Well the overnight sleeper bus was an experience in itself! These tall buses have been refitted with reclining seats two vertical levels and three across. We got our seats up the front of the bus as we were told to not get stuck down the back with the engine roaring. The positives of sleeper buses are that you can lie down rather than sit upright in a normal bus chair and…well…it’s another option on offer if the overnight trains are full.
We were excited at the start and then it soon became apparent that being up front meant listening to the bus horn all night, listening to the driver’s mobile phone calls and having to climb onto the other beds to get down for the loo as there were friends hitching rides that slept on the floor of the bus up front.
Check out the video.
Did we get any sleep? We think Billie and Dacey got the most, then Charlie, then Steve, then Ashley and well I got bits and pieces. I swapped seats with Charlie as she was in the middle row and two unadjustable vents continually blew air conditioned air onto her, and she had a light cold. I was FREEZING all night! We were given one lightweight blanket and that’s it. The men who drove the bus spoke no English and really didn’t want to. So the night went slow. We stopped so many times for the driver to have a cigarette that it was hard to just relax. Also the overtaking of other buses and trucks on the roads was a bit scary too, especially when you can see the oncoming traffic! But we made it, arriving into Nha Trang later than expected at 8am.
And here we are at the beach capital of Vietnam. The scenery of offshore islands jutting out of the sea, the longest stretch of sand and the lush green towering mountains that appear behind the city are all stunning. However, this is a party town. Late nights, local night spots seem to go all night. The kids are getting really hot and I think they really loved Hoi An with it’s beaut food and people they got to know at the restaurants we ate at, the dress shops we shopped, even the lovely laundry lady across the road where we stayed. Nha Trang has hit us hard with its big town feel of loud, busy, hot and different (again).
It’s been around 35 degrees here as a top and a low in the mid-20s. The sand is so hot and it’s very humid and we’ve noticed our energy levels droop. So thought it best to go straight to the Louisiane Brewhouse (thanks Lonely Planet) right on the beach for breakfast and have a dip in their beachside pool. We ended up staying the whole day enjoying the deep pool, fruit juices and coffee (yes) and Steve and I finally relaxed into an hour of a full body massage (150,000 Dong/$7.50 each) while the kids got their hair plaited (200,000 Dong/$10 each).
Unfortunately after all this relaxation I’ve come an with a major heat rash mostly on my thighs but it’s creeping down my calves, a little on my tummy as well as back. I don’t think the oil in the massage helped either. So now I’m trying to rid this ASAP for tomorrows boat cruise to various islands for some snorkeling. Advice: stay out of hot and humid conditions! Great…good luck with that one. I seem to have a slight temperature with it too, so it’s been a stay inside with air con kind of day for me today. Send me luck everyone, otherwise it’s inside for me again tomorrow. We are catching up with the English family in Nha Trang for the boat cruise so we look forward to that. Fingers crossed.
Great to hear from you all, I was getting a bit worried where the bus had taken you.It all sounds so great can’t wait to get there I must say backpacking is the way to go,and your travel bible is a must ,. I think Steve is fantastic to be in charge of it ,I reckon he must know it back to front by now he has used it in so many countries. The bus trip sounded interesting wow I have never heard of a sleeper bus !!!Andrea,Luke,Harry and myself went to see Saints play the Doggies we won by 10 goals,poor Roo they ripped his jumper off him,poor Bombers beaten by Hawthorn by 60 points sorry Lisa.I hope your rash is getting better and you are feeling alright, you should’t have a temp with a rash so look after yourself and see someone if your temp doesn’t go . Love all your photos. how many have you taken ? you are worse than me but you know the chance may never come again to have such memories while the girls are young ,they can look back when they are older and remember their first backpacking holiday. love to all chat soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooooooooooooo