Save the best for last?

Doesn't seem like it on our last long-distance bus trip from Bac Ha! We can only assume that this particular experience is due to the fact that this route is mostly used by Vietnamese people and therefore different rules apply compared to 'touristy' routes.

We booked our tickets for a semi-sleeper, where you sit in a kind of recliner chair, two days in advance at an agency in town. On the day of departure (02.05.), we were taken to the bus station, about 1.5 km from the center of Bac Ha, along with our luggage on two mopeds. The price list in the waiting area revealed that the agency had charged a commission of over 25% on the fare!😡

Since our bus only left around noon from the bus station, it was quite relaxed. When boarding, we were assigned seats at the back of the bus, which didn't suit us very well, but we interpreted a sign regarding my height as an indication that it would be more comfortable for me there. In the rear of the bus, there are five seats arranged continuously next to each other.

However, Anke preferred a single seat and I made myself comfortable at the back.

As the only one on this large reclining area, I had a very spacious offer. Since there were still vacant seats on the bus, we were looking forward to a quiet, spacious ride to Hanoi.

However, it turned out differently. It felt like every five minutes the bus stopped in small towns, at intersections, or on open stretches to pick up one or more passengers each time. After about three quarters of an hour of driving, all seats were occupied. . . . and my supposed spacious reclining area turned into a cozy mattress camp.

'Now there probably won't be any further delays due to unscheduled stops,' we thought. Despite being fully occupied, the bus still kept stopping to pick up more passengers waving by the roadside. They had to sit in one of the two aisles without a backrest on the flat floor.

In the end, we counted around 70 passengers with only 56 official seats.

In addition to all this, I was sitting slightly elevated in my cozy corner at the back, with a good view of all the seats in front of me and the driver, overlooking the road and the respective traffic situations.

It was nightmarish how the bus driver overtook under such conditions. Truly adventurous with suicidal tendencies.

Despite this risky driving style and shorter two-hour stops (usually 30 minutes), it took us a total of 6 hours and 30 minutes for 300 km.

During the whole time, either the air conditioning was blowing uncomfortably cold air on me - the air vents couldn't be closed - or an incredibly loud fan was blowing directly into my face from the front whenever the driver temporarily turned off the air conditioning.

Last but not least, we were dropped off in a suburb of Hanoi, as the bus continued further to Thay Binh.

Blue dot on the right: our hotel

The agency could have explained that to us as well. Maybe then we would have taken the train, which would have been possible too.

This trip was different in many ways from all previous bus rides in Vietnam. Especially the bus company 'Futa', which only operates in the south, has impressed us time and again with their booking service, the cleanliness of their buses, and the professional execution of their trips.

But in the end, we arrived safely and unharmed on our last long-distance bus trip . . . and that's what counts!