Been a while between updates… Here is what we have been up to…

We made it to sunny Hoi An in one piece. We got off the train and our bikes followed us some time later (thankfully) and we loaded up and headed off. We came into the resort (Sunrise Resort) and sat waiting for our rooms looking like the dirtiest pack of hillbillies sitting in this fancy resort foyer drawing looks of utter contempt and disgust from the more distinguished high class patrons.

The Vietnamese as always were loverly. They brought us ginger and lemongrass cold towels which we grabbed at desperately like thirst starved desert folk and within seconds the towels were black!

Lemongrass soooooooooooo good! – I now carry a large bottle with me 🙂

Hoi An held a bit of a relaxing escape mood for us and we lingered here far longer than we expected. We originally planned to stay for 2 days but ended up staying 5.

The days were spent swimming in the pool and sea and running around Hoi An’s old port town like madmen visiting tailors and leather merchants and then revisiting them to make alterations and ensure that our items were correctly fitted.

I will make another post of our tailoring adventures.

In the meantime Blakey caught us up. He had latched onto another group of miscreants and was happy plodding along with them. He was a hard one to track down in Hoi An with his new shipmates. He didn’t stay with us at the resort and preferred the backpackers hostel where he met his crew and had some fun adventures and I believe he will write his own post on his two day race against our train and subsequent adventure.

Although I love Hoi An and so did Kimbi, Mitchy and Blakey it mostly it felt like time slipped through our fingers in Hoi An. It was nice to stay at the resort and we didn’t want to leave the comfort that it brought us, but we also didn’t really achieve much in our daily activities and I think in the end we were ready to move on to Hue.

The day we went to leave we were all running around town. Blakey had lined up his crew on rented motorcycles (scooters) and Mitchy was getting his bike quickly serviced before we took off. I went to dash into town to organise the last of our tailoring and surprise surprise my bike broke the fuck down again. I ended up pushing it through the town to the tailor shop and once I’d arranged everything there pushing it back to the others to where Mitchy was getting his serviced so we could figure out what was wrong.

Turned out that I’d completely torn my Johnson rod!! What that actually means is that the bolts on the rear sprocket had been stripped and the sprocket came loose rendering the chain useless. Our mechanic didn’t look confident but said he could fix it but would need 4 hours and it would cost $135 USD.

This meant we were stuck in Hoi An at least another night as the distance to ride to Hue (our next destination) was to great to attempt so late. Blakey set off with his crew and Mitchy, Kimbi and I found another accommodation for the night and went for lunch.

We went back to a loverly little place that I forget the name of, it was run by an Aussie expat (called Jamie) and they had some amazing food and cocktails. On this particular day I was smashing the cocktails frustrated that yet again it was my bike that had failed and delayed us. We ended up booking a cooking course that was run by the restaurants chef and by the expat around the corner – another post.

At 5pm we returned to the mechanic to find the bike fully functional and ready. The next day we managed to set off for Hue, finally!

We reached Nha Trang via some of the most unbelievable and spectacular roads and views and scenery imaginable. I will make a post just about the ride later.

We reached the Nha Trang train station and here we parted ways from Blake. In true style he is soloing it against us and the train. This will give. Kim, Mitch and I two – three days in the perfectness that is Hoi An. Already Mitch doesn’t want to leave and we are already discussing the different options available to us:
– jet skiing
– cookery courses
– full body treatments, spas, saunas and massages
– diving lessons, accreditation and trips
– POOL BAR!

The list is endless!!!

The trip here however was painful. The train sleepers were all full. A large group of foreigners had beaten us to booking and we could only secure soft seats on the train.

There are four classes of travel on a Vietnamese train:
Hard seat – 90 degree wooden slats, no air con, caged windows with metal shutters and many many people crammed in. I have done this before and it is a real mental battle!
Soft seat – reclined semi comfy chairs. Aircon. Smells.
Hard sleeper – 6 bunks, limited Aircon limited room. The peoples choice on the reunification express.
Soft sleeper – the ultimate and only way to travel overnight via train. 4 bunks, Aircon, comfy bunks room.

We travelled soft seat (my first time – as I have travelled all others before). We were at the back of the carriage next to the door which was used continuously allowing the briefest most ungodly smells to creep in and assault our nostrils at every loud opening. Food carts and annoying locals who just like to walk the train kept this door in operation much to the dismay of Kim. After switching seats with her the door became my mortal enemy. In Vietnam xx- large as a size does not exist in any form. So the seats are small and close together. It’s not so much sitting next to Kim as it is sitting entwined with Kim. And on my other side with my new close friend the door. Every food cart that trundled down the isle inevitably smashed into my shoulder and arm while trying to navigate the tiny door. It was a long night…

6:00am glared into the train and brought perhaps the single greatest annoyance in the history of mankind – the spoilt child. This one child needed a hiding like the deserts need the rain. The little shit would not stop running up and down the isle screaming and carrying on. What could be worse? Well simply his entire extended family being in the carriage sporadically placed in strategic locations that allow for the maximum amount of carriage cover by this little spawn of satan. He just ran around from family member to family member trashing and teasing and screaming and starting fights.

The child drew the deadliest looks from me and Mitch and never quite understood just how close he came to being booted off a moving train…

Perseverance is key, and finally at about 8:30am Da Nang train station arrived we packed up the bikes and we headed to the fabled city of Hoi An.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh