Minority Report

Wed 06 Apr 2016 - Motorbike tour day 2, Mai Chau to Son La

After an all night dog sing song, the cockerels in the village started at 0400 - a tad tiresome when you’re suffering from the effects of too much rice wine. Even the normally serene tune of the unwelcome alarm seemed less tuneful than normal.

But a shower makes all things seem better and we were soon throwing tea down our weary throats and munching very tasty egg and coriander baguettes. After Gunnar and Marco drowsily appeared we said our farewells and thank yous and hit the road once more.

Heading down a dirt track directly opposite the village, our hopes of an exciting day were raised as we wound around the edge of the rice fields and entered a grove of massive bamboo. However, realising we’d made a wrong turn, Flower turned us around and we were soon zipping through another village with lots of brightly coloured garments and cloths hanging for sale. We stopped at a lady working a loom who asked us if we wanted to try then set about trying to sell us stuff. Explaining to both her and our riders that we had no room in our bags for ‘anything’ we returned to our bikes. Before long we’d ridden past further shops with looms and a large resort and realised this was quite a tourist town. Time to leave.

Climbing out of the valley we wound our way up to the cooler air of a high pass where we stopped for something to drink. It seemed a bit of a regular rest area with several shop/cafes and with others also breaking their journeys. As we sat drinking, a couple turned up on a scooter: the woman carrying a bamboo crossbow. As we were all interested Flower started talking to them while Jin tried to string the bow. Failing miserably he handed it back to the guy who applied his foot and just about got the loop fixed to the end of the bow, however, none of them succeeded in arming it. Apparently it was a new acquisition for killing chickens. Good luck with that then.

Winding back down the other side of the pass we came to the small town of Moc Chau, famous for its tea plantations. After declaring an interest in visiting we found a small lane that took us past some tea stalls and into the plantation proper. As we pulled over a lady came running up beckoning us to her stall. Promising to visit on our return we went for a short stroll amongst the tea bushes and admired the views. Sticking to our promise we pulled up at a small table and she poured us a sample of the local tea. It was delicious and before long she returned with bags for sale and us restating ‘no room’, however,  a group of men from Hanoi left fully laden.

After a short lunch stop we pushed on with the weather now very hot. We soon came to a roadside waterfall with some local kids playing in the pool below, all fully dressed. Clambering down to join them we could only manage a paddle in the cool water and a good splash around the head and neck. If only we’d had a change of clothes to hand.

Continuing on through the beautiful mountain scenery, past minority villages of stilt houses and ladies in colourful clothes we pulled over at another roadside stall, beside which was a suspension bridge over the river. Leaving the boys to chat to the Thai people we walked across the woven bamboo base of the bridge. It looked a real heath robinson affair but was strong to support the locals on their scooters. Back at the stall Flower explained the Thai ladies wear their hair in a tight bun to signify that they are married then he handed us an odd root that looked a bit like a turnip. He assured us that if we ate it we would not need a drink so we both tucked in to find it very juicy and like an odd cross between an apple and a potato. Whilst munching on our root we noticed one of the ladies was embroidering a small waistcoat with the most colourfully ornate design traditional for her village. Glenn watched for ages, beguiled by her skill.

We left amongst a flurry of goodbyes and thank yous and finished the last few km to the town of Son La with increasingly numb bums - the mileage in the saddle was starting to take its toll. Dinner was taken in a small restaurant across the road from the hotel and as we tucked into duck, pork, beef and noodles (there is always so much food) a thunderstorm erupted and after a particularly large clap all the lights went out. A couple of minutes of eating in darkness proved the power was not going to return anytime soon so the proprietor appeared with a couple of candles, bursting into a rousing rendition of ‘happy birthday’ as he placed them on our table. How romantic, a candlelit dinner for four.

As the storm passed the power returned and we stepped across the wet street to our hotel and our first good night’s sleep for three days.

More stuff for the tourists

A minority mother and child in brightly coloured traditional clothing.

The crossbow wielding lady

Tea as far as the eye can see

Refreshing waterfall...

...snf the kids enjoying it.

Bamboo suspension bridge

The skilful embroiderer

Local kids join the water buffalo keeping cool

Shots in the Dark

Tue 05 Apr 2016 -  Motorbike tour day 1, Hanoi to Mai Chau

Vietnam rail has managed a miraculous feat of engineering - somehow it has managed to make a railway track that is more bumpy than the roads! Aligned with an air conditioning system that seemed to make it hotter inside than out, and periodic stops accompanied by PA announcements, we didn’t get the best night’s sleep.

Awoken abruptly by the guard opening the compartment door with his master key and shouting something in Vietnamese, probably “wake up”, we wearily got dressed and watched the damp Hanoi streets leip slowly past the window. When the train came to stop we got off and followed the masses to the exit, where we were instantly accosted by several taxi drivers all asking “where you go”. Ignoring them we found the address of the hostel we’d been given by the tour company, found an official metered taxi and set off through the streets of Hanoi. After passing a park full of exercising locals we turned down a rather dingy looking street and the cabbie edged along until he came to the number we’d give him - a dirty looking place selling food. He looked inquiringly at Glenn, who jumped out to see what he could find, which was a bunch of locals, no of whom spoke English, and no sign of a hostel. There was nothing for it but to go to the office. The taxi dropped us at the shuttered door at 0600 and we sat on the step to await someone’s arrival. 

It was quite fascinating watching the city the come alive. The street vendors opposite lugged huge vats of noodles for the nation’s staple, large blocks of tofu were chopped into manageable chunks and customers slowly drifted in to grab their noodle soup breakfast. Glenn to a walk to try and find an open cafe but only found other couples also sitting on the steps of various hostels awaiting their opening.

Eventually a young lad appeared, locked our large bags in the office then lead us through the streets to a place we could grab a shower - the place we’d first visited! Looking at each with some concern we followed him along a dirty passage, up a grubby staircase then surface into a smart looking dormitory room with a great shower. Once clean we were shown up some further stairs to a rooftop bar where we were made some coffee.

Soon we were shown back downstairs and introduced to our tour riders Hoa and Chien (pronounced wa and jin) on a couple of mopeds. As they were struggling to get their mouths around ‘Yvonne’ they christened her Mae (yellow flower) before whisking us to the office where we completed the necessary paperwork then shot off down a few more streets to grab some breakfast and find the proper bikes that we would use for the next 6 days. While waiting for the the guys to load our bags we met Gunnar, a young guy from Iceland, who was going to follow us on his own bike for the first day.

Following a short stop for fuel, at which Gunner decided to make his own way and meet us tonight, we set off through to the outskirts of Hanoi to the bank of the Red River. Passing hundreds of allotments we wound our way along the flood bank until we reach our first stop - a bonsai farm. We were introduced to the owner, Mt Ha, and shown the many trees, the oldest of which is 600 years, he and his forefathers of looked after. Enquiring about the awards on his wall it seems Mr Ha is a bit of a celebrity and only needs to sell one tree a month to make a good living. Many of the young trees in his care will make money for his grandchildren.

Once out of town we turned off the highway and took a cross country route through the rice fields. Literally through the rice fields along the small embankments that separate them. Sometimes less than a metre wide - no room for error. Once back on the road we passed a wood workshop producing huge wooden mock vases for display in hotel foyers and then hit an amazing scenic combination of rice fields interspersed with karst outcrops. We wound our way through the outcrops for some time until we joined the main highway, which goes over a high mountain pass. As we climbed higher and higher the temperature fell and we eventually hit the cloud line. Starting to feel a little chilly we crossed the saddle and were presented with a great view of the valley below and the small town of Mai Chau, where we would spend the night.

Whilst taking photos and admiring the view we met Marco, a young Italian guy who had travelled up from Saigon by bike. Hoa recognised it as one of theirs and the two of them were soon talking bike and places to stay. Before long Marco had been invited to stay with us for the night and followed us down the winding pass, through the town and into the small village of wooden stilt houses to the homestay we were to spend the night.

After being shown to room on the upper floor of the stilt house we found our mattress resting on the floor of bamboo surrounded by a mosquito net - tonight was going to be interesting. Returning to the open space beneath the house we were reunited with Gunnar and spent the next half an hour drinking tea and beer and learning about each other’s travel stories. Before long a few of the local family members joined us and a magnificent array of food was spread over the table for us to tuck into, including a bowl of grubs - something new for us all to try (pretty tasteless actually).

As the meal progressed several bottles of rice wine (think vodka) appeared and before long toast after toast was called followed by a rousing chorus of “một - hai - ba - vô (one - two - three - cheers)” after which the wine was necked and the shot glasses slammed back down on the table. Needless to say the night got increasingly noisier with Marco proving particularly good fun as he sat amongst the local copying everything they said and did. It also became clear that the westerners were struggling with Hoa’s name so he was christened ‘flower’ (apparently the meaning of his name).

When all the bottles were empty and the plates cleared away a small band set up its instruments and seven ladies in local costume appeared to perform a selection of customary songs and dances ending, as you’d imagine, with everyone joining in the bamboo dance. Tired and slightly sozzled we climbed the steep stairs and fell into bed. A great evening!

Morning in our train compartment 

Mr Ha and his 600yr old bonsai tree

Sanding a huge mock vase on a lathe

Flower sample a water filled bamboo smoking device while Jin watches on

Karst scenery

Hundreds of sheets of teak veneer wood drying

Looking down through the haze at Mai Chau

Home for the night

The start of a rowdy evening

Cabaret time

Laughs with languages

Mon 04 Apr 2016 - Phong Nha cave

Our last day at the Lake House Resort and our last day on a scooter in Vietnam. We spoke to the lovely Sa on reception who produced a rough sketch map of the area and showed as off the beaten track routes to take to Phong Nha cave, the original draw for the area. After we figured out how to open the hatch beneath the seat (it was in a different place to all the other scooters we’d had but fortunately the lady at the filling station showed us) we were off, cruising through rural villages along the riverbank, by now oblivious to the passing water buffalo.

Just as we entered the village of Son Trach we noticed a small cafe/shop so pulled over to grab a couple of drinks. The lady that ran it shly spoke a little English but with a combination of sign language, mime and a few words we made ourselves understood. As we sat down she produced a dog eared Vietnam/English phrase book and we all had great fun the next half an hour teaching each other a few phrases. Promising to return later for dinner we set off to the cave.

As this was the first cave found, and it can only be accessed by boat, it is much more geared for the tourists. We hung around at the ticket office for a while waiting for some other visitors to share the cost of the boat and after a couple of small groups arrived we were on our way. Luckily the guide of one of the groups spoke English and showed us which boat to board.

It is a 20min cruise down the river to reach the cave and it was interesting to get a different view from road along the bank we’d travelled several times. At the cave’s entrance the husband and wife crew cut the engine and started paddling us into the darkness. Although the features were impressive, particularly the huge stalactites and flowstone, and it was cool rowing down a subterranean river, somehow it was a little underwhelming compared to the amazing Paradise cave of two days ago. Our crew also seemed intent on propelling us to the end of the cave in record time and consequently crashed into other boats and, more alarmingly, some of the formations. They didn’t seem at all bothered.

At the end of the water based visit we were dropped ashore at an underground beach and given 40 mins to walk through a small amount of the cave, which took only 20 mins, even at our slow pace studying everything, and then we surfaced into a large area with people selling food, drink and tat, We politely refused the constant harassment of the vendors and waited on the steps for our return boat journey.

Once off the boat we returned to the shop/restaurant we’d promised to. In truth, the food wasn’t the greatest but we had more language fun when our host produced a childs poster book with pictures of everyday items in English and Vietnamese and we felt good putting some money directly in the hands of a local.

Back on the scooter we returned along the riverside trail then took a turning up a track that we’d also been recommended. Everything was going well until we got the section Sa (the hotel receptionist) had described as “a bit bumpy” - somewhat of an understatement. With the recent rain, the track had turned into a quagmire of gooey mud with bumps of over 30cm. We gave it a go but after a few hundred metres and a big rear wheel slide that almost put us on our side we decided to give it a miss. Bumping and sliding back the way we’d come, both us and the bike now covered in mud, we returned to the hotel to, rather sheepishly, return the scooter. Luckily we were able to use the showers for the pool to wash ourselves and we found a hose to wash our sandals then it was into the waiting minibus that would whisk us off to the station. Once there we filed into the waiting room and waited with the mass of chatting (shouting) locals and awaited the arrival of our sleeper train, which chugged slowly into the station more or less on time. With no platforms and two trains in at the same time the compound (for want of a better word) was amass with people getting on and off and passengers jumping out to buy food or have a smoke. 

Fighting our way down the corridor we found our four berth cabin and were relieved to see two young asian women in the lower bunks trying to get to sleep. We hauled our bags up to the stowage area, climbed into our bunks and settled down for a quiet night. Then the large French contingent down the way found their voices and began shouting and singing. Evidently they had been aboard a while and had set about drinking themselves silly. Although they were rowdy to begin with they did eventually settle down and so did we.

The three language students

Approaching the cave

Inside the underground water-world

Yvonne admires a formation

Reading back out

Another boat couple 

Yvonne show off her teaching skills

Waiting at the station

Dangerous Abyss

Sun 03 Apr 2016 - Around Phong Nha National Park

We awoke to the sound of thunder gentle rumbling around us and walked to the dining room in light rain. It soon cleared up, however, and we set off on the scooter for the Mooc Springs Eco Trail. 

In the fresher, clearer air the journey there was spectacular with the jagged karst peaks jutting abruptly up from the verdant fields and calling us to make many stops for photos or just standing by the side of the road listening to the sounds of the jungle.

After a slow pleasurable ride we arrived at a wet, muddy car park  interspersed with incomplete concrete structures - clearly the Eco Trail was a work in progress. At the crude bamboo admission hut we sat for a drink and looked at the brochure. We had expected a lengthy trail through the jungle to the spring complete with monkey bridge crossings, however, it was more of a river swimming, high ropes fun park with a 600m walk thrown in. Not for us.

With the sun now out we decided to jump on our scooter and follow our noses for a while. We soon passed Paradise cave, from yesterday, and eventually reached the crossroads for the mountain track home. With time on our hands we took the opposite turn and headed up to the cave temple of the eight martyrs. There was a large car park, a few buildings and a large concrete frieze depicting scenes from the war but nothing in English to explain what it commemorated. In ignorance we retraced our path to the crossroads and the mountain track home. Taking it slowly to enjoy the jungle in the sunlight (and the dry!), Yvonne recalled passing a botanical garden so we headed there.

Passing many other foreigners on moped/motorcycles on the road we arrived at the gardens where we chatted with the girl on the reception who pleaded with Glenn to marry her so she could get a visa and come to England: the first Vietnamese person we’ve met who wanted to leave. Gracefully declining, amidst the titters of Yvonne, we paid our admission fee, collected our photocopied map and set off into the jungle.

First stop was a ‘display centre’ that comprised of a few dried leaves, some tree samples and the mangiest looking stuffed animals you’ve ever seen - an auspicious start. Next was the animal recuperation centre, which was a few wire mesh cages that didn’t seem to contain anything. Ah well, off to the lake. Well, by lake they meant small pool of 2m depth complete with inner tube life ring and buoyed off area with a sign stating you would drown if you couldn’t swim - some subtlety doubtless lost in translation. Beginning to feel disappointed we set off for the peacock enclosure. On the way we met a group of young girls who warned us not to set our hopes too high and, sure enough, the one ropey looking peacock in the wire enclosure looked far from splendid.

Stopping now and then to listen to the chirruping of the crickets and the strange calls of the birds we made our way to the last attraction, the waterfall. Despite the sign at the top warning us of a ‘dangerous abyss’ (doubtless another translation foible) it actually turned out to be quite pretty and we descended the wooden steps down ‘the abyss’ to see it in its full glory from below. Back at the top we sat in the cool breeze admiring the view and wondered if we should have expected more. To be honest we did pass plenty of trees with name tags attached, just like we would at home, but as we didn’t recognise any of the names it was wasted on us.

On the way back to the entrance we passed the recuperation centre and stopped for a closer look. Once at the cages’ edge we did find a couple of tortoises, some form of mammal curled up asleep and the biggest snake we’ve ever seen. 

By now the afternoon was almost over and we cruised down the hill into the village, stopping now and then to enjoy the wonderful landscape in the low sunlight. The ride home along the main highway was simply stunning. Women tending the rice fields, buffalo being herded home and children milling around all bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.

Back at the hotel we had a long chat with the Australian guy and Vietnamese lady owners who explained that the eight martyrs were eight ladies who provided food to anyone that needed it in the war years. During a bombing raid they had fled into the cave to seek cover and a bomb had dislodged a large rock which sealed them in. Their death is commemorated by many Vietnamese, especially over Tet (Vietnamese New Year). 

Clearer morning air after last nights rain

Through the jungle

Glenn crosses a monkey bridge to ...

... the dangerous abyss ...

... and its waterfall

Low lying sun over the river

A lady weeding in the cool of the evening  

Taking the buffalo home 

Subterranean superlatives

Sat 02 Apr 2016 - Phong Nha paddies, jungle and Paradise cave

What a day!

Breakfast was brilliant - whopping great bowls of muesli, tasty omelette and large mugs of tea. Fixed for the start of the day we picked up the scooter we’d arranged with reception and were shown to a rather shabby affair with a bald front tyre and a lockable saddle that didn’t lock. A few words with reception and a short wait on the terrace later we were whizzing our way through the simply stunning landscape on a decent replacement past acres of lush green rice fields with water buffalo roaming around and fabulous, jungle clad karst mountains in the background. Quintessential Asia.

Stopping for several ‘wow’ moments and photos we turned off into the small village of Phong Nha with its large Hollywood style sign on the mountainside. The village must have been a sleepy backwater farming settlement before the development of the region’s caves in 1990 but now it is learning to come to terms with the large numbers of visitors pouring in.

Passing the large, souvenir and cafe lined entrance to the eponymous cave system we were heading for Paradise cave, which was only discovered in 2005. Having looked at a crude map we’d opted to take the cross country route and boy are we glad we did. The quiet, narrow track wound through the most magnificent jungle we’d yet encountered. With large trees, gigantic banana palms and all manner of vines and creepers draped across the canopy we made slow progress as we bumped along the track stopping frequently for photos or just to stand and admire the views. With the exception of an occasional vertical cliff face, the trees cover themselves over the steep sides of the mountains to form a blanket of green over a stunning topography. 

At the end of the mountain track we joined the West Ho Chi Minh Road and headed towards the Paradise Cave turning. The car park was surrounded by makeshift plastic sheeted cafes/souvenir shops and with the heat of the midday sun and the humidity making us weary we found a quiet hammock in one of these shacks, bought some drinks and settled in for a nap. 

Once refreshed we bought our tickets and began the trek to the cave entrance, which started along a steady paved path through the jungle then began zigzagging up the side of a large cliff. After working up a major sweat in the damp air we eventually arrived at a small shack and an inconspicuous hole in the ground below a sign that read “Cave Entrance”. Seeking the cooler air we mounted the large wooden staircase and headed underground.

We’d read that the cave was large but we were not prepared for the vast cavernous space, over a 100m from floor to ceiling, that we descended into. It was simply huge.  As the staircase wound down the massive pile of boulders below the small entrance hole, we were filled with awe at the size of this place and the large water formed features. Far below us we could see a couple of wooden viewing platforms connected to the stairs by a boardwalk and slowly made our way there, past dozens of noisy Asians shouting at each other, even though they were only a couple of metres apart (why do they do that?), and taking selfies from every possible vantage point. The further down and in we went, the more impressive the formations became. Stalactites, columns (organ pipes), drapers (like folded cloth), flowstone and stalagmites - all on an incredible vast scale. Like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

As we mused about how impressive this place was we noticed the boardwalk went further on and we rounded the corner in another huge tunnel, 10’s of metres high, packed with even more impressive formations. Moving deeper and deeper into, what seemed like, a never ending wonderland the crowds disappeared to be replaced by silence, which gave the place a whole new dimension. As we went even further we wondered if it would ever end but we finally came to the last viewing platform over 1km from the entrance - although the whole system is more than 31km long. By now we had run out of superlatives to describe our feelings so walked in awe, pointing out different features to each other - this really is one of the most amazing places we’ve ever been to.

Noting how empty the cave had become we checked the time and decided we best make our way out as we had over 2km back to the scooter and needed to drive over 35km to the hotel before darkness fell. Retracing our steps to the entrance, in the peace of the now empty cavern, we resurfaced to the sound of thunder and the patter of light rain - just what we needed. Not wanting to get caught in a deluge we marched back to the where the scooter was parked with the flash of lightning and the crash of thunder going on around us. By now the clouds had thickened around the mountains and it was clear we were going to get wet. As we set off down the highway the thunder rumbled ever more loudly and when we reached the small mountain track the rain began to fall more steadily. Pulling over beneath an overhanging tree we donned the skinny tops we’d brought with us to wear in the caves and continued as the rain began to fall more and more heavily. Great. Caught on a remote mountain road in a tropical downpour on a scooter with the light fading we made our way steadily down going as fast we dare on the slippery surface.

As we dropped lower the rain eased but we were already soaked and the fresh breeze started to make us cold. Focussed on getting back, we were now oblivious to our surroundings and weaved between the cows, water buffalo, dogs and people wandering down the road without a second glance. At the village of Phong Nha the weather brightened and the road became drier so we sped up in a last push for home but as we re-joined the main highway and neared our hotel another crash of thunder sounded and hailstones began to sting our faces.

With our heads down we almost missed the entrance and we braking hard we turned into the safety of the car park and the sanctuary of an overhanging roof. Smiling widely at each other we laughed about our adventures then splashed our way to our lakeside bungalow for the soothing touch of a hot shower.

We had a tasty and well earned dinner on the terrace of the hotel watching the lightning flashes illuminate the surrounding hills and enjoying a rather large gin and tonic (£1!) and bottle of Hanoi beer - a new one in our ever growing samples of world beers. On the walk back to our room we met the Australian owner, who's been here 17 years, and chatted about life in Vietnam. He told us of a young ruling member of the communist party who’d worked wonders for the thriving city of Danang and was tipped for the top job. He told us one of his rivals poisoned him and alas is no more! You won’t find details on that on the internet.

Jungle view

Jungle clad mountains

The inconspicuous entrance to Paradise Cave 

This photo really doesn't give the scale of this massive void

The people onthe walkway give some scale

A huge flowstone formation (note the staircase on the right)

And it just goes on

Shades of Hue

Fri 01 Apr 2016 - Hue and the Night Bus to Phong Nha

We left our bags in the hotel to collect later and managed an early start off out to visit the Imperial City, a walled fortress and palace within the walled city of Hue, tp get around most of it before the crowds arrive. We entered through one of the 6 impressive city gates and made our way around the forbidden city, outer courts, inner courts, temples and places of worship, gardens and pavilions. The Emperor had started building the city in 1802 to replicate a smaller version of the Chinese Forbidden city and it was still used by the last Emperor until he surrendered to the North Vietnamese in 1945. The whole city only has 10 remaining buildings out of the 160 originally built. This in part due to termites and cyclone damage but also major damage occurred during the war in 1968. There are several projects around the site with international funding to preserve and recreate it to its former glory. 

An interesting exhibition explained the history behind the emperors, mandarins, courts, emperor’s mothers, wives, concubines, eunuchs and daily life within the city. 

After about 5 hours we decided we’d seen enough and wandered into town to find a place to give us a good lunch to take us through to our bus journey later this evening. We opted for local food, getting quite adventurous in our selections and getting more proficient with our chopsticks.

Full with food we wandered to the riverbank and sat on a bench watching the world go by. Within minutes a lady stepped ashore from a boat in front of us, walked over and started to converse with the customary opening line of “where you from”? After telling us of her children and five generations of boat ownership she moved on to the sales pitch. “You want ride, very cheap”. We politely declined but she kept at it. Eventually she returned to her boat but then reappeared with a box of pop up greeting cards that everyone tries to sell. She was persistent in her efforts, even leaving the box in front of us while she wandered off somewhere else, but she eventually got the message that we were not going to spend anything and returned to her chores.

Back at the hotel we had a spare hour until our shuttle bus picked us up and we used this time to book a couple of train tickets online for an overnight sleeper train to Hanoi. We needed the full hour to do this as the system was extremely slow and with the end in sight we finally reserved our tickets but without paying for them. Whether they will be available at collection time remains to be seen.

The shuttle bus arrived right on time and took us to the bus collection area where we mingled with the young travellers who are here for the Easter holidays. The sleeper bus appeared at 5pm and we managed to watch our bags being put on first so we hopped on and were instructed to take off our shoes and put them in the a carrier bag we were handed. The bus travels overnight to Hanoi so only had sleep couches, on two levels, similar to bunks, no seats at all. We climbed up the little ladder, shoved our daypacks into the footwell and laid back to enjoy the 4-5 hour journey to Phong Nha.

As it was dark the bus lights were dimmed and the the faces of every single young person on the bus were lit up by electronic devices, all thumbing through facebook pages. We’d read stories of how bad these sleeper buses were, but apart from the driver tooting constantly, watching a soft porn music video whilst talking on his mobile phone and driving just a bit too close to the vehicles in front, we felt completely safe strapped in our safety belts.

As promised, the bus stopped outside our hotel on it’s way through to the main town, tooted its horn and two hotel staff leapt out of the darkness to grab our bags, seeing us through check in and to our room by 10pm. All in all, quite a busy day.

Changing of the guard Hue style

One of three vast bronze urns

Elaborate covered walkway

A connecting building

Another endless covered passage

Gardens around the temple area

They do like an urn

All aboard the sleeper bus