Hue-Halong bay - the journey from hell

So....we were excited about leaving hue mainly because it ment we would be on our way to halong bay :) we couldn't wait to get there and see the seventh natural wonder of the world. We boarded our bus and made our way to the train station for our third and final sleeper train, this would be the longest one at 14hours but we were informed it would be the best one yet. After this long train journey we would have a 4 hour bus journey to finally reach halong bay, it was a long journey but worth the day and half we would get to spend there.

We boarded our train at 2.30pm and got settled in our cabin in was actually not so bad,  it was defo better then the other 2. Me and Luke both had the lower bunks this time :) the journey was going to seem longer then the others as we were starting it I the middle of the day rather then at night, but we just played some games, read and kept ourselves busy. During the first part of the journey we got to see a bit of scenery and also what the affect the typhoon had had on the locals,there seemed to be floods everywhere. We settled ourselves early for the night and fell asleep expecting to be woken up at around 4 am to get off at Hanoi.

I woke at 6.30am.......and thought this is odd we should of been there 2 hours ago! I got myself up, went to the bathroom brushed my teeth, and sat back in my bed waiting for an announcement saying we were 10-15 minutes away!....... 8.30 rolls by, 10....... I find Kevin our tour guide and get the info........

........we are running around 8 HOURS BEHIND, due to the flooding, driver was very. Concerned that we would derail over night so drove extremely slow, and now we wouldn't arrive until about 12.30! We felt a little fed up as that ment less time in halong bay but art he same time glad it was on a train with a bed where we could lay down and not on a stuffy coach that was u comfortable ! By about 11.30 I was getting a little fed up and Luke just wanted to get offit was21 hours since we started this train journey ........

12.30 comes.......we arrive in Hanoi :) so pleased to stretch our legs :) we boards. Bus almost immediately and head to toe for lunch.....our tour leaders aid the restaurant he was taking us to was "amazing" let me tell you it wasn't ! I can't remember the name but it was rubbish, and she we all came to paying they completely messed it up and did not want to give any one there change ! We didn't think the day could get much worse! We boarded the bus again for our  4 hour journey to halong bay :) we knew we would get there later then intended but at this point weren't so bothered. 

The bus journey was going well, although we saw some awful sights on the way ...... Big trucks full to the top with pigs like they had been stuffed in :( and some other horrible animal sights :( I ego steely as not going to eat the meat here the animals were treated so poorly :( anyway..... We pull over on some random road and it turns out we have a puncture :( the day could not get any worse and it was just getting later and later the realisation that we missed out on a whole day on halong bay was depressing :( we all climbed off the bus and a man with a motorbike and a trailer came and rescued us! Before we were on our way again :)

 "Our  saviour"

We arrive in halong bay at around 19.30,  it's dark, we can't see the view, we have a lovely room with a great view or what would have been a great view but we can't see a thing :( we are totally fed up with day and just go to bed and look forward to our boat trip in the morning, What a day or 24 hours!!