vietnam trip 2012 - part 6 - intercity buses

the last time that i was in Vietnam was in June 2007, an experience that sadly i didn't blog too much about. however, i did blog about the trip for January 2007.

in January 2007, i took a group bus tour with SaigonTourist. it was a company my aunt suggested, a company that my uncle previously worked for and is well subsidized by the government. it was the pretty basic charter bus situation where stops and meals were planned out so it was easy for riders. i would suggest this type of trip if you were in Vietnam for the first time.

in June 2007, i took more of a backpacking tour which involved buying a set of open-bus tickets and stopping where i like, for however long that I like. it was the alternative method to travel also suggested by my aunt.

with the backpacking situation, you never know how decent washroom facilities will be until you are there. or how long you'd have to the next washroom break comfortably. you're gonna have to think for the all-night travel buses about having to use the communal bus toilet or making sure you don't have too much liquids, bring tissue paper wherever you go, etc.

we had seen the terms "sleeping bus" and "sitting bus" used simultaneously for different open-bus travel this time around. we were surprised to find that the sleeping bus was actually a bus with horizontal mattresses bunk beds. i had seen these types of buses in China and in Vietnam before, but had never actually been in one. let me tell you, it's better than sitting for 12 hours on an evening bus on getting your butt numb. unfortunately, that is something we gotta do tomorrow.

in the sleeping bus.. priceless, the expletive "fuck!" coming from an old cranky white guy realizing he's gotta tuck his 6-foot self in the corner next to us 4 mix of short and tall viet folk in the far back where he had no feet room. well, good luck on the rest of your trip.