I am sitting in what could best be described as a chaise-lounge with a seat belt, Vietnamese karaoke and variety shows blare over the loud speaker, and the whole bus is illuminated with a faint blue glow from LED lights on the ceiling. We have just started the 11 hour bus trip from the beach town of Nha Trang to Hoi An, which is almost in the dead center of Vietnam. If the scene seems a little odd, it is, but oddity has become the norm throughout our travels. What I have described is the Vietnamese version of a sleeper bus, meant to take you long distances overnight while you "sleep." Whether you actually sleep or not depends on your ability to cope with the above conditions or perhaps on how much you've had to drink. The sleeper bus though, is only a single weapon in Vietnam's arsenal of transportation resources, and not even close to the most odd.

One option for going shorter distances, say 1-4 hours, is the minibus. This has been a staple in most countries we have visited throughout our trip, but the extent to which it is used varies greatly. A minibus is simply described as a 12-16 passenger van complete with sliding doors, bench seats, and jump seats that fold down to utilize that oh so precious space between the end of the bench seat and the side of the vehicle. Sounds pretty straightforward right? Well it is. However, three things may be neglected when selecting this mode of transport: 1) A full van does not account for any luggage despite every person having at least one piece (that could be anything from 50lb sacks of rice to live chickens) 2) The seats are built for a typical Vietnamese person, who is well below 6 feet tall and therefore, unlike myself, fits into a seat without eating their knees 3) A 16 passenger van is not necessarily limited to 16 passengers. Number 3 might actually be the most unfortunate oversight we've made in regards to taking minibuses, as we recently found ourselves packed into a 16 passenger minibus with our bags at our feet, cocked sideways in the seat and with, no joke, 25 other people! (That is, a total of 27 people in a 16 passenger van). Needless to say, it was a long 4 hours. Oh, and did I mention that Vietnamese people seem to be extremely prone to car sickness? Made for an interesting ride.

I think the most bizzare mode of locomotion though, has to be the cyclo. I am not sure why Vietnam tossed out the idea of rickshaws (carriage attached to a motorcyle or bicycle, seen in nearby Cambodia), or disapproved of the concept of a tuk-tuk (mini three-wheeled volkswagon bus that fits two tourists or 10 locals, found in Thailand). Maybe they just wanted to be different, and if that is the case, the cyclo accomplishes that. Picture a bicycle with only the back wheel that is welded to a wheelchair big enough for one small adult. It is pedaled just like a bike, but with only one gear, and is steered by pivoting the wheelchair left or right. As you might guess, this curious little contraption is only meant for getting around town, that is as long as there are no hills. What you might not expect though is that we have repeatedly seen Vietnamese couples, and on a few occasions entire families all piled into the tiny seat.

Despite how funny or different these modes of transport seem to us, it is important to remember that it is not only the places we go or the things we see that adds character to our trip. Sometimes the most memorable experiences come from things we never even expected. Good or bad, they all contribute to an overall experience. So, while I lay back in my mobile patio chair and make myself comfortable, I smile and wonder what new and exotic ways we'll get around in Northern Vietnam.