Day 4 - Vietnam Discovery from Hanoi to the Meekong Delta - 'Inside Vietnam' adventure with EXPLORE

Day 4 - Halong Bay/Overnight Train

A rumbling thunderstorm passed through around 5am in Ha, well, so I'm told, I never heard a thing!  It could have jeopardised our cruise trip, it was that bad.  Joseph joked that when he heard it, he flew up to the Gods and asked them to bring the sunshine as he has a tour group today.  Although as our journey progresses, we start to believe he may not be kidding, such is our ‘luck’ in avoiding the worst of the remaining wet season.  The rain stopped as we gathered with much excitement for this real highlight of the tour and the sun came out as we hopped on our ride to the bay.

We’ve lucked in here and have a great boat to ourselves, bench seating with a bar.  And a great sundeck up on the top.  It's a 90-minute slow cruise out into the bay.  We pass many cargo ships tied to mooring posts spread out across the bay, sterns deep in the water, tipped back with hungry holds, bows lifted out of the water eagerly waiting for their next cargos.

One crew we pass are taking this downtime to do some welding, sparks flying, to keep their vessels seaworthy.  We arrived at the main attraction, a sheltered bay within the islands.  Disembarking we hike up the stairways to the Sung Sot Caves.  It’s even more humid and hot than outside!  These caves were originally discovered by some French explorers in the early 20th century.  We’re back on the boat suitably drenched from the humidity and a short hop later we moor at the beach island.

Some of the group have a swim, some (including me) just rolled-up trousers, bare foot paddling and a rest on sun loungers.  It's getting busier when we head back on our boat after this little siesta and we are served a gigantic lunch with so much food we cannot finish.  There is such a spread of amazing food, shrimps, spring rolls, spicy chicken, enough to feed a small army.

It's a super way to spend the afternoon, cruising back to the mainland on a private boar, well fed, priceless freezing cold drinks and enjoying the company of the group.

We’re on the minivan back to Hanoi as I write this and the bus is quiet, most are asleep after a hearty lunch and exhausting cruise!  We have the overnight train this evening 'The Reunification Express' leaving around 9pm, we've been teamed up for our cabins of 4.  Except brave Miles who’s given the task of internal relations with 3 French travellers not in our group.  There’s an intrigue to this train journey as we have no idea what to expect.  Without doubt it will be interesting in one way or another for sure.  We need to stock up on drinks and snacks for the 12/13-hour train journey so a mad over the road supermarket dash occurs when we get to Hanoi.

We're given two rooms for the boys and the girls to refresh and get ready for the night train.  The 5 guys in one room, we need more towels to go around and call reception for more.  A few minutes later a knock on the door... Not the towels, it's one of the ladies in our group.  "Oh dear, wrong room" she says, much to the amusement of everyone concerned.  Her husband is not in the room with us at the time so it’s a right laugh when she tries explaining this to her husband later!  An occasion reminding some of us who are old enough of a risqué 'Carry On' film scene.

The night train leaves at 7:45pm bang on time.  It was a hectic scrum to get our cases onto the train, up and over the railway station bridge, with the masses of tour groups clueless as to the direction of their cabins.  Nick and I ventured to the restaurant car at the head of the train.  Going through the door we are greeted with a dark carriage, a 99p Temu disco light providing the dazzle, there’s only cold beer on sale and some deafening 90’s pumping techno/dance music filling the carriage.  We’re on the 1990’s Vietnamese rave train!  We indulge in a 30 second rave, a few fist pumps in the air, we grab some beers and retreat from DJ Danangs disco on wheels, leaving the four staff slouched on the benches to stare into their TikTok scrolling.

Its lights out early before 10pm, this isn't an 18-30's tour group you know!  Some wash basins in the carriages have already claimed by people's need to wash underwear literally in public but overall, the facilities are better than we expected.  The onboard drinks service that rolls on a trolley between the carriages serves the dodgiest looking coffee.  A black liquid poured out of a repurposed coke bottle with warm water then added from another well used plastic bottle.  The Vietnamese like their coffee strong and of dubious origin!