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So we made it to our third city: Dong Hoi. At the station we were picked up by a very tan man who worked with the farmstay. And for those who don't know what a farmstay is (Mythy), it's just a version of a hotel in the middle of a big farm field where people (aka children about 10 years old) farm and bring the cows in etc. The place was booked when we wanted to stay and we ended up having to stay in the cheapest, air condition less, eleven bedroom dorm. We shared an outdoor bathroom with everyone else (except many others in the special rooms had their own bathroom). We got there around 11 even with a late train, but weren't allowed in our rooms until they were done cleaning so we had lunch, and a big one. We had canh (veggie soup), ca kho (salty fish in yummy sauce), a pork and shrimp dish, and mi xao (soft fried egg noodle). The lounge/bar/lobby was an outdoor room between the pool and open deck that over looks the farm. Everywhere you go you see brown cows eating grass. They're not exactly roaming the fields because they are tied to a strange stick and string contraption that you can find in our pictures. It was weird because we thought they were supposed to be really strong so how could they not break free from that weak set-up? We found out from a driver that the cows and oxen had their noses pierced and it hurts them when the string pulls on it, so they don't tug too far.
Our second activity on the first day there was a bike ride. We rented bikes for 20,000 vnd an hour (1$). As per Dylan's request, we went further into the rice fields. The road was so bumpy and there were mud ditches and rocks in every which direction. Dylan and I would take places in the lead at times and sometimes my mom would too! It was one of the best times for to all of us and it would be impossible to explain the amount of fun we had. We ran across a herd of cows being led by two young boys. They were very skinny and tan. My mom asked if we could pet the cows and the smaller boy said we could pet them if we pay. So we paid them 5000 vnd each, pet the cows a little, and took some pictures. When Dylan handed the smaller boy his bill, the hardworking kid thanked him in perfect English. After that we biked around town a little more after going back to our rooms to get Dylan's bag of chocolate to hand out to kids. Everywhere we biked children would come to the side of the road yelling, "hello!" and after we gave the first set of children candy they came like vultures. Post bike ride we all took a dip in the pool, which was probably empty because it was freezing cold. After moms photoshoot under the waterfall we all showered and just relaxed for the night.
The next morning we woke up early for breakfast (well really for a free bike ride, but we were late), so we ate breakfast and gathered everyone for the Paradise Cave trek. There were nine of us total: a couple from Afghanistan, a guy from Connecticut, a girl from Hanoi, another couple from (I think) America, and us. Each of us were given a 1.5 liter bottle of water. It was quite a ride to the cave and I would have fallen asleep if it wasn't for the incredibly bumpy ride we had. The Connecticut guy was talking to everyone so we learned pretty much everything about them through his conversation. When we arrived at the park, we met with our cave guide who collected our waters and gave us smaller bottles of water if we needed them instead of carrying the huge bottle. They also supplied us with army green converse-like shoes to change into if we wanted. Dylan and I did, but they didn't have a size small enough for my mom so she had to stay in her tennis shoes. The guide was a young 20 something guy who really needed some meat on his bones. He quickly introduced himself in English and it was pretty good for someone who's never taken a class to learn English. We also got headlamps for the parts of the cave that were not lit- which was majority of the cave-and we were driven in a golf cart to the bottom of the cave where we would walk up a little under 600 steps before reaching the entrance of the cave where we would walk down God knows how many steps again only to be stuck in a sweaty mob behind the Vietnamese tour group whose guide was using an incredibly obnoxious loudspeaker. Eventually, we got to a point that had a chain rope to stop public from continuing on. While every one around us stopped, our tour guide held the chains so we all could step over and continue into the cave. Ahead, we could see lights and parts of the cave that were lit up and we were all very excited to finally be in a real part of the cave andnot just a wooden walkway.
Little did we know, the real parts of the cave didn't start until way later. Every one was so happy to be walking on the floor of the cave, but that all changed when we came to a turn in the cave where suddenly we needed our headlamps. The lights disappeared and without our lamps, we were standing in complete darkness. One good thing about the cave is that it was a little chilly. As we "trekked" through the cave we saw hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites along with something new that grows from the side of the cave (I can't remember the name our guide told us). These formations come out of the wall in a wavy sheet-like shape and if you flick it, it makes a musical sound. We saw so many pretty formations and some that looked like ice as well as some that sparkled (like the galaxy our guide explained). The walk was 7k in and 7k out. Some parts of the cave got so difficult the guide and two helpers (who carried backpacks full of water and lunch) would lift us up because we didn't know where to put our feet. After crawling through all the crooks and crannies of the cave we made it to the very far end of the cave where there was a beam of bright light shining from above and the sound of running water. As we got closer and closer we could see the amazing waterfall and sunlight shining from a hole in the top of the cave. We stopped there and had lunch for a while and were back on our way out of the cave. It was a long monotonous walk and when we finally made it to the end we were sweating like pigs and our shoes were soaked. We got our 1.5L waters back at the initial meeting point and were on our way back to the farmstay to get cleaned up and relax for the rest of the day.
Once we were rested we packed our things and got a good nights sleep after sending our clothes to be washed throughout the night.
The next morning (4AM), we brought our things to the front and the driver took us to the train station where we waited until 730 because our train was delayed twice. On the bright side, we were able to buy scrambled egg sandwiches which were delicious! When our train finally arrived we pushed our way on and found our seats, ready to see Danang for the first time!
- comments
mythy "After moms photoshoot under the waterfall we all showered and just relaxed for the night." gotta say, i lol'd to this sentence. probably because i've seen many of mom's "photoshoots" before haha
Susan I have been laughing out loud TV to your fascinating journey into the cave. Love all the pics and your sense of humor too. Scrappy says hi too :)
TV Thanks! miss scrappy a lot a lot and those pictures are so cute!!!