Day 20 - .........Knock on the compartment door at 03:30 and it was time for the woman to get off the train so it was just the two of us again all the way to Nimh Binh. Awoke at about 7am to have a bit of breakkie, after finally figuring out how to operate the boiling water so noodles it was. Average at best but did a job!!

We got to Ninh Binh at just after 8am so we were given a knock just before to make sure we were ready to get off. Off the train we were instantly surrounded by people trying to give us cards for hotels or sell us tours to places. We decides to get out of there and strolled towards the town centre. One bloke was very persistent so we had to stop and tell him to go away, not before he'd given us some useful leaflets for Cuc Phuong trying to sell us a tour not realising we were going there anyway!

We flagged down a taxi to take us to Cuc Phuong and the trip was about 40 minutes through the rice fields and limestone outcrops. The taxi dropped us at the headquarters for us to check in. Before we'd had a chance to really put our bags down, a woman pounced on us and started telling what we can, no forget that, telling what to do like a teacher. She even had a stick to point at things on a notice board. This didn't go down well with one of us, so we had to stop her in her tracks, "excuse me, we are here to relax a little and do things at our own pace thank you".

We agreed to do the primate rescue centre as it was based at the headquarters before going on to the Bong Substation where we were staying 20km into the park. We were instructed to have one night at the substation and one night at Mac Lake which is only about 2 km's into the park. We handed over some money for this, then the bombshell, for internal transport, she tried to charge us $50. "Er, no I don't think so". This quickly changed to 800,000vnd ($38). Although still expensive for a 40km taxi ride we had no choice but to pay.

So off to the primate centre where we viewed, with a guide, some primates that had been rescued from the wild due to over hunting. Was a really cool place but it felt like we were being rushed around for some reason. We then saw the turtle rescue centre aswell for another flying tour.

Slightly annoyed at this point (one of us anyway) we got in a taxi and drove about 7km's into the park where in the limestone cliff is the cave of prehistoric man which apparently is over 7000 years old. We trekked up the hill and had a look inside the cave, going deeper and deeper with the help of a guide we had tacked onto as he was showing a nice Aussie couple around. Good thing we had our head torches!

Back at the taxi it was into the Bong Substation, 20km's into the park and basically as far as you can go before it is pure forest. We were dropped at a deserted house until about 10 minutes later a man came out with a key for the bungalow we were staying in. He showed us to the room. Now, how do I describe it?! Floor, 4 walls, tin roof, 2 beds, shower (ish), toilet, done!! This was basic living at it's finest but nowhere near the night we had at Ta Ong village.

About 1km down the road was a noodle bar where a bit more accommodation was so we headed here for lunch. A couple of nice noodle dishes and a drink was just what the doctor ordered. Very expensive for what it was but we have no choice, even with a bit of haggling!! We tried to ask what time dinner and then breakfast was but with limited success.

We headed back to the bungalow only to then decide we fancied a walk. We headed back past the noodle bar, towards one of the sites of the park, 'the big tree', the name says it all. We got about 2 or 3km's thinking we should have got there by now and turned back with no big tree in sight. We stopped by the noodle bar on route back to again ask about dinner. 18:30 we think! Sat and chilled out on the veranda for a bit only to be disturbed by a squirrel throwing things on our tin roof.

The electricity only works from 17:30 til 20:00 up here so a quick wash we decide to head for dinner at about 17:45 incase it finished at 18:30, who knows! It got a bit chilly in the evening so Alice got the jumper out for the first time this trip (not bad going really!). A couple of rice dishes this time with a couple of Hanoi beers. Not bad but not high up the list of local brews far. Plus there was an overly friendly cat hanging around with it's buddy, the dog in tow! The cat took a distinct liking to Alice's chair!

Head torches on we march back to the bungalow under a magnificent canopy and surrounded by some wonderful sounds of the forest. With only us based at the substation it was going to be a long night!! We were in bed by 19:30, rock and roll. Only one thing for it, a few episodes of Family Guy on the iPod! A trek in the morning tomorrow then down to Mac Lake. Hope the accommodation is slightly more modern!