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Phong Nha
I awoke very early due to the previous day’s naps.
I walked up the river and found a solo coffee vendor where I ordered coffee and milk. The place was a few chairs and tables scattered around a patio on the river bank. It was full of older Vietnamese gentlemen having coffee or tea before the workday started. We could not communicate except for smiles and tips of our heads. It was very peaceful and pleasant hanging with these guys as the work boats came to life on the river, definitely a way to get centered before the start of a day.
Back at the homestay, breakfast was eggs, baguettes, and coffee on the homestay’s back deck overlooking the river. Breakfast is included in the room rate.
A tour operator picked us up at 8:45 AM in a 11 person van.
The typical setup was a driver who was a master of all alleyways and a helper/runner who would fetch guests, luggage if any, and water for everyone.
First stop was the botanical gardens the Phong Nha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We passed it on our motorcycles as we rode into Phong Nha. It was interesting to see and very quiet with few visitors other than our group. There was an English-speaking tour guide who was very good. I was struck by how little wildlife we saw and I inquired. The guide said 5 tigers lived on the preserve but the locals killed them. I formed the opinion that we saw little wildlife on our Ho Chi Minh Road journey because perhaps the locals ate them. Understandably the survivors might learn to be very shy of people.
Instant Friends
Back on the bus I heard Dutch being spoken and struck up a conversation with a Dutch couple. Again, no Americans around. To our surprise, Ron and Helena Hut live in Leiden, The Netherlands, a few hundred meters from the house at 38 Rijnsburgerweg where Susan and I lived in the 1990s. Once again, the world can be very small. We became instant friends and we toured around together for the rest of the day.
Paradise Cave.
Next stop was Paradise Cave or Theun Duong. Getting to the cave is a 1 kilometer walk and a 570 meter climb, gasp. The cave is huge, some 31 kilometers long and is one of the longest caves in the world. It was not discovered until 2005 which gives some idea of how remote this area is. For touring, it is spectacularly lit and has easy walkways.
My pictures of Paradise Cave describe it far better than my words could.
Dark Cave
The next stop was Dark Cave, named for the obvious. Complete darkness. Hence no photographs.
Getting to Dark Cave was part of the adventure. When you arrive, you queue up to get a a harness and a lifejacket. There was no explanation, at least not one in English, and the best Vietnam rule, ‘Just go with it’, was the order of the day. After suiting up, you climb a tower barefoot to be attached to a 450 meter zipline that races you across the river.
It is thrilling. Unfortunately, my action camera had reset its mode to still shots rather than video and the only photos I took enroute were of the sky as I swung like a pendulum on the zipline.
At the terminal side of the zipline, you turn in your harness and get a helmet and headlamp.
To get to Dark Cave, you have to swim to the entrance. The water was a beautiful turquoise green that day and very pleasant.
Upon entering the cave, the first 200 meters are a painful walk over sharp gravel. I was barefoot. No water shoes. You remember we were traveling with only backpacks, right? It was a miserable experience for my too tender feet. I attempted to opt out and wait for the group to return, but the guide said not much farther until we reach the mud. He was right.
You enter a Dark Cave room where the floor is covered with ultrafine black silt and water. The guide waxed on about how some people spend large amounts of money on mudbaths and we should enjoy it. This was BS tourist stuff for me and I just tried to stand there. The stuff was so slippery that just standing there was difficult.
They did have us turn our headlamps off and experience the darkest dark you can imagine.
We hiked back over the sharp gravel to get out. It was a little easier because I knew what to expect. Reaching the entrance meant dazzling sunlight.
Kayaks then Lunch
They offered inflatable kayaks and Lauren and I leisurely paddled across the river.
Lunch was served on communal picnic tables overlooking the river and large banana-leaf platters of vegetables and a few meats were placed in the center. Once again, delicious. No doubt our appetites were stimulated by all the activity. We laughed and spoke with our new friends Ron and Helena from Leiden.
Back to Phong Nha
The bus brought us back to the homestay around 5 PM. We cleaned up, dressed, and walked down the main road to a restaurant popular with the tourists. Phong Nha is off the beaten path. It takes some work to get there. It is not a place where you find the volume of tourists. Rather, you are more likely to find the backpacker crowd or the more adventurous like Ron and Helena.
Eastern European backpackers, all maybe 20 years old, sat at the table next to us. When all four lit their cheap cigarettes, we moved outside. Once again, the food was delicious. Crepes for dessert.
It was a very good day. We slept like babies.
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