I was culture-shocked when I first stepped into a sleeping bus. It was a term I used for a bus with sleeping beds. The one I rode on had narrow beds that were comfortable for small people (read: 5 feet 5 inches tall). We were told to remove our shoes and put it in a small plastic bag. David and I passed through a narrow aisle and lied down on our (respective) beds that I find a bit too small.

It was my first overseas trip, and I was learning the phrase, "getting out of your comfort zone".  But not for my mate who wanted to see Indochina. I tagged along.

When David saw my bit of discomfort, he told me that buses of that kind also ply the roads of South America. That lasted for a moment, as I was curious about the sights that we passed by.  It was a few years later when I realized that our trip to Vietnam was memorable. Back then, it was easy for me to say that because I don't know of any other place than England. But for my mate, Vietnam was a backpackers' paradise; the locals were nice, and he couldn't keep his eyes off the mountains littered with boulders or a seaside town surrounded by eye-catching boats. Not a few travelers, even some custom papers, claim that traveling does wonders. But hearing it from people is different from experiencing it. I guess my momentary discomfort reminded me of that.

Our reward came when we arrived in Nha Trang; it was quite humid when we arrived at past 6 AM. But the charming sight of the beach welcomed us; there was a nice view of the isles, and the park gave residents and visitors alike one good reason to spend a long time there. Two days later, my eyes were fixed on the sand dunes of Mui Ne. I told my colleagues at the paper writing service what a sight they were from a distance. David and I later find out that the price for the tour was quite steep (about 31 pounds), but the experience made up for it. I mean, I don't get of talking about it. I also like how envious my colleagues were. 

I don't know if I'll come to Indochina, as David and I plan to visit another interesting country - India. Our problem is finding a month where both of us (and our girlfriends) are free. We'll see if we can make it next winter. 

P.S. Aurore and I went back.