Bus Bus

Trip Start Sep 10, 2008
1
68
75
Trip End Sep 03, 2009


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Flag of Vietnam  ,
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Getting overnight buses for two nights in a row was never going to be much fun. Lets face it, getting one is not much fun! I wasn't quite prepared for what I got however. On the bus from Hoi an to Nhe trang started off OK. We drove past a beautiful sunset over the mountains and reflecting in the rivers and lakes. We noticed our driver was a little crazier than most, constantly using the horn and driving too fast, but then at the first rest stop, the reserve driver took over and was fine. It wasn't until 2am when it was time for our drivers to swap again that the "fun" began. Everyone in the front half of the bus was immediately woken up by the constant honking again. The driver seemed to think that the horn was connected to the accelerator pedal as he honked even when there was nothing else on the road. Apart from the honking, he was going far too fast. I was, by some miracle, just drifting off to sleep, only to be woken up by the fact we were skidding over into the gutter on the right. (They drive on the right here). I didn't see what happened that time, but I certainly saw half an hour later when the driver zoomed round a corner in the middle of the road and nearly hit a huge HGV coming in the opposite directions. Both the bus and the truck slammed on the breaks and thankfully we didn't hit him. Even a bus wouldn't have had a chance against that lorry. At this point our relief driver also decided that it was a little too close for comfort and took over even though it wasn't his shift, driving us for the rest of the journey, much to the relief of everyone on the bus.

Rather understandably, I wasn't looking forwards to the next journey. People always worry about the dangers from muggings etc when you are travelling, but really, road safety is one of the biggest dangers.

I was very tired when I arrived in Nhe trang and worse than that, I stank and hadn't brushed my teeth for a very long time. Leaving my big bag in the bus office, I went in search of breakfast and a toilet where I could change out of my clothes and freshen up. For once I was grateful that all Asian toilets have a shower head in them. I had thought about getting a hotel room, where I could at least get a couple of hours sleep, but on the way to get food, I realised there was a beach. I hired a sun-lounger for a fraction of the price of a room and it was comfier than any bed I had slept in for a long time! I spent most of the day on the beach and in cafes before it was time to get back on the bus. Thankfully, it was a different set of drivers from the previous night and the trip down to Saigon (now known officially as Ho Chi Minh city, but nobody calls it that) was uneventful.

I had managed to get a cold on the buses, so I didn't really do much in Saigon, trying to get my temperature down enough to cross the border and not be put in quarantine. With the swine flu epidemic, every border checks your temperature these days. It was nice to have a rest after the long journey!
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