Boarding the train was not too bad. We were welcomed by "clean" beds compared to the "already slept in" beds from our last overnight train. So at this point, all was going well for us. Until I heard a scream from a cabin two doors down yelling that there were cockroaches in the cabin. "Great" I thought to myself. "This is going to be a LONG night."
We boarded the train at 3pm and arrived at 4:30am the next day. Indeed this was the longest train ride of my life!
Although the cockroaches started creeping up in two cabins away from me, they soon made their way to my my cabin as well. Ugh!! These buggers creep me out! So my cabin mates and I decided to "sleep" with the lights on so we can see the roaches creeping in and kill them easier throughout the night.
As you can imagine, I couldn't get comfortable even at the slightest knowing that there was a great possibility that I woke up with a cockroach on my face. Gross! Oh the joys of traveling :) But I knew I couldn't stay up for the entire 13 hour train ride. So I crawled into my sleep sack, curled up into a ball, covered my entire body, including my face, into my sleep sack and tried my very best to go to sleep.
I couldn't really get into a deep sleep. I was not only bothered by the roaches, I was bothered by the light blaring through my thin silk sleep sack and the drastic temperature changes ranging from freezing cold air to hot and humid air blowing from the vent. This couldn't get any worse!
I finally got fed up and decided that sleeping was just not an option any longer. I needed to get out of my tiny cabin and off this train! So my friend Jeremy and I decided to roam around the train and try to find something entertaining. I was so grateful for his company. He killed some roaches that were near me while I tried sleeping and kept me company during this madness.
As we walked through the train it just got worse and worse. Different smells radiated from different sections of the trains, dead cockroaches lined the hallways and bathrooms just got dirtier and dirtier. So what did I do - I reminded myself that I was in Vietnam. I yet again realized how fortunate I am to live in the US where cleanliness is expected and safety regulations are enforced. I started understanding why everything in the US is so much more expensive compared to SE Asia because there is a lot that goes into keeping places clean and sanitary. From now on I will hold a greater appreciation for the work that it takes to keep things clean and can now value the price it costs to live in a clean country.
At this point, Jeremey and I decided that roaming around was making things worse. So we found plastic chairs in one of the bathrooms (yes, this was very random to us too) and sat and chatted. We took pictures of our reflections in the window to pass time and started finding people to talk with who were also up at 3am.
By 3:30am the train stops and loads of people start rushing to exit. Jeremy and I look at each other and wonder why so many people are departing this early. We were told we weren't supposed to arrive until 5am! We assumed this was a different stop until we kept on seeing more and more people depart. We finally asked someone what stop this was and it was Hanoi! OUR STOP! Jeremy and I looked at each other in panic. We were on the opposite end of the train from our group and couldn't get through the line of people to join our group. Were we going to miss our stop and have to stay on this god forsaken train? NOOOOOO!!!! I couldn't take it any longer!
We finally pushed our way through the crowded walkway and ran to our cabin to find the others. We saw our group leader just coming out of his cabin and I said to him "we are in Hanoi, this is our stop right?!". He said he was just told and we got in 1 1/2 hours early. I couldn't believe my ears. I started crying with joy. I was really crying. I was SOOOOOOO happy. I was free!! I could leave the train now!
Below are a few pictures of my train trip if you are interested.
My group was franticly packing and trying to get their stuff together so we could leave the train. No one was prepared to leave this early except for me. Before Jeremy and I went to roam the train I had already packed up my things pretending like I was ready to go (I thought this would help me pass time and get me excited :). So I easily grabbed my bag and waited for my group. Tears were literally rolling down my cheeks. I was SO relieved to be leaving and so unexpectedly early!
I yelled to the group, "Come on guys!!"
What! The train is starting to move again. NOOOOOOOOO!
At this point most of us were now lined up with our backpacks on and ready to depart. "But, why is the train moving? We HAVE to get off of this train!" I was seriously ready to just jump off. I couldn't be on the train any longer. It wasn't moving that fast. I figured I would survive by jumping. :) Luckily, it took about 5 minutes when the train stopped and started going back to the direction we needed to be. THANK GOD!
We departed the train at 4am and got onto a bus for another 4 hour journey.
I am finally in Halong Bay, in a clean hotel and just got out of one of the best showers of my life. How grateful I am for clean water, clean sheets, a cockroach free enviornement and an outlet to vent my experience. :)
Now I go onward with my journey. Challenges like these are what helps me to appreciate the small things I take for granted back at home like simple cleanliness. I chose this journey, I knew this was inevitable. I am glad it is over, and I am glad I learned from it.
Click on this picture for more pics of my journey :(
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Oh Elana! I know it was not a fun experience but looking back these will be great memories....and sadly I'm sure you'll have a few more. Glad you survived....it sounded dreadful!
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