After a final afternoon hanging around in Hanoi it was time to take the night train to Hue. We didn't really expect much and had heard mixed reports, and it certainly turned out to be an experience! The train compartments were similar to the compartments in Czech trains but they had a lockable door and four bunks inside - it reminded me of a cell - not that I've seen one from the inside but it could've been one from the Hoa Lo prison we visited only yesterday! After about half an hour on the train, Steve came and asked me if we had any cockroaches in our 'cell' - I said no - he said that they had loads running around in theirs and we all felt sorry for them. We even offered for them to come and stay with us. Luckily they sold cheap beer on the train and I think that they got some dutch courage up to stay in their own room, though we did have visits from everyone in their 'cell' during the evening! At one point we gave them some insect repellant which they tried, and they said that it made more of them come out! Obviously those hiding wanted to get away from the spray! I can only imagine how well they slept! As for me, when I settled down to sleep I didnt want to put my head on the pillow we were supplied with or sleep on the sheet which didn't look too clean. After laying on my bag until 1.30am, I gave up and put the sheet over the pillow and fell to sleep. Vendy didn't sleep too well either, even though we had no insect friends in our cell with us she kept thinking about the next overnight journey and she has a bad fear of cockroaches which I have never noticed before but I had to go and check the toilets for her, before she would go in there! Poor thing, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - I think they say that in 'nam! Her fear of cockroaces seems to be getting better since that night!
Yesterday we bought a sleep sheet each, so hopefully we'll get a better sleep on the next one....
