MP3 track of the day: Riding along on my automobile -Chuck Berry
Weather: Cold, windy but not raining. The skies were still full of white clouds.
As my coach wasn't due to pick me up until 5pm I had considered a lie-in. The proposed lie-in was a definite course of action, given the rowdy Kiwi's last night, however my body clock - now used to getting up early - wouldn't let me sleep any longer than 8:30am. I packed my stuff, double-checked my bed to make sure that I hadn't left anything, and left my dorm at 9:30am. Before breakfast I went into my local shop, to purchase snacks, for my sixteen hour trip to Hanoi. Once this was done I sat in my hostels restaurant eating breakfast. As this was my last day within Hue I would have made a bigger effort to go out however, with the sky still full of clouds, there was little point returning to the citadel to get some better photos. I therefore found a warm spot with the hostels restaurant and got out my computer.
After blogging, emailing, weather checking and reading the news I decided to watch the 'Top Gear Vietnam Special' my British mate had copied for me. I have wanted to watch this ever since entering Vietnam but, so far, I had only seen parts of the show on 'you tube'.
By now the time was 2pm and I only had a further three hours until my coach was scheduled to pick me up. I ordered a late lunch of noodles and chatted to some Brits who had just arrived.
My coach was an hour late. It was a sleeping coach and just wished that I was allocated a bottom bunk:
“...Please let me have a bottom bunk...”
“...Please let me have a bottom bunk...”
Within ten minutes I found myself putting my bag on my bed and climbing up the small, plastic ladder to the top bunk. You see, with a bottom bunk, you have the isle to put luggage; being on the top bunk you only have fresh air beside you (which, due to gravity, doesn't really hold a lot of weight). Due to putting my bag on my bunk before I got up, I wrestled with my small allotted area until, rather undignified, I found myself sitting up with my bag on my lap. The weight of the bag was rather heavy and I knew, right away, that I couldn't sleep like this. I tried to read about Hanoi, within my guidebook, however with the driver turning the lights off at 6pm it made it rather difficult. I finished reading about Hanoi just as we pulled into our dinner stop. Due to already having dinner I spent the time re-organising my bed. My bag, once 'packsafed', was placed back down on the isle. I went back up the ladder, into my bed, and finished reading my 'Vietnam War' book - for the second time - which is a interesting and well written book.
Afterwards I reclined my seat, chatted to the American to my left for a while, before going to sleep. Sleeping would have been easier if it wasn't for our driver; our driver, who had the intelligence of a biscuit, kept playing music and beeping the coaches horn all night. Next stop Hanoi!
Toodle Pip!
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