The backup light

A big hello from Vietnam! Yes, I am still alive, even though I spent over 24 hours in a stinky bus (probably ended up smelling like the bus - no one could tell if it was me or the bus). I know you are all dying to hear the scariest, worst bus stories, so I won't keep you waiting any longer. In general, I can say that it wasn't as bad as I imagined. However, there were a few events that added some excitement to the journey. It started with me being assigned a seat at the back, along with 4 other girls. We were all squeezed together on the back seat, and after the first 10 minutes, I thought to myself: Okay, we might not know each other, but we'll get very close in the next 24 hours. I was sitting by the window, which was extremely damaged and "repaired" with a Buddha sticker, which was not very reassuring. After a while, I was just waiting for it to crack and for me to roll out of the bus. Despite that, I wanted to give the journey a chance and tried to relax in the cramped space. It went well until midnight when suddenly there was a terrible smell of smoke coming from our seats. It turned out that the engine was overheating. I panicked and didn't want to breathe because the smell was really awful. My panic grew as the bus filled with smoke, and I started to imagine that we would all die from inhaling the fumes. I know I was overreacting, but I couldn't help it. So, we sat there with our shirts over our noses, trying to get the attention of the bus driver. He poured a bottle of water over the engine and continued driving - according to him, it was better, but according to us, it got worse. The smoke was so irritating, and at some point, he stopped and finally realized the problem. He seriously tried to tell us that he couldn't smell anything, even though the bus was filled with smoke and it was difficult to see. So, the "bus operation" began. First, we were kicked out of our seats, and then the fixing started. It felt like being in an operating room (even though I've never been in one). There was the "doctor" who was working under our seats, the assistant holding the light (a small flashlight) and occasionally helping, and another assistant who brought the craziest tools (scissors, nails, tape, etc.). And then there was what I call the backup light. It was hilarious because all three members of the operation team were right there by the engine, while the fourth person (the backup light) stood with us near the stairs, about 5 meters away, shining his tiny flashlight. The light had absolutely no effect, but it was amusing to see him standing there so focused, trying to follow and illuminate the whole procedure from a distance. I truly believe that his job was the most important because the backup light should never be missing - you never know. He took his job very seriously and always held the flashlight up or down (depending on how the first light holder was holding it), even though it had no effect except entertaining us. After about 30 minutes, the procedure was done, and at least it didn't smell like motor smoke anymore, just cigarette smoke because the doctor lit a cigarette during his work. At least someone could relax. Anyway, the rest of the journey was relatively uneventful, and we arrived at the border at 2 am. The border only opened at 7 am, so we slept. At 5 am, we were woken up by a rooster crowing. We all wondered where it came from until we realized that we had been traveling with a rooster as part of our luggage the whole time. That saved us from using an alarm clock, and we arrived at the border earlier than expected. Crossing the border went well, except for dealing with a greedy Vietnamese customs officer who extorted more money from me. I had to pay 1 dollar just for a stamp, but I only had 10 dollars. He said it was fine, but he only gave me 4 dollars back and kept the remaining 5 dollars for himself. When I mentioned that 5 dollars were missing, he just smiled and said, "You only gave me 5 dollars." Well, in such situations, you are powerless because they are not stupid. I couldn't prove that I gave him 10 dollars. But well, that's my luck. I didn't want to be too upset about it because there's nothing I can do. The rest of the bus journey was uneventful, although everything was a bit delayed, and we arrived in Hanoi two hours later than planned. I was completely exhausted, overwhelmed, and lost. We were dropped off far from the city, so I couldn't even walk. But no one talked to me, the Vietnamese locals ignored me or couldn't speak English. I didn't have a chance to understand the bus system or figure out how to navigate. I spent 30 minutes desperately trying to communicate with people and find a way into the city. In the end, I had no choice but to take an overpriced taxi. And trust me, it was really overpriced. And as you may already know, traffic in Vietnam is quite special. Even though everyone warned me, I still experienced some culture shock, just like at the beginning of my trip. Cars, buses, and scooters drive in all directions, honking like crazy. It's pure chaos. The biggest challenge for me was crossing the road. All the backpackers say, 'In Vietnam, the golden rule is: just walk. Don't stop. Just walk.' It sounds easy, but it feels like bungee jumping without checking the cord first. The cord always holds, and it's the same when crossing the road. Somehow, it always works. The first few days were challenging for me, and I knew that the adjustment period would be longer this time. Fortunately, Nicole had written down some tips and recommendations that helped me get through the day and prevented me from spending the whole day in bed out of despair. It was really amazing because it allowed me to immerse myself more in the Vietnamese experience. Vietnam is unique in so many ways, but in a cool way. I have the feeling that they dare to be different here. So, in the next two days, I tried "Egg Coffee," "Coconut Coffee," "Coconut Chai Latte," and many more, and I was in heaven. I'm currently in coffee paradise. When you walk down the streets, there's a coffee shop on almost every corner (with an incredible variety of beans and more). The scent of coffee is constantly in the air. My personal highlight in Hanoi was a small shop with two shelves full of organic products from Germany. It smelled just like the organic stores back home. I could have cried with joy. There was a small piece of home in the midst of the chaos of Vietnam. I stood there for a long time, simply enjoying the aroma and oddly close to tears, and later I bought the most expensive organic gummy bears ever. I felt so happy enjoying those gummy bears and feeling a little closer to home. Wow, what a highlight, right? Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the next week in the north wasn't great, so I had to rearrange my travel plans. It's supposed to rain all week, which means I can't do the beautiful Ha Giang Loop. It's a bit disappointing because I really wanted to do that scooter trip. But well, it gives me a reason to come back to Vietnam (and believe me, I will do it 100% just to do that loop). So, I spontaneously went to Cat Ba Island, which is in Halong Bay (so I could skip the overcrowded touristy area and enjoy the serenity of the island). And don't worry, this blog post won't be lacking any clumsiness. Once again, I have something funny to share. So, I arrived on Cat Ba Island and rented a scooter to explore the island. Of course, I always had my camera with me to take some landscape photos. I stopped by the roadside to photograph nature and took my camera out from under the seat (there's a small storage space there). At first, I left the seat open, but then suddenly there was a lot of traffic, so I wanted to move out of the way and quickly closed the lid and sat on the scooter. The cars passed, I took the photo, and I wanted to continue. And then I realized that I am truly a little fool. I reflexively pulled out the key, placed it in the seat (probably because I wanted to take out the camera), and due to the traffic, I immediately closed the seat. Yes, I had a big problem. Without the key, I couldn't do anything - neither drive away nor open the seat. So, I stood in the middle of nowhere and started cursing at myself because I was so angry at that moment. Of course, I had no network, so I was stuck. I also tried to pry open the seat, but it was impossible to do it alone. How great would it have been to have a backup key? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In hindsight, I laugh, but at the time, it was a whole new level of clumsiness for me. Then a local passerby came by, and I tried to explain my problem using gestures. He said he would be back in 5 minutes to help me. So, I sat on my scooter and had to trust him. I had no other choice. After 30 minutes, he still hadn't returned, but as I said, I had to trust him - it was my only chance. Luckily, the universe was a bit kinder to me, and two guys from my hostel happened to drive by on their scooter and recognized me. I had to confess to them how stupid I was, and after they laughed heartily, they managed to pry open the seat a bit, and I had to squeeze my arm in and finally retrieve the key. All in all, it's another great story! I'm amazed that I always manage to get into new silly situations. It's really crazy. But I made it through this situation too, and now I have the 'How Philine locked the key in the seat' story. Excellent! I already have some material for bedtime stories to tell. Apart from that, the weather on Cat Ba Island was unfortunately quite bad. It was really cold (for me). During the day, it was around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, and since I was used to temperatures of 40 degrees in Laos, I was shaking. After three days on the island, I headed to Ninh Binh. So, I'm slowly making my way south. In Ninh Binh, I didn't do anything particularly special. My days consisted of renting a scooter and exploring the area. There's really a lot to see there. The landscape is fantastic. So, I did some sightseeing and realized that people in Vietnam saw me as a pure attraction. While I was out and about, I constantly had to pose for selfies or noticed people filming and taking photos of me without even asking. And they did it all the time. Sometimes, groups of people would come, one after the other, to take pictures. I was actually in a huge temple complex, wanting to quietly explore it, but that was impossible. And maybe it sounds cool, but it can be quite overwhelming. What bothered me the most was being filmed - as if I were an animal in a zoo. How I wished for a backup Philine who would just pose for the pictures while I calmly visited the temple. Well, it makes me realize once again that Vietnam is a completely different world, but it's super interesting. Maybe it just takes me a very long time to understand everything here. But I'm still excited to continue traveling here because every place is incredibly beautiful, and the scenery is stunning. It makes me feel so exhilarated every time. So, as I mentioned, I'm heading south and had to skip the far north. Let's see what happens next. Currently, I'm on my way to Phong Nha and exploring the area diligently. Sending you all big hugs and always keep a little backup light ready - you never know. :)