We took 3 trains in total in Vietnam. This was a great way to travel which didn't involve flying and avoided busses.
Our first train ride was from Hanoi to Da Nang and took us 16 hours. We boarded the train in the evening and found our way to our berth, we had booked a first class sleeper with AC. This had 4 beds, we had 2 of then and we picked up some other guests at the next few stops. We started off watching some programmes and then it was time to get some sleep. It was quite a comfortable night once I had finally got to sleep! I was up on the top bed and had the AC blowing on my directly so I was frozen, I found many layers to pop on. Then at 5am in the morning the man's alarm was going off, he didn't wake up but the rest of us did! I tried to find the phone but had no luck then I poked him but he didn't even move. I thought he many need to get off at the next stop. Joaquín had a go at waking him up, no luck either! Then the other lady was shaking him and he still didn't stir. Finally the alarm just stopped after 10 minutes and we could all get back to sleep. The train didn't arrive until after 1pm, we had snacks for breakfast but we're getting a little hungry by that time. They did have a food trolly but we must have still been sleeping when it came passed in the morning.
Our next train journey was from Da Nang to Nha Trang. This journey wasn't as long as the last one but we still travelled overnight for around 10 hours. This time we had booked a bed in second class sleeper, still with AC. There were now 6 beds in each berth but this was not the journey we were expecting after having such a pleasant one the time before. First when we arrived at our cabin someone had been sleeping in my bed and I was greeted with a cockroach running across my pillow. There was a small child in Joaquín's bed, who had to be woken and moved, she really didn't want to leave. There was no room to put our bags so on the bed they go...already a very small bed to now share it with our luggage! After checking for more cockroachs I got into bed but wrapped up in my sleeping bag liner. It got very hot in the berth as there were 9 people in there...people were sleeping 2 per bed, I really don't know how they managed that! In the night I woke to see the full moon shining over the rice fields and also to meet more cockroachs running all over the cabin. One running down the wall by my head...I grab my flipflop and try to get it but it ran down under my mattress. I lift up my mattress and that was a mistake! Even more of them...I try to put it out of my mind and go back to sleep, still wrapped in my sleeping bag liner. Finally in the morning we arrived and I couldn't get out the train fast enough.
Last train journey was OK from Nah Trang to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon. We caught this one during the day so we only booked a second class seater with AC. We had a pleasant journey...no cockroachs this time! We enjoyed watching locals on the train...one man even put a mat out on the floor and started sleeping in the aisle. The food trolly was interesting to see what they were selling. After a 7 and a half hour journey we had arrived.
End of train journeys in Vietnam.
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