When I booked my night train, booking it for 5am seemed like a good idea as it meant I would be able to justify a bed, get some sleep, and not waste an entire day on a train again! However, waking up at 3am was significantly worse than I’d hoped, but my lovely hostel provided me with a breakfast to bring with me onto the train! Got a taxi rather than walk 35 mins at 4am, and the train came on time and everything. Found my carriage, found my compartment, opened the door to go… And I actually couldn’t go in!

The two Americans I was sharing the carriage with (as well as their dog 😉) were actually moving to Hoi An and had brought all of their stuff with them, so the area between the two bottom beds was filled with suitcases, as well as the space under the bed, and one of the beds was half taken up with a suitcase. There was also a dog container and the dog was sleeping on the bed with one of its owners… I presume it was because it was 5am after all but I just sort of froze with confusion, not knowing what to do with my bag as I could not put it under the bunk, and couldn’t actually close the compartment door because there wasn’t enough room for me to enter! Eventually one of the Americans told me that there was more luggage space above the outside corridor, accessed from the top bunk, so I was able to hoist my bag up there and then ascend the perilous tiny step to get onto the top bunk. It was quite nice actually – certainly better than Chinese trains! Clean sheets, light duvet and a pillow – absolutely fine.

The music in the corridor came blaring on quite early so if I wasn’t awake before, I certainly was after that. I chatted with my compartment mates for several hours (mostly about politics unfortunately 😛) until arriving into Da Nang which is the city with the nearest station to Hoi An.

The Americans decided to get a taxi but as the price was about £12, I went to catch the local bus which was only 60p; bit of a price discrepancy there! Dodging the taxi touts lingering outside the station, I made my way to the bus stop which was actually in English(!) and waited for the bus. I was joined by two local girls… Until a Vietnamese chap poked his head out of a shop door and spoke to one of the girls. From the miming that one girl did to me, I gathered that the bus would not be stopping at this bus stop and that we needed to walk to the next bus stop. A rickety bus appeared after about 20 minutes, the conductor tried to charge me 50,000 dong when the price should be 20,000 dong but I had exact change in my hand and I kept waving it at him and smiling until eventually he accepted it. It took about one hour to get to the Hoi An bus station which is north of the city. I decided to walk to my hotel rather than get a motorcycle taxi… Pretty hot so I probably should have just got a taxi!

Felt decidedly unwell by the time I arrived so walked into town for a brief wander around that evening as well as some food. Went to a streetside seller who was selling Cao Lau, a Hoi An speciality noodle dish with slices of delicious pork. So good ❤️ Sitting on tiny plastic stools at the roadside is generally the best way to eat any food!

I then walked around the Old City a bit more, to see the Japanese Covered Bridge which is beautiful, and to see all the lanterns alongside the shopfronts and roadsides illuminated and twinkling away. Even though it is a touristy town, it doesn’t take much until you are down a side street and seemingly separated from the other tourists by an ancient winding wall. Walked around the markets and just basked in the architecture and atmosphere 😊

I eventually ended up in a sports bar (as you do) and had a Pasteur Street craft IPA. Met a nice American girl whose birthday it was, so we had a drink in her honour! The rain poured down while we were in the bar, but fortunately it was dry by the time I was leaving. Or at least that’s what I thought… When I was about half way back, thunder and lightning started. I picked up the pace and took a wrong turn somewhere in the dark, as I ended up walking along a dirt track, a dog barking at me and following behind me, the rain started… I ran for the last few minutes and made it back just before the storm properly started.

The next day, I tried to go to the beach by borrowing a bike from my hotel. However I apparently was more unwell than I had thought and when only 5 mins from the beach, I nearly fainted… I stopped for some water from a streetside seller, then free-wheeled back to the hotel. Bit annoyed that I had lost a day of holiday in Hoi An but needed to get better, so stayed in bed until my train to Hué the following day.