Country Caverns

While we were waiting for our night train to head out to the country, we went to a Bia Hoi in Hanoi where the fresh draft beer costs about 25 cents and you get to hang out with the locals on tiny plastic stools. The train itself was an interesting experience as you book individual beds in a cabin of four, so you stay with complete strangers. Our cabin mates ended up being completely fine and kept to themselves, but it is still just a new and different experience.

Arriving in the early morning and soaking in the rural sites of Dong Hoi, we were picked up by a van from the farmstay that we had booked phong-nha-cave. The farmstay was a stunning French villa with gorgeous sprays of  flowers tumbling down from the rafters and a picturesque view of rice fields and water buffalo. The staff and the tours that were organized and scheduled by the farmstay were exceptional, and the food and facilities were wonderful.

The first thing we did in the country was to get on the back of a motorbike to go to the Wild Boar Eco Farm to see the symbol animal of my Scottish Campbell clan and sway on a giant swing overlooking the valley below. When we were finished swinging, we arrived at the Duck Stop where we learned how to eat peanuts the right way, drank cold beer and rode a water buffalo named Donald Trump in the Son River. We also fed the ducks with our bare hands which is a terrifying experience for someone who has a fear of birds. Nonetheless, we had a phenomenal day and made memories to last a lifetime.

One thing we really wanted to do was to visit Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and gaze upon primordial caves which are approximately 400 million years old. First up was Paradise Cave which is 31 kilometers and is the longest dry cave in Southeast Asia. Hiking the 500 steps in the heat of the jungle was a bit difficult, but the underground realm that lay beyond was worth the effort. The monumental size of just the one kilometer of this subterranean world which is open to the public is astonishing. The second cave we visited that day was Phong Nha Cave which you enter via boat. We rented a motorboat, and while skimming across the water we passed locals in sampans gathering seaweed and quaint French cathedrals in the lush green hills. Once we reached our destination, they cut the engines and a small boy used a wooden oar to paddle us through the cave. It was such a majestic sight, reminiscent of a gilded and elegant ballroom beneath the earth.

We will miss Phong Nha and our lovely friends as well as the beauty and tranquility of the land itself.

Sail Away to Halong Bay

The following morning we were going for a cruise in Halong Bay which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The travel company that we went through was vspiritcruises. Our travel guide, Jimmy, picked us up at our Airbnb and we set off for a three hour journey to the bay along with the rest of the crew that would be sailing with us.

The legend surrounding Halong Bay is that a mother dragon, along with her children, descended from the heavens upon the land of Vietnam in order to guard them from northern invaders. The dragons dropped giant emeralds from the sky in order to create a sanctuary of protection for the people, thus, the northern aggressors retreated. The dragon and her children transformed into humans and showed the people how to cultivate and enrich their land.

Dotted with limestone karsts, the beauty of this emerald bay was a breathtaking site to behold. Once we were on the boat, it was time for lunch and a few beers while we glided across the jade waters toward Surprise Cave. Once in the cave, our guide pointed out formations which resembled other creatures or objects. We had met some lovely friends by this point, and the six of us were all slightly amused by what our guide called the 'happy finger' which was jutting out aggressively near the ceiling of the cave. It seemed to all of us be some sort of hidden innuendo, but I'll let you look at the picture and decide for yourself.

Back on the ship, Lynzie did her best Titanic impression as we sailed to a netted cove to languish in the warm waters of the South China Sea while safely away from the flourishing jellyfish in the water. After taking a dip, it was time for cocktails and snacks, dinner, games and night fishing for squid, all while laughing hysterically with our new friends from South Africa and Tasmania.

After being rocked to sleep by the gentle lull of the boat we woke refreshed and ready for morning tai chi and kayaking. Paddling through the coves while singing childhood songs and gazing upon the stunning backdrop, was quite an enjoyable and serene experience.

It was now time to head back to Hanoi and say goodbye to our sweet friends Katrina, the other Katrina, Tony and Caroline. We will miss our darling friends from other continents, but an unknown person once said, 'There is no distance too far between friends, for friendship gives wings to the heart.'

Hello, Hanoi!

Hanoi is a teeming and energetic city consisting of seven and a half million people which immediately inundates every one of your senses and sends a shock to your system that suddenly jolts you awake. Luckily, we had booked a tour with Lam Le who came and picked us up from the airport, brought us safely to our Airbnb and then took us on an immediate tour of the capital city. First up was a stop at Pho 10 for delicious rice noodle soup and Hanoi beer, but after traveling for thirty hours and being stifled by the intense humidity, we were only able to enjoy a few bites!

Next up was the Temple of Literature which the emperor had built in 1070 CE and was erected in order to house scholars. This temple was dedicated to Confucius, the wise philosopher who was born in 551 BCE. Before Confucius was born, his mother went to the mountains to pray for a son. One night while in her garden, she had a dream in which she saw an animal coming toward her. Once it got close enough, she realized it was a unicorn. She placed her scarf on the unicorn's horn to make sure it wasn't an illusion, and noticed that there was a jade tablet in the mouth of this mythical creature. Inscribed upon the tablet it stated that a son of the Great Spirit was to be born and that he would one day be a good and wise king. Our tour guide, Lam, had told us that there are four revered animals in Vietnam; the unicorn, the turtle, the dragon and the phoenix, and many of these divine creatures were ornately displayed throughout the temple which has miraculously survived years of war and destruction.

 The following item on the agenda was Hoa Lo prison which the French built in approximately 1886 to house political prisoners striving for Vietnam's independence against colonial occupation. During this time, heinous acts of torture were committed inside of these stone walls, creating an eerie mood upon seeing the degree of detail applied to generating this punishing level of existence. At the time of the Vietnam War, this same fortress was again used to detain prisoners of war from the United States. It is certainly a glaring reminder of our divided history, but as Winston Churchill said, 'If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future.' I think it's so important to remember these sad, yet poignant times in history so we aren't doomed to make the same mistakes again and rather, rebuild relationships by trying to gain an understanding of one another and the things that make us unique as well as the things that make us the same.