VietNamNet - The quiet caves

The caverns of Tam Coc (three caves) and Bich Dong (emerald grotto) in northern Vietnam have been known for centuries as the inland Ha Long Bay.

It took millions of years for nature to hollow out the country’s second most beautiful caves by the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh Province. Huong Tich Cave in the former Ha Tay Province, now a part of Hanoi, is still considered the most beautiful.

The only way to visit the caves in Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District is by taking a three-hour cruise in a sampan rowed by one or two local women who also sell embroidery.

All is one

“It’s so peaceful and quiet, you can hear the sound of butterflies beating their wings,” says boatwoman Chu Van as the first morning sunbeams illuminate the placid countryside where creeks tumble down between huge rock formations.

The boat journey begins at the village of Van Lam and proceeds through a scenic landscape dominated by rice paddies and karst towers.

Edwen Bell from Britain is spellbound by the chain of sheer limestone peaks rising out of the verdant paddy fields and sees no boundary between land and water.The two seem to merge into one.

The first underground excursion is through Ca Cave, the largest and longest of the caverns. It was created when the sea occupied the area, long ago, and is 127 meters long with a ceiling about two meters above the water.

In the morning light, the cliff above the cave entrance is vividly reflected in the water as it sparkles in the sunshine.

The longer we travel in the row boat, the more beautiful, fanciful and poetic the scenery becomes.

“The air is so fresh. It’s a far cry from the bustling, dusty streets of the city,” says Nguyen Thu Oanh from Hanoi.

Charmed by the interspersed peaks and water, she finds the name “Inland Ha Long Bay” very apt.

We duck as the boat scrapes under a low bridge and feel ourselves lost in a paradise of never-ending lotus ponds and their distinctive aroma.

Farther along the meandering river we come to the shady entrance of Hai Cave, which is 60 meters long and 18 meters wide.

The roof of the cavern is studded with magnificent stalactites that reach nearly to the water and makes us feel like we are floating in a cloud of dripping limestone.

After Hai Cave, we travel along the river through scenery even more imposing than before.

The entrance of Ba Cave looms ahead like a fracture in the mountain. It is the smallest of the three caves and is the coolest thanks to the pleasant breeze.

We duck inside for a spell, say goodbye to Ba Cave, and go along the river a bit more to relax, enjoy the scenery, and smell the perfume from the lotus ponds.

Soon after leaving the spectacular vista of Tam Coc, we alight from the boat and climb a pretty mountainside to visit the tiered temples of Bich Dong Pagoda. The view from the top temple is spectacular.

The French actress Catherine Deneuve left her footprints here when they filmed the final scenes of the film Indochine in 1991. It sparked a rush of French-speaking tourists to Tam Coc-Bich Dong.

From the pagoda, we have the option of traveling farther along the Ngo Dong River before returning to the village, or visiting a brook called the Fairy Stream.

Our journey back is broken with a visit to the centuries-old temple of Thai Vi, which is only a short walk from the river through lush fields of green.

VietNamNet/TN

SGGP English Edition- Foreigners cycle Vietnam in 22 days

Foreigners cycle Vietnam in 22 days

Tourists are on a cycle tour through Vietnam (Photo: SGGP)
Twenty-eight European tourists on April 10 arrived on schedule at the central hill city of Da Lat in their journey through Vietnam.Twenty-seven French and one Dutch, aged 32 to 74, have been cycling through the country. They departed Hanoi on March 24 to begin their 22 day long tour. They are expected to end in Ho Chi Minh City on April 16. The cycle tourists have an excellent chance to view the scenery and understand the country’s culture and people.
The tour company Nam Long, based in Hanoi, launched the tour. As expected, the visitors will arrive at Phan Thiet on April 11.
By C. Hoan - Translated by Uyen Phuong

Vietnam's First Roadside Station Opens In Hoa Binh

HOA BINH, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Weary travellers on national Highway No. 6 can now take a well-earned break from their journey, following the official opening of a new roadside station in Tan Lac district, in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh, on Feb 11, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.Although roadside stations are ubiquitous in Japan, for instance, this is the first of its kind on Vietnam's highways. It not only offers motorists a place to rest and take a break, it also provides public information and promotes local trade.Roadside stations also possess the potential to act as efficient outlets for promoting the regional images of provinces across the nation.The station also houses multi-purpose rooms for civil organisations, such as the Women's Union and the Farmers' Association, as well as non-governmental organisations to hold meetings, workshops and training courses.Covering an area of approximately 5,000 sq.m, the roadside station is one of three such pilot projects in the provinces of Hoa Binh, Ninh Binh and Bac Giang, jointly carried out by the Vietnam Road Administration and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), using with funding supplied by JICA.The two other roadside stations in Ninh Binh and Bac Giang provinces are expected to become operational soon. Each station costs a total of US$330,000.The Vietnam Road Administration expects that by 2015, there will be about 80 standardised roadside stations across the country. This is good news for motorists as they will have benefit directly from the range of public services offered by such establishments.-- BERNAMA

Cycling over the Hai Van mountain pass

Khai Don saddles a two-wheeled horse and braves the steep winding roads of a paved mountain pass, discovering peace, quiet and history along the way.

The 21km that stretch over the Hai Van mountain pass may sound like a challenging journey, but after having done it myself I can tell you – it’s one worth taking.

I decided to attack the pass by bicycle, as the paved road makes it an attractive option. While the road allows a smooth ride, I can assure you
The entrance to Hai Van Quan looks like that of an old citadel with its stone structures.

that at this angle up the mountain, it certainly is anything but easy.

What’s most impressive about this journey is the sense of isolation you feel as you move further along. There is a strange delight about the desolate conditions, a seemingly unbroken asphalt road that cuts through a mass of forest. Below you, the green trees contrast with the breaking waves in the blue sea. I took a break along the side of the road to rest my legs, and felt for that moment, in the isolation of the area,
Cyclists conquer Hai Van mountain pass.

like I was the only creature on the planet.

And herein lies the beauty of Hai Van. While many rave about the charm of the Bao Loc mountain pass, the road is crowded with people and villages nestled along the way. But just as civilisation characterises the allure of Bao Loc, Hai Van’s beauty is closely connected to nature and its lack of population.

In my itinerary to Hai Van, I did find traces of abandoned camps, evidence that my solitary journey had been taken before. There were traces of tents used as make-shift car washes and water points.

There were also forgotten natural water taps which were left on, with their water flowing down the side of the mountain.

I stumbled across one of these forgotten taps. Fresh water spurted out into a line flowing down the mountain, and a smile came across my face as I sipped the ice-cold drink. In was an incredible thing to find such cool liquid running freely in the hot weather.

As I reached the peak, my green surroundings started to clear, and I could hear the bustle of human activity starting to grow out of silence. At the mountain’s foot I could see a leper’s hospital.

I was reaching the end of the road, which just barely clings to the mountainside, seemingly ready to drop deep into the abyss. Hai Van is well know for its dangerous roads, and accident warning boards carefully appear regularly along the side. As I made my way along the middle of the mountain pass, a whistle of a big lorry carrying oil tore through the quiet space as it climbed heavily up the mountain.

From the amazing desolate conditions of the base, I felt the buzz of activity grow upon me. It’s a surprising sight to see the animation and modernity at the peak as foreign visitors buzzed about buying souvenirs.

Those who don’t make it to the peak would have a hard time believing there was such a busy trading and modern scene, as foreign women made their way up the rough staircase at the Hai Van Quan ancient vestige to take photos.

The entrance to Hai Van Quan looks like the entrance to an old citadel with its stone structures. Time, war, and neglect has taken its toll on Hai Van Quan, as it sits today in near ruins.

Lining the peak of the mountain is the immense abyss dotted with the light and dark green colours of the trees. The scene is capped off with fanciful clouds flying across the sky.

The area is a perfect place to have a cup of coffee and contemplate the scene, looking over Hai Van as if from the heavens as the trees blow with the wind.

My impression of the virginal landscape was suddenly cut short, as I caught a glimpse of a cot belonging to one of Hai Van Quan’s watchmen. I tried to block it out and imagine a woeful and majestic time that used to be, but that page in history has been turned. Luckily the sky and sea here haven’t changed, and I rejoiced and prayed that this is one landscape that will hopefully remain intact.

My joy, however, disappeared, as my legs started to tremble from those 10km on the road. I wasn’t looking forward to the trip back.

(Source: VNS)