
The morning after, around 8-9, I decided to give up getting any more sleep after a total of approx 3 hours throughout the night. Short beds, old train, sudden stops and smoking from the other cabins going through the “AC” on the train.. Anyway, in the morning I was of course to experience the good side of the trip; watching the countryside pass by, the houses, people, animals, the ricefields, the ruins from past wars and interesting scenery in general.

After some 20 hours we arrived Da Nang to experience some 30 cab drivers waiting outside the train station. We quickly found an “eager representative” and agreed on a price for the trip to Hoi An. Poor guy, he had obviously found his calling in life but it is safe to say that him ambitions of cabdriving was more to a big city like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh as he agressive drove his toyota on the countryside roads honking ten times at every poor bicyclist and fellow drivers while he listened to his techno music…

Arriving in Hoi An we said farewell to our german friends and the cabbie and entered Hoi An Pacific Hotel. No secret that this was an experience , but I have no regrets More to follow…

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