Saturday, 2 April 2016

Subterranean superlatives

Sat 02 Apr 2016 - Phong Nha paddies, jungle and Paradise cave

What a day!


Breakfast was brilliant - whopping great bowls of muesli, tasty omelette and large mugs of tea. Fixed for the start of the day we picked up the scooter we’d arranged with reception and were shown to a rather shabby affair with a bald front tyre and a lockable saddle that didn’t lock. A few words with reception and a short wait on the terrace later we were whizzing our way through the simply stunning landscape on a decent replacement past acres of lush green rice fields with water buffalo roaming around and fabulous, jungle clad karst mountains in the background. Quintessential Asia.


Stopping for several ‘wow’ moments and photos we turned off into the small village of Phong Nha with its large Hollywood style sign on the mountainside. The village must have been a sleepy backwater farming settlement before the development of the region’s caves in 1990 but now it is learning to come to terms with the large numbers of visitors pouring in.


Passing the large, souvenir and cafe lined entrance to the eponymous cave system we were heading for Paradise cave, which was only discovered in 2005. Having looked at a crude map we’d opted to take the cross country route and boy are we glad we did. The quiet, narrow track wound through the most magnificent jungle we’d yet encountered. With large trees, gigantic banana palms and all manner of vines and creepers draped across the canopy we made slow progress as we bumped along the track stopping frequently for photos or just to stand and admire the views. With the exception of an occasional vertical cliff face, the trees cover themselves over the steep sides of the mountains to form a blanket of green over a stunning topography. 


At the end of the mountain track we joined the West Ho Chi Minh Road and headed towards the Paradise Cave turning. The car park was surrounded by makeshift plastic sheeted cafes/souvenir shops and with the heat of the midday sun and the humidity making us weary we found a quiet hammock in one of these shacks, bought some drinks and settled in for a nap. 


Once refreshed we bought our tickets and began the trek to the cave entrance, which started along a steady paved path through the jungle then began zigzagging up the side of a large cliff. After working up a major sweat in the damp air we eventually arrived at a small shack and an inconspicuous hole in the ground below a sign that read “Cave Entrance”. Seeking the cooler air we mounted the large wooden staircase and headed underground.


We’d read that the cave was large but we were not prepared for the vast cavernous space, over a 100m from floor to ceiling, that we descended into. It was simply huge.  As the staircase wound down the massive pile of boulders below the small entrance hole, we were filled with awe at the size of this place and the large water formed features. Far below us we could see a couple of wooden viewing platforms connected to the stairs by a boardwalk and slowly made our way there, past dozens of noisy Asians shouting at each other, even though they were only a couple of metres apart (why do they do that?), and taking selfies from every possible vantage point. The further down and in we went, the more impressive the formations became. Stalactites, columns (organ pipes), drapers (like folded cloth), flowstone and stalagmites - all on an incredible vast scale. Like nothing we’ve ever seen before.


As we mused about how impressive this place was we noticed the boardwalk went further on and we rounded the corner in another huge tunnel, 10’s of metres high, packed with even more impressive formations. Moving deeper and deeper into, what seemed like, a never ending wonderland the crowds disappeared to be replaced by silence, which gave the place a whole new dimension. As we went even further we wondered if it would ever end but we finally came to the last viewing platform over 1km from the entrance - although the whole system is more than 31km long. By now we had run out of superlatives to describe our feelings so walked in awe, pointing out different features to each other - this really is one of the most amazing places we’ve ever been to.


Noting how empty the cave had become we checked the time and decided we best make our way out as we had over 2km back to the scooter and needed to drive over 35km to the hotel before darkness fell. Retracing our steps to the entrance, in the peace of the now empty cavern, we resurfaced to the sound of thunder and the patter of light rain - just what we needed. Not wanting to get caught in a deluge we marched back to the where the scooter was parked with the flash of lightning and the crash of thunder going on around us. By now the clouds had thickened around the mountains and it was clear we were going to get wet. As we set off down the highway the thunder rumbled ever more loudly and when we reached the small mountain track the rain began to fall more steadily. Pulling over beneath an overhanging tree we donned the skinny tops we’d brought with us to wear in the caves and continued as the rain began to fall more and more heavily. Great. Caught on a remote mountain road in a tropical downpour on a scooter with the light fading we made our way steadily down going as fast we dare on the slippery surface.


As we dropped lower the rain eased but we were already soaked and the fresh breeze started to make us cold. Focussed on getting back, we were now oblivious to our surroundings and weaved between the cows, water buffalo, dogs and people wandering down the road without a second glance. At the village of Phong Nha the weather brightened and the road became drier so we sped up in a last push for home but as we re-joined the main highway and neared our hotel another crash of thunder sounded and hailstones began to sting our faces.


With our heads down we almost missed the entrance and we braking hard we turned into the safety of the car park and the sanctuary of an overhanging roof. Smiling widely at each other we laughed about our adventures then splashed our way to our lakeside bungalow for the soothing touch of a hot shower.


We had a tasty and well earned dinner on the terrace of the hotel watching the lightning flashes illuminate the surrounding hills and enjoying a rather large gin and tonic (£1!) and bottle of Hanoi beer - a new one in our ever growing samples of world beers. On the walk back to our room we met the Australian owner, who's been here 17 years, and chatted about life in Vietnam. He told us of a young ruling member of the communist party who’d worked wonders for the thriving city of Danang and was tipped for the top job. He told us one of his rivals poisoned him and alas is no more! You won’t find details on that on the internet.


Jungle view
Jungle clad mountains
The inconspicuous entrance to Paradise Cave 
This photo really doesn't give the scale of this massive void
The people onthe walkway give some scale
A huge flowstone formation (note the staircase on the right)

And it just goes on


1 comment:

  1. The scooter, Paradise Cave and thunderstorm adventure was amazing cannot wait to see the photos. Glad you got the scooter straight before you headed out that could have been bad with all that rain and hailstones. Glad you got past all the tourist also in the cave. Sarah and I are watching MU & EVE halftime. Won't tell you the score but we need a win to get within 1pt of MC and 4th place. Keep the post coming I love reading them and one if you missed your calling as a travel writer. ��. Love to you both Devski.

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