Good Morning Vietnam!


Advertisement
Vietnam's flag
Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué
December 21st 2006
Published: December 21st 2006
Edit Blog Post

Bus to VietnamBus to VietnamBus to Vietnam

Do not take a 'tourist bus' from Laos to Vietnam (Hanoi)! These bags of rice were piled up at my feet. Not particularly comfortable on a 12 hour journey!
What a Journey!! On the 18th December I left Vang Vieng. I'd read that the best way to get across to Vietnam was the night bus from Vientiane to Lak Xao, and then get a bus from Lak Xao across the border to Vietnam. So, that was my plan.

The bus to Van Vieng was supposed to be a local bus. I was hoping to try out one of the rickety old machines to compare with the others...but it turned out to be a rather pleasant mid-range bus. Very comfortable!

Arriving in Vientiane, I decided I'd get a room for the night as the bus wasn't timetabled to leave until 4am. However, after picking up my passport and shiny new Vietnamese visa no one had head of the bus!

So plan b) it was (no 'c' this time, Mum! Only had the two plans). I'd read that the buses to Hanoi were an absolute nightmare, so...actually, maybe this was plan c! If plan b was the bus all the way to Hanoi, then plan c, was the bus to Vinh. THis was the first drop off point n Vietnam and if the journey was as bad as I'd
Citadel at HueCitadel at HueCitadel at Hue

Entrance gate
heard, then I wantd to get off the bus as soon as possible.

Early evening on the 19th, after a day of doing very little, I made my way to the bus station. (The reason I did very little was because there is very little to do in Vientiane. The most excitement I got was walking down a street I'd been down only the week before...which this second time was now paved! Laos is changing swiftly. Within a week, paths had been paved and street lighting erected.)

I got on the bus and took a seat, only to be gruffly grabbed and pulled out of the seat and pushed towards the back. I looked a little confused as to why the seat I'd chosen wasn't suitable, but the guy stared at me, grunted and wagged his finger vigorously at the back...so I trampled over the rolled up carpet that was taking up aisle space and sat at the back...all the time, the guy following and pointing at the back seat.

Turns out that although this bus is marketed as the 'Tourist Bus', it is very much not so. It seemed like the bus was owned/driven by a group of 4 Vietnamese guys who's priority was transporting them, their cargo and their friends/fellow Vietnamese back to Hanoi and this bus was their mode of transport. To make a bit of extra cash it felt like they were willing (just about) to carry a few tourists in the spare seats!

So, in the rear of the bus was wedged the tourists (every seat occupied), huge bags of rice - piled up high, and a rolled up carpet down the aisle. At the front were the locals, with two seats each. Now I see why I wasn't allowed to sit in a seat that reclined...because it would have hampered the comfort of the locals. After much grunting, forcing of windows shut and several other OCD traits by one of the guys, we set off.

The journey wasn;t so bad! I'd read about unpaved roads and particularly bad driving. But the first bit wasn't so bad. We left Vientiane at 7pm and drove until 2am, where the drivers got out, made their way to a hut and slept for the next four hours leaving us sat in a freezing cold bus. Would have been nice to have known we were going to be stopping for so long...but there was no hint of even being helpful from any of the drivers. Completely the opposite to Thailand and Laos.

Eventually at around 6am the drivers emerged and got back on the bus. Off we went again. By now I was tired and uncomfortable but pleased I wasn't going all the way to Hanoi, like all the other suckers! Ha ha!

At the border several bags were tossed out of the hold and we were told that they had to be carried through by hand. Mine was one of the few. Didn't think much of it. Didn't understand why only a few had to be carried through and not everyone's but I picked it up and went up to the office. My first introduction to Vietnamese queuing. . . or lack thereof! It's amazing how they all seem to get things done without fights breaking out. THey're all pushing infront of each other!!

Eventually my passport got stamped and I was back on the bus after having my rucksack scanned. But for some reason I was told that the hold was full and that I had to take my bag onboard the bus. After questioning this the guy grunted at me again and pointed at the central aisle. I think what he would have said was "Just get on the bus and don't ask questions!", had he known any English...but instead he continued to look more furious, grunted more loudly and waved his pointing arm about even more...so on I got...with both my rucksacks. As I walked down to take my seat I realised why mine and a few other bags had been taken off...cos we had now picked up a fwe more Vietnamese, and their bags were now in the coach's hold taking the space ours previously had!! Ridiculous!

Once in Vietnam again, the actual journey wasn't so bad. (PS did I mention the huge Hookah the drivers kept smoking every time we stopped. No idea if it was regular tobacco, marijuana or opium they were smoking...but it was waved about and used quite often!)

At Vinh I was dropped off, with two others. I now saw why Vinh didn't get a mention in my guide book and if I had to do that journey again I think I would have gone all the way to a 'known' tourist type town. Several motorbike taxis and a regular taxi swarm round the three of us, grabbing at our bags. Turns out the other two girls are French, are friends and know where they're going...so off they go, leaving me confused, with my bag being grabbed by everyone there as they ask where I want to go! In the confusion I decide I want to get out of Vinh asap and that as it's only midday there must be a bus leaving to Hue that afternoon. "Bus Station" I said in my best English....which resulted in a flurry of costs being thrown at me. Knowing that they are all overinflated, but having no idea how much a dong is actually worth, I tried bartering. I found out that the bus station was 10k away and obviously worth the US$5 trip and it was the right bus station for Hue. I was about to give in and go with one of the riders when a guy in a unifrom turned up and actually spoke English. Turns out that with all the comotion for trying to take me to the bus station, the mot drivers had neglected to let me know that buses for Hue only run in the morning and now the only option for getting to Hue was by train.

Have no idea what the uniform was for, but he was helpful! Now though, because I had to get to the train station, prices had doubled. When I explained they were only charging half as much a minute ago, the response was "It's a long way away...it's 10 kilometres". When I pointed out the fact that they'd told me the bus station was also 10k away, the useful South Asian "sorry, don't understand English" look came into play along with the 'repeat the price enough times and he'll fall for it' game. Finally before I'd finished explaining that I only had 40,000 dong and that will have to do, my bag was snatched and on the moto, ready for me to sit astride. At the time I had no idea how much 40,000 dong was worth, but after Laos, it didn't sound like it would be a lot and I just wanted to get to the train station.

There is no way that journey was 10 kilometres!! BUt I knew there was no point arguing as the response would simply be the 'don't understand' look. Should have learned at that point not to trust a moto driver. . . but later I fell for their lies again!!

At the station I found it to be dead. No one there. That was because it was midday and the next train was at 7pm. Just as I was expecting a very boring afternoon, as there was nothing in Vinh for me, a group of 4 Swedish guys turned up, who were also heading my way. Thankfully some people to talk to! We past the time having lunch, chatting and on the internet.

Finally at about 7pm on Wednesday 20th the tran left from Vinh to Saigon...I was getting off at Hue. Not the most comfortable of journeys, but at least I had two seats to spread out in. If only I was as small as the Vietnamese - I'd have had plenty of room.

At about 1.30am I arrived in Hue. There was no one about except plenty of moto drivers begging to take you to a hotel. My guidebook had said there was a cheap hotel right next to the station so I walked there as a motobike followed me slowly constantly telling me "I take you good guesthouse, only six dollars. Come to guesthouse". I explained I'm going to Le Loi hotel and that I had a room booked. But still he followed "Le Loi new, very expensive, I take you to guesthouse, only $10". Little did I know that since my guidebook was written, Le Loi had turned into The Green Hotel and was now stupidly expensive. So the moto driver waited outside "I take you to good guesthouse, only $10, with shower." So on I hopped and off we went. We get to the guest house, which isn't a guest house but is a hotel and the rooms aren't $10, they're $15. The lying bastard!! I knew I should have learned from earlier in the day that these people will tell you anything to get money out of you!

Still, it's 2am and I'm kackered, so I took it anyway. After all it's only one night and I hadn't slept for more than a couple of hours in the last 2 nights. It cancelled out the cheap $1.50 room per night in Vang Vieng! Showered and to bed!

Today I decided to have a wander round Hue and take a look at the old Citadel. The guidebook made it sound interesting. The citadel was fairly interesting and the only place in the whole town where I wouldn't get harrassed!

The big problem with travelling alone is everyone sees you as a target! Today I must have been asked every few metres where I was going and can they take me there. I thought that my sister was the only person capable of really winding me up (sorry Helen, but as my little Sis, you learned how to, when you wanted to!!), but I've learned that since being in Asia, particularly Bangkok and Vietnam that taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers and motobike taxi drivers are equally good at it. In Bangkok it was frustrating. Here in Vietnam they're worse!! They don't just ask if you want a ride...they follow you and start a conversation with you "Where you from?" "How long you in Vietnam?" "What's your name?". It's physically impossible to walk round Hue and take in the sights in a pleasurable way. I didn't mind in Vinh. In Vinh it was as if they'd never seen a westerner before. It felt like I was an attraction. Mothers pointed me out to their children, people smiled at me and said "hello". I liked that, that was fun. But here in Hue and I'm expecting elsewhere in Vietnam where tourists go, they are after your money and will follow you and harrass you until you jump on the back of their motorbike. I know it's petty and I shouldn't let it get to me, but it's spoiling my enjoyment of this country. I'm on a train to Hoi An first thing tomorrow mornng and I'll be glad to leave Hue. Hopefully Hoi An's not so bad! But I've heard the whole of Vietnam's the same.

I feel like one of Pavlov's dogs. Everytime I hear "hello?", "you want motorbike?" or "Sir, sir?" it automatically triggers "NO!" or some expletives under my breath. I just hope I can sleep it off tonight, cos I'm going to need their service tomorrow morning to get to the train station!! Lol!

I still can't work out the dong!!

Advertisement



Tot: 0.119s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0424s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.2mb