Sometimes when traveling, simply with a bit of fortunate timing and coincidence you can stumble upon a priceless moment. This happened halfway through our 9 hr train journey north from Nha Trang to Danang.....

After a couple of hours sleep, we opted for a stroll from the relative comfort of our 4 bunk sleeper carriage to the front buffet car. This return journey took us through the 2nd class 6 bunk carriages and then standard but reclinable seating and gave us an opportunity to observe Vietnamese people taking part in both of their favourite hobbies. The hot food trolley had just been through the seating carriages and unlike the overpriced British Rail options where only 1 person per carriage will actually make a coffee purchase, virtually everyone was happily tucking in to some rice, cabbage, fish and tea. The return leg saw the earlier diners now reduced to deep sleep, in, over, across or under the seats. Their heavily practiced ability to fall asleep literally anywhere, proving it's worth as if a sleeping gas canister had been released in the moderately comfortable carriage.

After a refreshing 5 minute walk and a few rickety stiff doors, we found an empty buffet car displaying a very basic and uninspiring menu. With neither of us fancying beef noodles, beef noodle soup or instant beef noodles at 11am the order in my very best Vietnamese was '2 (complete with peace sign) Pepsis please'. After handing over the slightly inflated sum of about 50p we were given our 2 cans of Coke....close enough!

We marvelled at how we had the buffet carriage to ourselves, as seemingly other travellers were content to let the refreshment come to them. However, little did we know we had timed our trip to perfection. After a few moments of calm, train guards descended in their droves and we had unknowingly but cleverly positioned ourselves smack bang in the middle of a full carriage taking part in what appeared to be a speed eating contest. Each table had a full complement of 4 contestants whilst others stood around waiting for an opportunity to tuck in to the ample supply of centrally placed bowls of rice, fish, chicken, cabbage, noodle soup and tea. I don't recall hearing a starting gun but the contest had was soon underway. Impressive sucking and chobbling noises filled the carriage as the food was scooped with the aid of chopsticks at amazing speeds and volumes into their waiting mouths. If there had only been a shady looking bookmaker smoking in the corner and punters shouting madly, whilst throwing handfuls of money at him, the scene would have been complete!

Within minutes it was all over and as no one appeared to claim the victory, we can only assume it was a draw. The chatter that followed, which can only have been the post match analysis and banter, then became deafening. A couple of the guards who were nicely positioned under the no smoking sign sensed this was the obvious time and place to light up! So, no sooner had it begun than it was all over and with full stomachs and a grin they went back to work/sleep having transformed a tidyish carriage into a potential haven for rats with fish & chicken bones littering the floor.

After this fantastic entertainment, calm ensued and we could once again concentrate on soaking up the scenery. Essentially it comprised of a constant flat landscape with paddy field after paddy field for the entire journey, but it was still fascinating all the same. The green grass of the rice plants protruding above the surface, sharing the knee deep water with villagers all in conical hats. Occasionally there were signs that news of the industrial revolution had reached Vietnam, with posh machinery being put to use, but more often than not basic tools and Water Buffalo was all that was needed to cultivate the crops! Where they weren't required to assist their owner, the numerous tame beasts were happily grazing in the shallow water. Dense green jungle like vegetation, palm trees and other crops of sugar cane and potatoes offered a slight variation to the scenery. Occasional villages adorned the tracks, but mostly the very basic straw or tin roofed houses were scattered about the fields. They were positioned in this way to tend to their own land, complete with the obligatory flock of scrawny looking chickens pecking about in the soil.

Having taken the sleeping bus for the previous two journeys, we had decided 5 hrs was about our limit for a bus ride and so opted for the more expensive train option. We 'treated' ourself to the sleeper ticket which at £12 each was roughly double the sleeping bus cost for the same 240 mile journey. In keeping with slow pace of life in Vietnam, an average of 30 miles an hour on the train was still 3 hrs quicker than the bus option! The 5.38am daylight train also enabled us to sample rural Vietnam, as well as escape all but a couple of sets of Western Tourists, who instead choose the night sleeper option, to save on hotel costs.

It was interesting to share the train with Vietnamese people and provided a total contrast to the tourist bus. We shared our carriage with 2 Elderly women who rather stereotypically, after stowing their conical hats in the luggage bays typified Vietnamese culture for the entire journey. If they weren't shouting conversation at each other with very serious expressions on their face, they were either sleeping or eating. At one stop the one lady took on the hoard of waiting shop keepers all selling identical stock and came back with a gleeful look, holding full carrier bags of fruit, a selection of dried fish and a very yellow looking cooked chicken still with neck & head intact. Judging by Sally's rather pained expression after the bag was carefully hanged so that Sally's bunk looked straight at it, this meal wasn't something she was excited about witnessing later in the journey!

The paddy fields finally gave way to a built up area, and the inevitable roads full of mopeds signifying a return to civilisation and the next stop in our adventure. Upon our arrival in Danang we both agreed the train was definitely a better option not only in terms of comfort but also interest. Rather than driving through village after village of roadside shops and business's that closely hug the main highways, more interestingly the train cut through the fields and countryside, unlocking rural Vietnam.

We never did get to watch our Vietnamese lady companions eat that 'delicious' looking chicken before we reached our destination. Instead they choose to let it stand at room temperature for a few more hours, maybe as something to look forward to, before they arrived in Hanoi 14 hrs later.

The sights of Danang, Hoi Ann and this section of coastline lies ahead for the next couple of days before we once again board the train and take the apparently stunning and contrasting 2.5 hr section of coastal railway to Hue. We are confident Danang will be as interesting as every other part of this most fascinating country we have already been fortunate enough to see....