What Doesn't Kill Us, Only Makes Us Stronger...

Well, that's the theory, and I will confirm it should I ever make it home in one piece, with all my nerves intact!

The sleeper bus from HCMC to Nha Trang was NOT at all like the one I took to Pakse. Each "bed" was a single reclining chair, very airline-like, where you put your feet under the head of the person in front. Great - only if you were lucky enough to not be by the toilet, as the mini-stairwell leading to it meant that the footroom was non-existent. How pleased I was to be in said bunk, 7C!!! I then committed that heinous crime, I moved to an empty bed, and then completely looked oblivious when the rightful occupant boarded. I'd like to be able to say that I felt guilty when the poor guy slept with his knees around his ears in my bed... but I didn't!

It was quite a hideous trip, not only did the driver beep his horn all night, the roads seem to be covered with cattle grids in Vietnam and we weren't allowed to use the toilet. Don't know why. We did have ONE toilet stop, throughout the entire 10 hour trip, but this was pretty pointless after only one hour on the road and had no benefit to the succeeding nine!!!

We arrived at last in Nha Trang (peeing it down, crap crap crap!) Isomehow ended up on the back of a motorbike, all bags in tow, to a hotel that promised a single for $5 a night. Lo and behold, it was the Good Hotel, which incidentally, a friend I met in Laos is already staying at, although he did warn me that "Good" was a bit of a misnomer...

Anyway, I had to wait a while for the room to be ready, so when I finally was let in, I was happy to take it. Double bed, fan, looked clean enough... I soon realised that I probably wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, as I was only partitioned off from reception (and the awful Vietnamese karaoke on the TV) by a pane of glass. Thaknk Goodness for earplugs!

I took a long shower, grateful to wash off the stench of cold sweat that had developed overnight, whilst sweating profusely in the AC, glad I don't have pnemonia. I was a little perturbed to spot a pair of thin worms, snaking their way along the bathroom floor. Not to worry, I soon showered them down the plughole! I lifted up the bin, assuming that is where they had originated; I wish I hadn't bothered...

Out came HUGE clumps of ants, and I mean thousands, so soon the entire floor was swimming with black blobs, with me perched precariously upon the toilet seat, in only my birthday suit. I took a good 10 - 15 minutes to get them all down the plughole, which I had to unblock! I rinsed under the bin, and more and more of the damn things kept coming!

It seemed that that problem was solved, until about 6 or 7 more worms appeared, so I rinsed all the walls and around the door frame, releasing a spider in the process. All done, all gone. Until, as I was cleaning my teeth, I looked down and out of a crack in between the wall and door frame, thousands more ants, and their eggs, were emerging back into the room. ENOUGH! I had to get out - cheap is only worth it if it is cheerful, and by this time, I was not! I grabbed the towel, to dry off and then it really was the last straw...

There was now a COCKROACH to contend with, so I yelped and dashed out of the bathroom, leaving the towels and said monster in a puddle in the bathroom. I managed to dry myself off with some napkins I'd taken from a cafe in HCMC, and I was staright to reception to complain.

I'm now in a room on the 2nd floor, that seems to have only one or two ants - it's $6 per night and I made the receptionist check under the bin and behind the towels before I agreed to move. I hope to God I don't get invaded again, my nerves couldn't take it, I am still itching and it was over an hour ago since I left Room 01... I know I will have nightmares tonight...

So, now I am at a loose end, the rain in Nha Trang looks like it will prevent any proper sightseeing, so I'm thinking I will end up northwards sooner than planned. So I could be stuck in Hanoi for longer than I would have liked, but I'll just keep the thought of the Thai Islands ever-present in my mind... Not sure I'm liking Vietnam quite so much anymore!