{"id":882,"date":"2024-01-03T02:21:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-03T02:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/?p=882"},"modified":"2024-01-10T03:56:48","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T03:56:48","slug":"tue-2-jan-hanoi-phong-nha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/?p=882","title":{"rendered":"Tues 2nd Jan – Hanoi -> Phong Nha"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The overnight train was okay, a little better than expected. The lights turned off, which was a luxury the Thailand overnight trains no longer boast (after what our Thai tour guide ominously referred to as ‘an incident’). The train rocks a lot when going fast, and when stopping at stations comes to a stop with a jolt, so naturally it’s not the most restful sleep around. Also Declan doesn’t quite fit in the bunk. But I think he is mostly relieved to lie down, after a long day feeling sick in Hanoi. We read for half an hour and then go to ‘sleep’ around 10pm. I personally sleep for about 70% of the night, which I consider to be a solid outcome. Declan, while reluctant to ascribe a quantative score to his sleep, says he slept probably 70% too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our stop at Dong Hoi is timetabled to come at 7.53am. We’ve set an alarm at 7am to make sure we don’t miss it, but I’m awake earlier and the breakfast cart lady opens our cabin door anyway to scream out the breakfast options. She’s woken up my three bunk mates, and all to no avail as everyone is too confused and sleepy to consider buying a hot bun. A few minutes before the stop a train conductor comes to make sure we’re ready too – a service that would be much appreciated if your stop was at 3am…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farmstay Declan booked is about an hour from the train station, and we’ve paid for a shuttle transfer from the station. This is good preplanning by Declan, especially given he is looking worse for wear. Inevitably, he is sicker than yesterday. When we get into our room, he does a second COVID test and it’s positive. Strangely, his mood brightens, and I think this is because the positive test gives him an excuse to rest. He has a big sleep until after lunch and then we read books in the outside common area and go for a tiny walk around the paddies. We have an early dinner of, confusingly, Shepherd’s Pie (the owner of the farm stay is an Australian who married a Vietnamese). Then an early nighttime for sick Dec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Caitlin is apprehensive about the train trip. She does not cope well if there is a risk of uncertain sleep. DW. Our French top bunk companions were yet to arrive, and when they did they dumped their mammoth hiking packs and promptly left. Declan thinks they think we are lame. When we wake up to get off they are still asleep. We did not make lifelong friends on SE1. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Not too many smiles tonight. I hope this photo isn’t contagious. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A morning explore of the train before alighting is blocked by a Vietnamese family having breakfast in the corner. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Looking out the train window, I have no idea where I am. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Healing. Sometimes reading. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We learn that water buffalo are a common marriage present. They are considered an animal of a lot of purposes: ploughing the field, meat to eat and skin to use. CR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The rice paddies extend in every direction and are diligently worked all day by people seemingly pulling out gunk and throwing it on the banks between the paddles. DW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n