After breakfast, the first thing on today’s agenda was visiting Le Duan Train Street. I’ve been told time and again by my son not to go because he said it’s usually seniors who get into accidents there. Sorry, Tim… but I really had to see it for myself. Especially now, with talks that the government might be closing it down.

Wow didn’t expect so many street murals on doors here too. Yay, what a bonus for me.

We ordered breakfast at Hanoi’s 1990s, which I had read was the original café. We had bánh mì, egg coffee, and coconut coffee while sitting on tiny foldable chairs…such a simple setup, but it felt so authentically Hanoi.

Then all of a sudden, we were told the train was coming and to hold on to whatever we were eating or drinking because they were about to fold all the tables. We were even instructed on how and which direction to sit as the train passed.

Moments later, we heard the train’s horn. We quickly grabbed our cameras, and as it rushed by, it was so close we could actually feel the wind in our hair.

And just like that, as soon as it was gone, everything was put back exactly the way it was like nothing had happened. Haha… what an experience!

Had a few photos taken by the staff from the cafe.

We walked along the train tracks, passing a row of vibrant little cafés, each one bursting with bright, colourful seats and quirky decorations. Every corner felt lively and full of character.

After breakfast, we headed to this street and were greeted by rows of vendors selling fresh produce. The colours, the energy, the buzz of it all…we absolutely loved it.

Later that afternoon, my sister and niece arrived from Manila to join us for the rest of our trip. For lunch, we had bánh mì again…something they were excited to try.

At around 4 pm, we were all picked up by a van from our hotel and taken to another venue where we boarded the sleeper bus. We had to take off our shoes and change into slippers before settling in.

The sleeper bus itself was great—clean, cozy, and surprisingly comfortable. But it was getting up and walking after lying down that proved to be a bit of a challenge, especially for us seniors.

Still, once we were settled, it was a unique experience. As the bus rolled on through the night, there was something oddly relaxing about lying back and just letting the journey take us to our next destination.

We arrived in Sapa at around 11 pm after about a 7-hour journey. Tired and hungry, we checked in and immediately went out in search of something to eat. Thankfully, we found a small restaurant and ordered beef noodle soup—it was so good and exactly what we needed.

The only downside was that the place wasn’t the most hygienic. Still, we were glad we chose soup, at least everything was nicely boiled, hehe.

I am linking this to Jo’s Monday Walk

Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge

Natalie’s Photographing Public Art Challenge

Xingfumama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge