Our tour bus dropped us opposite the Royal Palace Hotel in Hanoi, the manager having arranged for us to leave our bags securely whilst waiting for our train at 10pm. Road negotiated and bags secured we set off into the centre of town to find somewhere to hang out for a while.
We came across a place called Le Pub. Okay, I know it sounds French and we all know they have NO rules but it looked okay and the beer was cheap. They also had decent wine so Lynn was happy. An hour later we made our way to the Long Bar for a quick bite to eat and perhaps just a bit too much more to drink.
Back at the hotel our taxi arrived to take us to the station. I noticed in the traffic the bell boy from the hotel was following us on a scooter. He met us at the station (he paid for the taxi), he then took our heavy bags and ticket confirmation and led the way to our train. Halfway along the carriages he was stopped by an official of the railway company (the government). She gave him our tickets and it seemed we'd been moved into another carriage.
As it was, we'd been put into a four berth but with only us two in it. Another plus is that it had a sliding door. Sadly though the toilets left a lot to be desired. With great efficiency we pulled away on time - we both got our heads down immidetly- it had been a bloody long day.
The journey was as fitful and jolting as the last overnight we did from Bankok to Chiang Mai, with a fellow constantly shouting outside the door and the stations being announced over the tannoy. We kept our strength up with packets of Ritz Crackers we'd bought earlier, sweet wafer biscuits and water was provided from the railway. Sleep was hard to come by as well as any indication of a buffet car.
We woke bleary eyed at about7am, travelling through a ravine which soon opened out to a countryside view. Rice, corn, ducks and buffalo were to be seen en-route as well as many cemeteries, some strikingly military. Yes, the war ended just over 40 years ago, with both military and civilians taking thousands of casualties.
The first station we stopped at was Dong Hoi, I asked someone! We were then on time and heading for Hue where we passed over the Purfumed River to get to it. (It was featured in the film Full Metal Jacket). The weather at this point was still dull and damp at the point where we were still over two hours from DaNang. By the way. The fellow shouting outside the door most of the night was offering refreshments. We had a coffee to wash down the last of our crackers - if only we'd opened the sliding door.
At an hour away we began to see the South China Sea as the train teetered along the cliff edges, waves crashing onto the rocks below - a damp mist covering the horizon; a bleak view.
We came out of a tunnel to an unknown phenomenon. Bright sunlight made us squint, but with pleasure. Rocky coves, palm fringed sandy beaches; it all looked good - hello sunshine, where the hell have you been for a few days? It was unspoilt beauty that lay out below us, sad to think that in ten years it might just be another resort.
After going through another long tunnel it was apparent we'd decended as we were level with lots of fishing boats bobbing around in the blue water. Disturbingly we were almost in the front gardens and front rooms of houses that were way too close to the track.
Just before arrival we saw a huge pagoda and marble statue as we passed a level crossing, welcome to Da Nang and a warm 27 degree lunchtime.
A driver was waiting for us holding up a paper with my name on. The hotel in Hoi An had emailed me in Hanoi when I'd made the booking, very efficient! He negotiated the busy streets around the station and soon we were whisked across a huge road bridge, one of many that cross the Han River; once an important navel base for the USA during the Vietnam War.
We were now on the coastal road where it was evident lots of money was being ploughed into this city. Five star hotels including the Crowne Plaza dominated the shoreline with a Sheraton being built and other holiday villages both occupied and in progress spreading all along the road to Hoi An. This is deffo one of the new places to be in the world - investment- could be Russian?
It only took 35 minutes for the transfer and we turned off right to Hoi An, just opposite the An Bang beach, we made a mental note to visit it. There were so many tourists on push bikes and the land had flattened out to rice fields I suddenly thought I was in Holland and not Vietnam. It seems every hotel in town offers free hire of them.
Within minutes we were parked up outside the Prince Hotel, approximately 20 mins walk or 8 min cycle from town. Our bags were carried in for us, the taxi was on our hotel account so we tottered into reception to await the obligatory tourist briefing.
No comments:
Post a Comment