Days 5 & 6 - From south to north

Let me preface this entry by saying that I love long distance trains. I go out of my way to ride them, even when it may be more time/cost efficient to fly. I love the rhythmic, gentle sway of the cars and watching a country fly by from the comfort of my bed. I love the anticipation of walking to the dining car, meeting new people (foreigners and locals), and sleeping the days and nights away. I've ridden overnight trains in a half dozen countries, so I'd like to think I have a basic barometer of what to expect. 

Nevertheless, we still researched about Vietnam's overnight train in advance, and writer feedback appeared positive- Scenic! On time! Relatively inexpensive! So I had high hopes, and was especially excited since it would be Ryan and my parent's very first overnight train experience.

So once it was time to leave Ho Chi Minh, we hopped a cab for Ga Saigon, the central train station. Our embarkation to and through the station was seamless easy. We quickly found our platform without having to push through the masses, our train pulled in right on schedule and we located our compartment immediately. I should also note that although it was the first time we'd ever pre-purchased train tickets while still in the states- that process went extremely smoothly as well. So we were off to a good start. And then...we stepped inside.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rank most other overnight train rides (in second class, our usual choice) at about a 7. As enjoyable as they are, they can still be a bit rough/primitive- people sneak and smoke in the hallways, cars be warm if they're too crowded, you don't get to wash up/shower, toilets are usually old/dirty, etc. Even if we spring for first class (which is far from luxurious, it just has less beds in most cases), I don't think the score would be much better than an 8.

I'm going to try not to be overly dramatic and emotional here, when I say that on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give Vietnam a -3,382. Yes- it was on time, easy to book, and scenic. The train cars strongly resembled a secret Soviet prison from the 60s- ancient, rusting, filthy, covered in stains, unwashed/sticky linens and smoke-filled. Our 'beds' were little more than an inch thick of hard padding and very uncomfortable. Worst of all? There were a million little roaches on the walls, beds, floor, windows. I also kept seeing these HUGE roaches quickly skitter across the floor and telling my family I could not believe their size and speed. However, later, they all admitted that they knew the 'roaches' were mice, but that they'd agreed not to tell me about it until after the ride so that I wouldn't suffer a major meltdown (as I likely would have hopped off the train and insisted we fly had I known).

I will admit that I do very poorly in unsanitary conditions. When this happens (finding myself in less than ideal accommodation), I typically confine myself to a very small area of space that I've sanitized, and then go on a hunger strike so that I won't have to use the train facilities. I also do my best to try and make everyone else as miserable as I am by pouting and moping. I know, very mature.

I was very, very close to getting off the train and convincing everyone we should fly But I knew a little boy had been very excitedly waiting for this train ride for two years (since our China train ride was cancelled), and I didn't want to deprive him of the experience. So I did my best to tough it out...and thanks to an attitude adjustment (which I'll detail further below), I survived. However, I have since vowed we will never do an overnight train ride again unless it's in a first world country. ;-P

Here are a few pictures, but as you know...pictures don't accurately tell a story. Especially a woeful sad story like this.

Even Ryan was a bit traumatized by the condition...this is his 'freaked out' face. This was my happy 'suck it up' face. You should have seen my face before my attitude adjustment.

There were brief moments of interest- buying corn on the cob from the little food cart that rolled up and down the hall, ordering our family's meals each day from the hot food cart, and watching Ryan excitedly scramble up and down the berths.

The (half) Asian child still had to do his daily 20 min. of reading for school each day...

The view...the views were admittedly great. Little handmade piers. Tiered rice paddies. Water buffaloes in the fields at work. Endless tapioca, papaya and dragon fruit farms.

As someone who is not so much a fan of meat- the food cart meatfest and its meaty aromas sent shivers down my spine. But it was fascinating to see them come by and dispense hot meals for passengers a few times a day. 

We were on the train for 35 hours...I think it was from 9am until 7pm the next day. What briefly helped adjust my attitude was taking a walk through the train car hierarchy.

We were in the second class compartments, which were exactly the same in appearance/amenity as the first class compartments (we just had 6 beds instead of 4). The cars were air conditioned, and each compartment was private if you chose to close your door.

The next class (let's call it third, as it's not really classified as such) looked like an airline- it was air conditioned, and seats were assigned, padded, and could recline slightly. It looked rough to sit upright for 35 hours (as most people get very sore butts after even 9-10 hour plane rides), but endurable.

The class below that, which we'll call fourth, were again upright seats, but were barely padded (think of a bus), could not recline, and the cars were quite warm (as there was no air conditioning). However, there were open windows and each person appeared to have their own, assigned seat.

The final class of the train (fifth) sent shock waves of guilt through my very soul. The chairs were rock hard wooden benches with people of all ages crammed onto them, and the cars were stifling hot (there were very few windows). Aisles were filled with large boxes, parcels, suitcases, children and babies...with even more bodies splayed out all over the hard, dirty floor under the benches and throughout the aisles. If you didn't know better, you might think the passengers were fleeing refugees. I kept thinking how happy they would be in my cool, private car...stretched out on my bed, and what a schmuck I was for complaining about my own comparatively posh quarters.

So there you have it...our journey from south to north. It wasn't fun, but it was still a privilege and experience I am grateful to have had. And it brought me to a city I really enjoyed a lot more than Ho Chi Minh...Hanoi!