Binh Minh Sunrise Hotel Hue

... arrive, along with a few others doing the same journey. When the bus arrived everyone pushed and shoved to get on (doesn't anyone outside the UK know how to queue?!). We were told to take our shoes off as soon as we stepped on and the driver handed us a bag to put our shoes in.

The bus was packed! There were three rows of bunk beds beds running the length of the bus. A row down each side and one down the middle, leaving barely enough room to walk (especially with my ...

I stayed in this lovely city for a whole 2 hours whilst swapping from the train to the bus. I wish I could have stayed longer, but the whistlestop motrbike tour allowed me to see the main sights: The Citadel (Forbidden City), Thien Mu Pagoda and Tu Duc Tomb. The Perfume River looks lovely too!

I had to catch the sleeper bus at 1 to get to Saigon, and have only just arrived. Boo!

... All the time this was between large lorries and under a heavy blanket of rain. The bike slipped a few times but we got through okay.

We drove on for another 3 hours or so, and stopped in the town of Paksay.

We stayed over night, and set off the next day bright and early. The weather was still damp. After 20 minutes, the bike began to shudder and backfire from the engine with loud 'crack'. After driving back to Paksan, and talking to various mechanics, the problem was ...

... an extortionate USD5 at a local hotel to use their pool - but it was well worth it!!!!
We needed to cool down.
Splashing out at dinner we went to an Indian restaurant which was awesome. The night ended quite typically with a few beers, 2-4-1 cocktails and a trip to the local night club (which doesn't close till the last person passes out!).
Since we were starting at 7am tomorrow we decided to call it a night at midnight ... wise choice I think!

... the tube. I made a deal with him that if I was feeling up to it, then I would go out for some drinks the next night. I kept the diet bland and simple the next day.

We rented a moped and went for a ride out away from town. We happened upon a religious place where Caodaiism is practiced. That was pretty cool. I’m always uneasy about going into places like that. We weren’t wearing pants, we had no idea what the etiquette, hell, we didn’t even know what religion ...

... of us. However, we had no peripheral vision and once the driver pedaled out into traffic, all bets were off as far as my stress level, at least. Suddenly life became a cacophony of honks and motors and blurry shapes zooming past. It was with a sincere feeling of relief when we were able to get out of that thing. The guidebook has it right in describing passengers being "low to the ground and something like a bumper." Still, it's something to experience and check ...

... After dinner, we went to a local bar where they convinced me to ditch my bus the next day and head to the beach with them and then rent motorbikes to drive to Hoi An the following day. After some thought and a little convincing, I was in, despite the fact that I had told Saori that I'd share a room with her in Hoi An once we arrived (to be honest I was a little relieved because the language barrier was pretty intense and we didn't have much in common as she is nearly ten years older ...