Sun 2 April
Last breakfast at Nihm Bihn home stay . Mihn took Alan on the back of the scooter to find an ATM as we couldn’t find on the day before! Once he got back we took the bikes out for a ride along the dykes near the home stay – again to the Van Long Nature Reserve. Only managed to spot a few herons and a couple of aqua blue kingfishers and passed a few duck farms on the other side of the dykes! Bought some fruit from a roadside stall and asked her to peel and cut it all up so we could have lunch on the train ride to Hanoi. Mihn’s buddy came and picked us up to give us a taxi ride to the station so said our goodbyes. His daughter was friends with Mihn’s so we had her in the car part way until he dropped her on the road by their house. Alan & I started to give each other glances as we saw how the guy drove – he must have either just got the car and didn’t know how to drive, or he was spaced out on something! He drove down the middle of the road, buses and big trucks coming towards us – started to get very uncomfortable with the experience – told Alan to stop trying to chat to him as he needed to focus on what he was doing! Some interesting crossing the road from right turn only lanes when going straight etc.. trucks hooting and honking behind to get him to drive in a lane rather than the middle – seemed oblivious – then the final straw when he went over a rock in the road (any other person would have had enough time to steer around it but NO our laddie went straight for it!) immediately he stopped the car in the middle of the road to check the damage – sure enough a hole in the tire -so moved the car to the side of the road! Luckily for us there was a taxi parked nearby so he called it for us and we packed into it – ecstatic that we were leaving him behind to fix his tire! Omg I really don’t know what his case was! Our lady taxi driver wasn’t too much better but at last we arrived at the train station and hurriedly baled out – relieved we’d made it in one piece! Had some noodles at the station and then hopped on board for the 2 hour trip to Hanoi. Sat behind a friendly young student who obviously was dying to practice his English on his. Chatted away about his country and his university – very kind guy who I also asked if he knew how I could check my data balance on my Sim card. He was with a different company so didn’t know, but was obviously mortified he couldn’t help me, so after 15 mins of him being on his phone he had obviously texted all his buddies to get the answer and then helped me out! Then he offered us oranges as he’d been with his family for the weekend and they had given him so many oranges so wanted to share them! Sweet guy!

We arrived at Hanoi Station and decided to call the hotel to see if we could leave our bags there instead of dragging all the way to Sapa and back. We had about 5 hours between trains so plenty of time. The Hanoi Focus Hotel were so welcoming they said not only could we leave our bags but we could shower or use their facilities before heading out. We tried to find a taxi from one of the recommended companies by LP but made the mistake of asking one of the taxi touts who rushed us into a cab saying it was the same thing! Said we wanted the metre which I think was the mistake as he wanted to take us around and about but I showed him on my phone where the hotel was so he knew I was tracking his direction - just felt that we were about to be ripped off and he mumbled about all the one way streets - I just told him to go on the route my Maps Me was saying - of course he got pretty grumpy and still managed to drive extra distance and make us walk back to an area he could have dropped us off at earlier - so infuriating! The hotel showed us to an area we could repack our bags as needed to take out everything we would need for our 4 night trip to Sapa and the trekking trip. Loaded up our day packs and the little bag I had used for my Hoi Ann clothes, Alan showered and then we took off for something to eat and a little wander before walking back to the train station. Hard to walk on the pavements as so many scooters parked that you were weaving all over the roads and sidewalks! The hotel was in the old town so smaller streets and stores - all very condensed and squished! Ate at a small café - noodles again then went to find the nearby Hoam Kiem Lake to have a quick stroll. Very pretty lake with gardens surrounding it and Thap Rua (Turtle Tower) on an islet which is topped with a red star and is often used as an emblem of Hanoi. Many people strolling around the lake and sitting on benches enjoying the evening. We sat down to soak it all in and 3 young girls approached us asking if they could practice their English! It was more that 2 older girls were mentoring a young girl in Grade 5 and there to support her when talking to foreigners! Very sweet girls and they spoke good English, including the little girl who had her long list of questions to ask and could carry on a conversation to follow on from her questions. Apparently this is a common place for students to come and practice English! Very impressive! We found our way back to the station and waited out the time till we could board our overnight sleeper bound for Sapa. The train was due to depart at about 9.15 pm so about 45 mins prior to that we boarded and found our 4 berth sleeper cabin. We hoped that we would be the only 2 and settled in - then a local guy dumped a backpack on one of the bunks and disappeared. Train then departed and another guy came along and folded up the cover on the same bunk then placed it and the pillow on the storage area and went and grabbed a red cover and new pillow and put on the bed! We were baffled by this priority treatment so thought he must either work for the trains or be in the army! Anyhow the original guy only appeared again once we were in our beds and we had turned the main lights off, he got in his bunk and went to sleep! Well we rattled and rock 'n rolled all the way up to Lao Cai Station, arriving at about 5.30 am. Actually woke with the mystery room mate packing his stuff up and muttering something about we are there, then a knock on the door with conductor shouting Lao Cai - hurriedly got our stuff together as the train was continuing! Got off the train quickly and half dazed!