Limbo

Day 59: Qui Nhon (VN) – Nha Trang (VN). Whilst lazing about on a sun lounger under a bamboo shade on a white sandy beach may seem like a great way to spend an afternoon, for Karen and me it was just a way to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Boarding the packed overnight sleeper bus in Hoi An, we got the last two remaining seats. 12 hours later, we realised why these should be the last tickets to sell! Sleeper buses in Vietnam are a great concept: About 30 fully reclining chairs arranged as single file bunks along both sides of the bus. At the back; a row of ten 'beds' were split over two levels and it was here, on the bottom tier,, that Karen and I tried our best to make ourselves comfortable for our long journey southwards.

Shoulder to shoulder in cramped conditions, the five of us lay there, the restricted headroom making it impossible for any of us to sit up. The lack of lighting and the gloom created by the bulkhead created an atmosphere of darkness and the inappropriate air conditioning made it hot and sweaty. For the first time in my life, I felt I could really empathise with those tinned sardines!

Most interestingly of all though was the procedure for getting into and out of our seats. Restricted by the close proximity of our fellow travellers and the inability to sit upright, we were left with no choice but to perform a strange animated limbo dance every time we wanted to move. Great entertainment!

As the first light of day started to cast long shadows along Nha Trang's 5 mile stretch of pristine beach, the bus made its final stop and our night of discomfort was over. Undecided whether to spend our day sightseeing or lounging about drinking cocktails – the margarita's won by two clear votes to none.