Today we had set aside for doing another walk, but the last few days had been so hectic and we were still so tired from the day before that we decided to have a slow day before our night train back to Hanoi that evening at 8. We lay in for as long as possible before checkout and then met at the breakfast table. Lydia and I had no hot water, but our laundry from the previous week had been done by the hotel so we had clean clothes at least. A long breakfast where...

After the views of young suburban love it was countryside, darkness, wobbly train, screeching brakes, temazepam, asleep in 20mins, village-stop, screech, roll to other side of bed, wake up, wobble back over, fall asleep, screech, wobble, bounce out of bed, sweaty, loose covers, find covers in darkness, sweat more, wobble more, "LAAAAOOOO CAAAIIII CITTYYYYYY" at 5am, dreary eyes, "bus to sapa??", "bus to sapa??", "bus to sapa??...