Next morning on the train (we are getting off at noon, but the train continues for another approx 15 hours all the way to Hanoi): Nothing refreshes a train attendant after a hard night better than a cold beer!

Another night train, a little less comfy than the one in Thailand, but with a delicious Pho Bo soup in the dinner cart and a nice Vietnamese couple sharing the cabin with us... approximate travel time: 17 hours.