Apocalypse Now

Day 46: Nanning (CN) – Hanoi (VN). “I hope we've got our sums right here otherwise we could have one enormous overdraft when we return home!”, I exclaimed as Karen pressed the confirm key on the ATM to withdraw 2 million Vietnamese Dong (hopefully, about £80!).

The early morning bus had taken us as far as the Chinese border and, as we had come to expect with anything Chinese, the formalities of exiting the country were dealt with in a very efficient and business like manner.

In stark contrast to the approach adopted by the Vietnamese immigration officials! Leaving the very clean and modern Chinese buildings we we whisked across the area of no-man's land between China and Vietnam on golf buggies (how cool is that!) to arrive at a very run down and dirty building with ageing timbers and a corrugated tin roof. Inside pandemonium ensued as we were processed by the army of laissez-faire officials. Unsure whether we had been the victims of a border scam, Karen and I had to pay the border guards for a medical certificate which consisted of us both having to tick a box confirming that we felt 'OK' on entering the country!

Catching the Hanoi bound bus on the Vietnamese side of the border the scenery was astonishing: With high mountains, terraced rice fields and palm trees, it felt like we were part of a scene from Apocalypse Now (maybe that was Marlon Brando we saw in that bar at the side of the road!). I watched the highway snake back and forth as the bus negotiated the narrow mountain passes, the sun glinting off the smooth asphalt,and started to think how wonderful it would be for Karen and I to ride these roads on our motorcycles. Two miles down the road however, we witnessed the remains of a bike that had come second place in an argument with a twenty-four ton truck. Closing my eyes settling down in my seat to get some rest before we reached Hanoi, I thought I should probably forget the idea. At least for now.