Day 3
I’m the first in the camp to rise again. How fortunate. I sit alone by the steam, listening to the echo of the birds all around me, the light just hitting the jungle - mist rising over the treetops. A bat fly’s from the camp tent were we eat - just a roof of canvas, but a haven in the wild. My view is of a cave entrance looming above and the gentle flow of water from a second cave just a 100 meters up stream. Absolute peace. Harmony. Jungle clinging to the steep limestone mountains. Good morning Vietnam once again. Can I be any more blessed? Xin Chao.
As I swim in the dark caves, my headlamp leads the way. In some areas the flying insects are attracted to the light, and a bat will swoop with 1-2 meters in front - so cool.
This guided camping and caving tour is better than I could have imagined. Open to the public only 4-5 years, this is a gift to the world.
Breakfast in an hour, then climbing into wet clothes for another swim to today’s first cave. I’m told they’ll be more steep mountainside climbing again, might be time for some Advil.
We’re off again. Straight up. It takes everything to pull my old tired body up the jungle mountain. Thankful it’s a short climb, just over 30 minutes. Hung Ton cave. Discovered only 2 years ago on this mountain top. It’s magical as they all are. But this one requires numerous numerous tight squeeze passages and steep slippery ladders. A dry cave, this ancient gem includes countless cave pearls and fields of cave coral. Helictites join my geology nomenclature. Straw, curtain, flowstones. Learning how calcite deposits create the many variations of cave ‘sculpture’. I’m a caver. The tight passages would be impossible for anyone with just a few extra pounds...I slip thru the passages, but just barely. This cave is a one way adventure. As the cave narrows beyond safe passage, we reverse course and climb down the slippery slope. We are guided to our next and final cave of the tour.
This final cave is entirely a swimming event. Hung Chuot cave. A few shallow areas are found, but scrambling over rocks rushing with water, Swift narrows and open ponds require all your focus. This experience is less about learning geology and calcite deposits, but more of a theme park ride in the jungle cave. We’re against the water flow, a few sections are strong, but with help - I finish.
Just a 3-4km km hike back to the tour company office at Tau Hou in the La Ken Valley; a shower and a bowl of Vietnamese soup. I made it. 6 caves, 18km of mountain jungle. My legs shake, my arms ache, every inch of me reminds me of my age; but my life has expanded by magnitudes.
This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I hope one day River and Rain come here. It teaches humility, love of nature, the unfathomable age of the planet and so much more.
Cheers Vietnam
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