I'm a foreigner - get me out of here! A bus journey from Dien Bien Phu to Hanoi in 10 points

1. We were told that the bus we were going to take would be one of those big, flashy ones that stood outside of the bus station (well, we weren't actually told. I asked, the lady behind the counter nodded and waved us off). Instead the bus was a local one that was loud, stinky and dirty. There were less seats than passengers.

Things to do in Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu might be a small town and not very well known, but it has a few attractions that are worth seeing, which might help you to get to know the culture and the history of Vietnam.

Weird and wonderful Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu, located in the north of Vietnam, near Lao border, is a very important town for the Vietnamese. Here the French lost their final battle and Vietnam became the free country. Today, you can visit a very interesting museum and a cemetery, commemorating the battle. 
My goal was to stay in most of the places I went through at least for a day. Dien Bien Phu didn't take much space in the Lonely Planet guide, so I didn't think it was going to be amazing. As a town itself it wasn't interesting, however almost no tourists stop there and Dien Bien Phu was great to get to know the Vietnamese culture. 

A blond moment: there is something wrong with my visa. Getting overland from Laos to Vietnam

We left Muang Kua at dawn. I tried to sleep for a bit, but constant beeping of our car and uneven road kept waking me up. 

We were driving through mountains, passing trucks and lorries on a road that barely could fit two cars. From time to time one of those trucks got stuck in huge holes. Our driver didn't care and he kept beeping, trying to warn the approaching cars, people and children, who were playing on the road, not minding the passing vehicles. 

The Blond advises: a visa to Vietnam

Because I've got only 3 months left, I have decided to take another step towards The Trip and apply for the Vietnamese visa (for myself and my sis). The procedure seems to be quite straight forward, but being born and brought up in a post-communist country, there is always a feel of unease when I think of paper work, clerks and other forms of bureaucracy.  
I wouldn't be The Blond if I didn't do something, which in the end delayed the whole process.