Hanoi, Vietnam:
Last night I took the night bus from Hue to Hanoi. Leaving at 6pm and arriving at 6am, the 12 hour journey was certainly not the longest I’ve ever taken (or will ever take) but it wasn’t the shortest either.
With my belly full and my toilet needs more or less seen to (taking a dump in a tiny cubicle while the driver violently traverses the Vietnamese roads was not a situation I wanted to find myself in, especially in the absence of toilet roll), I made myself as comfortable as humanly possible on the top row of recliner seats, ensuring I took a middle bed to avoid the blast from the freezing cold air con I’d surely be subjected to all night. Despite needing and living for air con at the moment (see previous blog), it’s the last thing you want assaulting your face while you’re trying to sleep – think sore throat, tight and dry skin, watery eyes, goosebumps, the inability to regulate the temperature…not cool.
I’d done a four hour journey on a similar bus a few days previous and had found the beds to be satisfactory enough to sleep on without feeling like all the nerves had left my arse and without crippling my back. The seats adjusted – from a sitting up position to a supine position that made it easy to relax. And there was a crevice in which to place my legs so I could actually stretch out a little. Being in the centre of the aisle too meant I could straddle my recliner bed should my legs need a bit of extra circulation – something I did regularly throughout this journey.
As darkness descended and the interior bus lights were dimmed I attempted sleep. Headphones were necessary at this point, if only to drown out the constant ringing of mobile phones – the Vietnamese I feel, have no concept of the ‘vibrate’ or ‘silent’ options that have been present on all hand held devices available to man since 1996. So with the Gallagher brother’s Mancunian twangs blaring in my ears I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the background noise.
Time ticked away: the bus jolting and jumping down the uneven roads; the driver insistent on flicking the interior lights on and off at random intervals (usually just as I’d managed to nod off); a girl on the bottom row of beds being sick into a plastic bag; a child’s cries attempting to be muffled by his concerned parents. And at 2am I was still awake.
Sleep did not entertain me that night. I think I possibly managed a few half hour power naps in the whole 12 hour period. And I arrived in Hanoi at 6am, knackered, drained, in need of a shower and yearning for a real bed.
The walk to my hostel (Vietnam Backpackers Original) in the old quarter of Hanoi wasn’t too strenuous and as I slowly and wearily navigated my way, I passed by Ho Hoan Kiem, a huge lake in the centre of the city, and the beautiful St Joseph’s cathedral. Being so early in the morning the traffic was minimal and at the time I was very grateful for this fact, although being the capital city of Vietnam, I knew it was certain to change.
Discovering I couldn’t check in till 1pm my body sighed in exhausted frustration; what could I possibly do for six hours in my zombiefied state when all I wanted was some shut-eye? First I showered. Then I ate. And by 9am I didn’t feel too bad, so I took myself for a walk. And for three long hours I wandered aimlessly, looking like something out of Shaun of The Dead; stopping only for a camomile tea and some ice cream in an attempt to remain alert. After an hour I realised I wasn’t really taking anything in; my eyes were glazed and my head was pounding. I needed sleep.
At 12:30 I managed to get an early check-in and almost whooped in pure delight. Power nap – COME AT ME! I rested till around three o’clock and then went in search of more food. It dawned on me that my fresh vegetable consumption had been extremely limited for the last two weeks so with the genius idea of seeking out a proper vegan restaurant in order to satisfy my healthy cravings and nutrient needs I headed to an upmarket looking place just around the corner.
And to my sheer delight, what did I find on the menu?! Freshly steamed veggies! The restaurant was pretty pricey but I justified the expense by telling myself I was feeding my body all the good stuff it required; and I ordered a beer too, just for good measure. As the food arrived I grinned in gluttonous glee, only to be shot down when I discovered the beer I’d ordered was non-alcoholic. Questioning the waitress and asking to exchange it for a beverage of the alcoholic variety, I was told: “Sorry, miss, vegan restaurant, no allowed drink alcohol if vegan.” Well, that put a spanner in the works. And it confused me slightly too, as I’m sure all of my vegan friends (of which I have three) still manage to get pissed every now and then…
Anyway, I reluctantly downed my NON ALCOHOLIC beer, enjoyed my veggies, went for another wander and then decided to search for wine. Finding a quiet restaurant three floors above ground level, with a nice view of the lake, I parked my bum and asked for the cheapest red wine they had. What I got was a Vietnamese variety called Dalat. It was red, it was cold, and it tasted slightly like sangria: it would do.
A couple of hours passed and finding myself sufficiently tired enough to justify going to bed, I made my way back to the hostel, turned out the lights in my room and prayed for sleep, for tomorrow, I was going to Ha Long Bay!
Moral of today’s story: purchase diazepam for long journeys and don’t order beer in vegan restaurants, especially if you want to get pissed.
Chasing Amy-Lou 