Off the train in Ninh Binh, and up to Cuc Phuong National park.
I was really looking forward to walking through the jungle, have the nature, and peace and quiet.... maybe getting lucky and seeing some animals - but I wasn't really expecting it, after all how hard is it to see native animals (excluding kangaroos!) in the wild in Australia! and we surely have a lot more animals living in the wild!
Unfortunately the weather was misty and rainy, but that is kind of to be expected in a rainforest!
I walked up pretty steep, very slippery path to an "observation hide". the observation tower contained 3 kids, who immediately started shouting at me "hello, come here". I really did not feel like being peppered with the same question (what is your name?) 100 times.... so declined climbing up with them. instead they started coming down as I went to walk away.... I tried to escape. This lead to a slightly ridiculous situation of being chased by kids down a mountain.... and hiding off the path behind a rock for them to go past. I know they just wanted to be friendly, and curious about the Westerner. But sometimes, I am just not in the mood. once I had finished hiding behind a rock I returned to the top and climbed the tower.... that was mildly terrifying, and i went back down quite quickly when the wood cracked and sunk under my weight!
On my second day I decided to rent a motorbike so that I could get to the park centre and the interesting walks. On the way I went to the cave of the prehistoric man. Apparently they found 7500 year old human remains and basic tools in here. Which is pretty cool. I had a small torch (the wind up sort that don't really give a lot of light. There was a stall at the bottom renting better looking torches for 50cents.... but I thought mine would be fine! When I went in, I discovered something.... Going into caves by yourself is actually scary. Even though, I tried to tell my brain, that I have a torch, and it's fine..... something about this big dark cavern just made my brain start yelling GET OUT, GET OUT! I persisted, and walked around to the point that I could no longer see light from the entrance. I found a ladder leading up, and a few places where i would be able to crawl through to another chamber.... and as much as I wanted to do these things, and I would have been the one encouraging us to if I had a friend in the cave..... I was too chicken!
In the case of the ladder it was in part because I worried that if i slipped (it was very wet and rusty) noone would find me. This gut feeling may have been right as I met another tourist at dinner who went into the cave with other people (so didn't have the i-am-all-alone-in-the-dark-fear) but when I asked her what was up the ladder she had no idea what I was talking about, so much not have actually walked around away from the entrance.
Riding the bike was also fun, It was the first time I had rented a motorbike in Vietnam. Made easier by being on the very low traffic road of the national park, although, the traffic that was on the road was mostly giant buses! But it was nice to be able to ride myself around. I did a couple more long walks, these required careful timing to avoid to loud-talking-tourists (and people complain about not seeing animals) but it was nice. I thoroughly enjoyed just being in the rainforest, being in the quiet, listening to the jungle sounds.
The next day I got the local bus that only comes once a day back to Ninh Binh.... half way there I realised that when I paid.... they hadn't given me back my passport. After a hectic phone call trying to work out how I can get it (preferably without getting a taxi all the way back up!) It all worked out. A tour guide who was going with tourists into Ninh Binh dropped it at a hotel for me.... who then proceeded to quiz me before giving it back to make sure I really was Lucille Robinson. Even though, it's my passport. It has my photo!
I had a boat trip through the Van Long nature reserve. Lots of birdlife and wetlands type scenery, but with sheer limestone cliffs surrounding it. People I spoke to the day before had seen Languars (a type of monkey) but I wasn't so lucky. Possibly because the weather was freezing and windy! or possibly because I had the bad timing to arrive just after a bus tour and their tour guide kept yelling and making loud noises. I think he was making echos? I also noticed that the Vietnamese love of music extends to MUSIC ALWAYS! A boat load of Viet people who were just behind me had a mini stereo blasting music instead of enjoying the silence. At first I thought it was just that one guy, but then I past two other boats the same. So I guess it's just a thing.
Next day: Bike rental from the hotel to ride out to yet another limestone cliff and boat rides (There seem to be three such locations in this very small town. I passed on doing all three, two was more than enough for me!
Next I journeyed on to a pagoda that is build up into the side of a mountain. So as you climb up to each level of the pagoda (the path winding up the side of the mountain and through caves and tunnels) you get a different view. Whe I arrived to park my bike at the designated bike parking spot that guy pulled out a printed official looking receipt book and tried to tell me it was 50 000 Dong to park your bike there. I looked at him incredulously, usually it costs 2000 to park a bicycle - sometimes 5000 for Westerners. Never 50! I called him out on his extreme price and he tried to tell me it included entry to the pagoda. "ticket price" he says pointing at the entrance. "It's a pagoda.... It's Free!" I said. unlocking my bike and pushing it away. He tried to block my path "How much you pay" I shook my head. "No, you cheat people. I'm not paying you" (I was keeping it light, laughing a little... I try not to be angry. He continued to try to write the bike parking numbers on the new, blank receipt book that he pulled from his pocket. "5000, he said, 5000 for bike only". I walked my bike out a little way down the road where I had passed a half a dozen bikes on my way in.
I think they actually belonged to the stall holding women, but they accepted it when I said I wanted to park my bike with them and that they guy over there charges 50 000. They had a good laugh, I assume at my refusal to be ripped off THAT much. Then asked for 2000.
at the top of level of the pagoda, when the nice concrete steps finished was a little sign pointing up a dirt track Climb up
So I did.
Of course, as previously mentioned it was wet, so the dirt track was actually a slippery mud path, complete with scattered jagged limestone rocks.
The view from the tp was pretty amazing
However on the way down my foot slipped, and I managed to smash my left knee on a rock, cut open my right shin, and slice a couple of good deep cuts all the way up my right arm.
So when I got back to the bottom and the souvenir selling women leapt up to offer me bags and scarves and little wooden boats; they quickly recoiled upon seeing my arm, covered in blood and mud.
One of them stared, shook her head and muttered "Xau" which means ugly or bad.... I laughed and pointed to it... Xau? ooohhhhhhh Dep? (beautiful?) this made them all fall about laughing. And saying no. So then I went for Xau xa (very ugly or atrocious). they all agreed that my arm was in fact Xua xa, then (I guess deciding that I seemed fairly unconcerned by the bleeding) decided to try again with the souvenirs. I laughed at their attempts.... then went to buy a bottle of water to wash out my arm (the only other hand washing water being the rice field, or a well used hand washing bucket outside the toilets, that probably came from the rice fields anyway.
One of the stuff selling ladies helped me wash my arm and asked repeatedly if I needed a hospital. Then I headed off on my bike for the 8km ride back to my hotel for a shower and some wound care!
Back to Phong Nha for my 3 day caving trip.
Only myself, and a Vietnamese born, US raised san francisco-ian firefighter on the trip, so very small group travel! I was somewhat concerned that I would be struggling to keep up with our tour guide (who does this trek a couple of times a week and is like the energiser bunny!) and a fire-fighter! But turns out that growing up scrambling over rocks and up hills made me feel like a natural!
We crossed rivers, hiked up hills (that were mostly mud and rocks, with some trees to hang on to and try to avoid sliding all the way back down). Slid down the other side of said hills, I found it easiest to squat down and "skate" through the mud.... the guide, Thanh, and I laughing hysterically as we did this. The other trekker looking at us like we were mad, and trying hard to stay on his feet as he walked down.
The caves were mostly very large and easy to walk through, but the jungle tracks we much more overgrown and adventurous!
We learnt about many more types of cave formations (here I was thinking I was going well because I knew that stalactites go down and stalagmites go up). Finally swimming through the cave to get out to out camp site. Stunningly located at the edge of the waterfall and pool. And pre set up with camp fire and tea by our porters (who carried all the hammocks and food in for us!)
The next day was much less hiking, but more swimming through caves and exploring.
Unfortunately at this point, my waterproof camera got water in the lens. So no more photos. On the plus side, it still works. It just takes blurry photos - So I will find someone to repair it and all will be well :)
In the afternoon we swam under a waterfall and found the little cave-like room behind it. I found this pretty easy, using the rocks and walls to pull myself up. Definitely benefiting from many waterfall explorations in younger years! Everyone else persisted in wearing life jackets into the water even when out of the cave. But I was able to convince Thanh, the guide, that i am a good swimming and promise I wont drown if he allows me to now wear a life jacket!
Second night at a new, but equally stunning camp location. This time we got a little glimpse of the stars through the clouds, and lots of fireflies to watch as we sat by the fire.
Last day featured hiking over another mountain (I think the are really more hills than actual mountains... but let's not let facts get in the way of a good story!) and back to the village we started in for a delicious bowl of pho. First we had to back track and climb over a giant rock to avoid a snake who was happily sunning himself on the path. This featured quite a funny miming of "there's a snake on the path" (can't talk.... snake will attack :P). I found a picture later - pretty sure it wasn't a poisonous snake (just incase you were wondering!
My last two days of holiday were spent at the beautiful pepperhouse home stay in the country surrounding Phong Nha. Happy kids (relations of some description of the Vietnamese woman and her Aussie Husband who run the place) would come in at various times and be extra happy if you spent some time playing with the ball or taking photos and showing them the camera. Plus, beautiful scenery to take a bike ride or walk through, and hammocks to relax in and do nothing but read my book!
So I am looking forward to coming home, and going camping one day with my fancy new hammocks!
Nice trip. Sounds fun. And yes it does look like a skull.
ReplyDeleteOliver.