Vietnamese Railway

We opted for some adventure and, instead of flying, took the overnight sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang.  I like trains - they are usually a nice way to see the countryside and a more relaxing travel experience than dealing with airlines.

Well, I'm not sure that this one would count as more relaxing, but it was definitely an experience we won't forget!

The train left Saigon at 11 PM, to arrive in Da Nang around 2 PM.  First thing we noticed is that the train cars look a lot like prison cells.  And the beds weren't much of an improvement over what I suspect one gets in prison. But by this time we had already bought the tickets and were committed, so we tried to get "comfortable" and settle in for the night.

The thing is, you don't get to choose your bunk mates.  4 beds per compartment = 4 people who share a prison cell for 15 hours.  So just as we are settling down, a 20-something guy shows up with his friends, drops off his baggage in the compartment, and takes off for a smoke.

One of the pieces of "baggage" he brought was a heavyish cardboard box that he stored under Buddy's bed.  Immediately a very strong, distinct and unpleasant odor filled the cabin.  It was really bad. Like, REALLY BAD. Buddy had a truly panicked look on his face and wanted to get off the train altogether, while I was trying to convince him (and myself) that we would get used to it after a while.  He even busted into the box while the guy was gone, just to see what the hell was in there (it was two of these: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-does-the-durian-fruit-smell-so-terrible-149205532/ )

THANK GOD that someone else on the train had the guts (and the language skills) to complain. A train conductor came into our prison cell and looked at me and Buddy accusingly.  We immediately pointed to the guy in the top bunk, they had an exchange, and then the putrid durian fruit got thrown off the train. Success!

Another neat fact about the Vietnamese Railway is that it's really fucking loud.  The metal box itself is quite squeaky, and the 6 screaming children two bunks down just echo and echo throughout the car.  Also, because they don't want you to get hungry or thirsty while you're sleeping, a very loud woman with a food cart comes through the corridor every hour or two, screaming in Vietnamese about her beverages.

Needless to say, we did not have a restful nights sleep.  It was pretty miserable, in fact.  But in the morning we gave the screamy lady some money for coffee and just tried to enjoy some of the scenery.

That part, at least, was gorgeous.  :-)