Sleeper bus - Vietnam style

Both Meredith and I have been on sleeper buses all over the world. From Central America, Eastern Europe, Peru, all over. None of that prepared us for this. 

First, we had to take a taxi from the Old Quarter in Hanoi to the (real) Sinh Tourist office slightly to the North of us (mostly for our backpacks.)

There was nothing to this office. It sat between many motorbike repair shops, its most immediate neighbor none too happy to have any travelers in front. She swatted me and my bag, chased away a group of Korean men, and literally patted away another woman using a motorcycle headlight cover. (All of it without any language, only grunts, pointing, and, what affectionately refer to as, a lemon face). This was especially notable because there was absolutely no space in the office or out. It was a packed mess. 

After awhile in the heat balancing our bags and avoiding the swats, we could not have imagined what pulled up. 

From this view it looked clean and like the double-decker busses we're used to. We threw our big bags down below and then prepared to board. But everyone was taking so long! It wasn't until we got closer we found out why. Everyone had to take off their shoes and place them in a bag the driver provided. 

Oh, and our upper deck, first row seats we thought we reserved? They we far different than what we expected. 

Less like upper deck and more like upper bunk. We literally climbed up to our seats with shoes in hand. The seats were fully reclined into sleeping position and your shoes and bags went at your feet. 

Thankfully, the English-speaking traveler across the way took our picture beyond the selfie stick. 

Our bus set out around 6:30. It stopped for dinner around 9 where there were bathrooms too. Then we were off again with only a short stop for gas at midnight.  From there it was lights out and try to sleep. 

The hardest part was we learned in Halong Bay. The rules of the road in Vietnam is that "larger vehicle has right-of-way." Well, being on a bus of this size meant we were typically that larger vehicle. And our driver asserted that with a liberal use of the horn. "Beep, beep, beep" was heard consistently throughout the night getting cars and pesky motorbikes out of the way. And there were several hard-headed motorbikers who required a more forceful, BEEP BEEP BEEP. Or even BEEEEEEEP…BEEEEP…BEEP. The seats were not perfect for sleeping, and the regular horn usage made it even harder. 

The sun still rose a little after 5, but we managed to sleep through until nearly 7, when we graciously arrived in Hué. 

As Meredith told me as we held hands across the bunked aisle, "This will be a story we will get to tell our kids someday."

Thanks Sinh Tourist, for the more than interesting bus and fanciful take for the future.