Coffee and noodles

It's 555am. I've just arrived on the sleeper train from Nha Trang to Saigon, and walked the length of the street to find my hostel. Unfortunately, despite my email indicating an arrival time of 5am, the place isn't open and rapping at the door has proven futile. I am quite sleep deprived. Despite being a more comfortable way to take overnight transport, I have failed to get more then 3 stilted hours of sleep. The strange cocoon like setup of the sleeper bus and its more cramped conditions actually led to a better night's sleep and it was a third of the price. The continual jerking motion of the train, the inclination of my carriage companions to turn on all the lights at 3am and continue their conversation, and the wake up call of Vietnamese opera at 445am, culminated in less sleep than hoped. Oh well. I have made it as far as Saigon and am settled on a larger than usual plastic chair enjoying an iced coffee and observing the bustle of the city at dawn's early light.

I am continually impressed by the level of activity at dawn in Vietnam. On arriving into Nha Trang at 6am, the roads were already hectic and the beach scene was full of people frolicking in the sea. From my vantage point near the local market in Saigon, I can see women buying their groceries and streetside butchers preparing cuts of meat for their day's customers. The flower seller has already made her first sale of white lillies, and the morning joggers are weaving through streetstalls and scooters to secure their exercise for the day.

The coffee is damn good, as is most of the food in this comma shaped country. I've grown rather accustomed to the sickly sweetness of condensed milk to offset the rich, dark coffee and I'm not sure my subtle beloved English tea will be able to live up to its fullsome competitor on my return. My risk of diabetes has also increased in line with my sugar rich Vietnamese diet of juices and sauces with the obligatory extra spoon of sweetness.

The food has equally been incredible. Apart from the bland, repetitive dinners on the boat in Halong Bay, I've not had a bad meal. From the do it yourself nature of Bun Cha (roasted pork patties, with rice noodles and salad in broth), to the 8 course fine dining of the Ly Club in Hanoi (for <£20 per head), I've sampled claypots where the meat melts in your mouth, all forms of noodles in their varying guises, rice pancakes, wontons, summer rolls, Banh Mi in fresh crusty French baguettes and plenty of Pho (noodle soup). Amazing! Kingsland Road in east London is going to have a new regular. And maybe I've got just enough space for a coffee filter and some local beans in my bag too. Yum! 2 more days in Vietnam and plenty more food and drink to be consumed yet. Just as well I'be started the day at 6am then!