The French Quarter & the sleeper train to Lao Cai

In the morning Gaby & I packed our 'small packs' for SaPa - I had bought a US$10 North Face 'original' especially for it! - and dropped off our packs containing everything else at the REAL Kangaroo Cafe. Next was to book a room for when we returned from SaPa. We decided to 'splash out' for our last night in Hanoi and reserved a room at the Prince Hotel, which came highly recommended by Neil & Jess.

We spent our last day wandering the French Quarter - and in particular a large shopping mall. Michelle also visited the Opera House and booked tickets for that nights performance. We then said our goodbyes - Andi & Michelle were heading to Laos - and Gaby & I walked to the REAL Kangaroo Cafe for dinner and to wait for the bus to take us to the train station. I had a cottage pie and big steaming mug of coffee which made for perfect eating on a chilly night in Hanoi!

Walking to the carriage we began chatting with Max, the Aussie chap who owns and runs the REAL Kangaroo Cafe, and he told us that our 'experiences' with hotels and tour operators in Hanoi were quite normal and about how annoyed he was with publications like Lonely Planet for not forewarning travellers about it.

We shared our cabin to Lao Cai with Wesley & Leigh, a lovely married South African couple who have been living in London for the past seven years and who were halfway through their six month RTW trip. We all chatted for an hour or so before turning the lights out and trying to get some sleep.