Day 9

Ugh, last night was not a good night's sleep due to a number of reasons. For starters, the train is horribly noisy so, even with ear plugs, it wasn’t easy to relax and get some sleep. Also, the air conditioning is very sporadic, going from cold to warm, back to cold again, meaning you woke constantly to either remove or pull on your blanket. It’s slightly disappointing because this has always been a rail journey I’ve wanted to do but, even in the higher class Laman Express, it wasn’t as enjoyable as I’d hoped.

We were both up by about 6am, and watched the passing scenery as we ate our modest breakfast of a croissant and banana. There was a lady who also did a food/drink service with a trolley, although I only bought a Vietnamese coffee which I’ve become addicted to. Very strong and sweet, but definitely a heart starter. Reviews of this train warned travellers about the state of the bathroom but after experiencing the train through Russia, it was better than I’d expected. One thing we did find amusing was how the attendant didn’t change the blankets or pillows after we left - she merely refolded them again for the passengers who would be joining the train. Ugh!

We arrived at Huế at about 9am and I’m very grateful that I booked a driver to take us to the hotel because it meant we didn’t have to wrangle a taxi fare whilst we were half asleep. The driver had very good English and told us a bit about the town and some of the sights worth seeing. Already Huế has impressed us - much quieter than Hanoi with tree lined streets and the beautiful Perfume River waterfront.

The hotel we have picked is great too, with beautiful gardens and a swimming pool at the rear of the building. Even though we’d arrived at the hotel before the check in time, we only had to wait half an hour before being able to go to our room. Even though it took a while to find, it was worth it - we have a huge room with a balcony which overlooks the city. The bathroom is similarly large and beautiful. We wasted no time in showering and changing clothes to try and make ourselves feel human again after last night's train ride!

We decided to explore the Imperial City tomorrow and just enjoy the city today, but first bundled up all the laundry we’ve accumulated over the last few days and walked to a nearby laundry. Not only would they wash our clothes for us, but also deliver them back to our hotel for an extra 10000 đồng (about $0.63). Such a good deal!

One thing we’ve noticed since arriving here in Huế is the change in temperature as it’s more humid than Hanoi, however there is also much less traffic, is less hectic, and also cleaner. We went to a corner cafe selling street food for lunch and I tried my hardest to ask for something vegetarian. When my meal came, it was an egg on the left, with mince and bolognese on the right. Not quite the vegetarian experience I was after!

The lack of sleep from last night really caught up with us, so we went back to our room for a quick nap before heading across the Perfume River to the markets. I have been keen on buying some new shoes since my current ones are falling apart, but the markets weren’t quite what we were expecting as they were more about food and clothing materials. Whilst walking back across the bridge we saw a strange sight on the other side of the road, as there was money flying about in the wind. We couldn’t cross the busy road to collect any of it, as it ended up blowing into the river!

We were both feeling the heat by this stage (me especially!) so Ted suggested we stop for a drink before going back to the hotel. I had seen signs advertising the Vietnamese egg coffee, so I thought I would try the iced version. It was wonderful, although I think anything involving Vietnamese coffee is a winner. Before returning to our hotel, we tried another shoe shop to look for shoes and, after trying on a few pairs, finally found some I really like (although the sizes seem different to what we have back home!).

Since arriving in Huế, I have been writing to the booking company in regards to the bus debacle that happened back in Ha Long, and the response from the bus company is that we received the bus we requested! I’ve provided copies of the receipts so we’ll see what happens next. This evening we went for dinner to nearby Walking Street which was recommended by our transfer driver. We loved it! It was a restaurant and pub district with a nice relaxed feel, popular with both tourists and locals. We have seen eating areas like this in other cities, but not this casual and pleasant.

We went to a street side Mexican restaurant for dinner which was wonderful and, most importantly, healthy too! I usually have a pescatarian diet but after the seafood overload on the recent cruise, am going to go vegetarian for a while. We loved the atmosphere of Walking Street - already I like Huế more than Hanoi.

As much as we would’ve loved partying all night (not!), we are going to settle on an early night to catch up on sleep.Læs mere