Early start to catch our "hard sitting" train, and "hard sittng" it most definitely was! It looked like a load of rudimentary park benches, and of course we were the only tourists in sight. As we found our numbered bench we noticed that a group of Vietnamese men decided too change seats and move to sit next to us. Even though my first thought was to hug my bag close to me, they turned out to be a really friendly bunch of guys (who may or may not have already been drinking?!) and despite their very poor English and our even poorer Vietnamese we managed a few "conversations". These mostly revolved around Tom's height, shoe size, hairy limbs etc and the fact that they liked the look of me (awkward!)

3 Hours on those hard seats was just about enough and we were very glad to be off the train at Nimh Binh. At first we were struck at how quiet it was. No "beepbeep", "you want motorbike!"...just quiet! Bliss. Well it wasn't completely different to the other tourist traps, as leaving the station we were approached by people from about 3 different guesthouses urging us to go and say with them. As always our first instict was to walk away and look for our own place, but after a couple of minutes walk we reflected on one of good quotes from the station and head off there. (it was completely the opposite direction to all the others and the centre of town..but potentially cheap!)

It turned out to be great, right in a residential area where everyone was really friendly, the children shouted "Hello" and seemed shocked when we returned with "Xin chao"..one may have even said "Hello money!" We set off on a little wander around, stopping for some noodles at a cafe near the station. We found the main part of town to be pretty standard, lots of the usual shops but not a single beckon of "you buy something", which was refreshing. we also found a massive indoor market, which sold just about anything by the looks of it. Neither of us were feeling our best so headed back to the hotel for a quick ciesta.

I started feeling really ill (I guess congestion in the digestive system is a polite way to put it), so Tom went out to find a pharmacy. Of course they didn't speak a word of English there so he was left to mime the symptoms, first being offered condoms and then coming away with 2 trays of some unknown pills. Googling them back at the room, they were definitely not the right thing, being diarrhea pills. So armed with a translation we both went back to the pharmacy (a cabinet of pills in someone's front room!) with success!

Following sucessful aquirement of pharmacuitcal goods we headed out for foods. On the way we stopped for beer at a local pub(? not really a pub, more a load of plastic chairs on the street with 4 large kegs!) as some of the locals beckoned us over. It was the first draught beer we'd had all trip, and at 4000dong each, can't complain. It was great to sit there and watch the locals order crazy looking snacks (poppadom type things and dried, fried squid) while other drove their motorbikes, or sent their children over to the barrels to fill up any kind of container (we saw detergent bottles, coke bottles and even petrol canisters) for take away beer! We would have loved to stay and eat there, but with only a vietnamese menu and no English speakers, we just weren't brave enough. We ended up back where we'd had lunch. Towards the end of the meal, the thunder and lightening started and the rain (torrential rain) guided us back!

The next morning we set off on a full day's guided motorbike tour. This was awesome, one of the best days so far, despite the constant rain and wind...apparently there's a typhoon coming! Our first stop was Tam Coc, which is described as Halong on land with rice paddies. We took an hour long boat ride along the river through the mountains. The views were wonderful as we went through caves and got to see other boats where the rowers were using their feet to row while holding umbrellas. The boat trip would have been wonderful had it not been for the heavy rain and the pushy boat salespeople urging us to "buy a drink", "buy the rowers a drink", "buy this table cloth, souvenir Vietnam" and lastly "tip!". Which we did, and then he had the cheek to ask for more! Pirate!

We then got back on the bikes and went to Bich Dong. This is a series of 3 pagodas tiered up the mountainside set into caves. These were really cool, although a bit creepy as some parts were pitch black and filled with the squeak of what I can only presume to be bats! The views from the top Pagoda were really great aswell.

Our guides then took us for lunch back at Tam Coc, and ordered way to much food for us, there must have been enough for 6 hungry people, not 2 slightly ill people. Trying everything was great though as we had some local specialities of crispy fried sticky rice cakes dipped in a gloopy soup and some DIY spring rolls, with sesame beef (but supposidly goat), mint and nettles. As well as morning glory and fresh pineapple. We felt so guilty leaving so much to waste!

Back on the bike again we were off to the 500 step (actually 461) pagoda, which we can't remember the name of! This was fantastic, but would have been massively improved with better weather, the wind near the top was pretty scary at times and we had to hold on tight. We got to see the whole valley with all the Halong style mountains and the river that we had boated along. I think that this 360 view really put this place one step ahead of Halong Bay. On the way down we explored a cave at the bottom, where we found some goats and accidently disturbed some young lovers! ooops!

Our final stop on the tour was Hoa Lu. This was the capital of Vietnam over 1000 years ago and housed some beautiful old pagodas with statues of Kings and royal families inside, where offerings of cakes, cocacola, money and cigarettes were left! Just what they would have wanted I'm sure.

Back on the bikes for the final time, the weather took a turn for the worse with rain painfully pelting us like hailstones and some pretty scary cross winds! But we made it back in one piece, and we were even given a room to use for the evening and offered a free transfer to the station to catch our night train to Hue. The lovely guys in the hotel even brought up some biscuits, water and paracetamol for Tom who wasn't feeling very well! I Love these guys!

On the night train to Hue now fingers crossed with survive with our bad tummies and Toms bad head!