Mischief on the reunification express.... Spark, squeal, shriek and whistle!!!!

The wheels grudgingly struggled against the breaks pushing their way out of contented stupor into the excitement of forward traction. Lovers waved their final fairwells, families shed their parting tears, workers jostled into their customary positions and a couple of travellers boarded under the cloak and dagger of darkness. They sucked in the last dredges of the evening air (the last that would not be recirculated for the next 17 hours) it's burning heat reflecting the business, fast pace, and chaos of the now distant city. All that remained was the shrill sirens of 7million scooters, a plague of locusts upon the southern roads and bringers of death among the weary people.

Click click....... Click click. Our long and ancient sleeping behemoth stirred into life as it increased in speed. We slipped into carriage No.7 our quarry for the evening, row after row of regimented dorm like compartments each walled floor to ceiling with six back breaking bunks 6 to a compartment. They were bursting to the seems like a an overripe durian fruit. A mustiness greeted us with the embrace of a long lost friend. We climbed into the middle two bunks labelled 27,28 and waited with fear for our soon to be guests. First is Kuan, a mineral miner from HCMC, he gives off a genuine manner and speaks good English with an Ozzie twist but a traveller is suspicious of everyone that's what keeps you alive.

Next to grace us with her presence is a lady I call 'mad irene'. With a voice a couple of tones lower than mine and only speaks "the old language" I was instantly afraid for my life as she lowered her bulk onto the bottom bunk piercing me with her small penetrating eyes.... sleep looked like a distant pleasure not to be mine this night. That was 4people there were two to bed left in our cell...

Then disbelief overcome me.... Two girls climbed into the bed above me!! It's groaned in protest... 'it can take three' they assured me. Vision of coming to a very "flat" end beginning to fill my dreams. And finally a mother a daughter squeeze in below me. 8 people in a 2.5 Meter square room. As they say in the "business" it was going to be a very very long night.

By some miracle sleep must have overcame me (or mad Irene drugged me) because I awoke to a blaze of activity below me of an entire extended family having breakfast speaking in less than quiet tones, I pretended sleep hoping I was not on the menu to assess the scene. Irene on point blocking my escape dad in the middle of the action and kids circling like vultures.

I made a particularly large groaning noise muttering about how it was clearly rude to awake an Englishman at 5.30 in the morning without a pot of earl grey on hand for the inconvenience and that they should really learn the difference between the 'outside' voice and 'inside' one!

I made a run for it! 8 carriages later, 3 people sleeping in a toilet, 12 people sleeping across the aisle and an intriguing gap between two carriages of smokers windows closed creating what appeared to be a hot box.... I plonked myself down was unceremoniously ladeled a bowl of raw beef and noodle soup (the only item on the breakfast menu) and a ice cold extra stong black coffee... I instantly fell asleep beside/ in it. 6 hours to go.