I rented a mountain bike to ride to Lang Bian mountain. It was a very old volcano and had great views from the top. I rode 13km to the base of the mountain. The road was in good shape and slightly hilly for the first bit. Then it went downhill for a while. I picked up a lot of speed and it was really fun though I knew it would hell coming back up! I reached the mountain and parked my bike.
Although they allowed locals to ride their motorbikes or drive to the top, foreigners could only walk or hire a vehicle to travel the 5km to the top. I ran into a couple I met in Cat Tien here. They were waiting for more people to split the cost of the jeep to the top. I had always planned on walking to the top and stuck to my plan. The road was pretty steep at times and the whole mountain was covered in pine trees. It reminded my a lot of Algonquin provincial park back home. My guidebook said it took 3-4 hours to reach the top. I made it in one hour! At the top there was a restaurant and some stalls selling stuff. It was wasn't busy and there was no hassle. The views were great though it was a little hazy. Lower down on one side of the mountain, the forest was burning. The smoke reached to the top and was annoying when I had to walk through it on the way down. I spent an hour on the top before walking back down.
Going up the long uphill wasn't as bad as I though going back. Once I got to more level ground, I was able to put the bike into the hardest gear. I was pedaling my heart out and going really fast. I was even passing motorcycles! Once I got closer to Dalat, the traffic got more hectic and I had to slow down.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Cat Tien Day 2
I ate breakfast at the canteen beside the campsite. I packed up my tent and hired a bicycle to ride further into the park and then hike to Crocodile lake. I would be camping out at the lake. It was a 10km ride along a terribly bumpy road to the start of the trail. I walked my bike 100m down the trail and parked it with some other bikes. The trail was fairly flat and easy walking. It felt great to be back in the forest again. There was no one else around. The sounds of the forest were shattered temporarily when a motorbike passed me on the trail carrying supplies to the lake. I knew then, the trail couldn't be that hard if a motorbike can do it. I saw mostly birds along the way but did spook a few animals that I couldn't see deeper in the bush. This area was volcanic a long time ago and there are many rocks all over the forest.
About one km before the lake the trail branches to the left to a huge mega tree. This tree is easily the biggest I've seen the whole trip. It has massive buttress roots and is about 3m in diameter, 3m above the ground! It was awesome! I took many photos and walked slowly around the monster. As I did I noticed a lizard on a tree. I wasn't sure but I thought it was a flying lizard. I took some photos and spooked it further up the tree and then it jumped! It glided gracefully to the base of another tree nearby. I was right, it was a flying lizard. Well, they don't actually fly but they glide with flaps of skin, like elongated ribs. I have seen 2 of these before in Borneo but both of these times, the guide pointed it out to me. This is the first time I spotted one on my own.
Out at the lake was a lazy scene. There were 2 shirtless rangers reading, so I took off my shirt. There were only men around and I didn't have to wear a shirt at all. The whole headquarters here is on stilts, though the water in the lake was very low. I walked down a raised walkway to the 2 nice bungalows. It was $40 to stay in one of these but they were both unoccupied so I set up my tent on the spacious veranda. I hoped no one would show up and make me move. I relaxed around camp for most of the afternoon. Later 2 young Germans arrived. We toured around the lake in a canoe at sunset. Even though the lake is called crocodile lake, I didn't see any crocodiles! Unlike most places, the crocodiles were always in the water here. They didn't come ashore to sun themselves as the do everywhere else. Was there even crocodiles here, I wondered? I saw a lot of ripples on the water, but that could have been fish making them.
After dinner I wanted to go for a night walk. The forest trail leading out to the lake I thought would be a good place to look for animals. I left at 7.30. Within 5 minutes I was seeing eyeshine in the forest. It was a small animal and I crept closer as quietly as I could to get a better look. I was able to see it and get a few photos. It was a mouse deer, one of the smallest deer in the world. Further down the trail I saw more eyeshine but very far from the trail. I tried walking deeper into the forest but it was too thick and I didn't want to scare whatever away. I think buy the way the animal reacted to me and when I heard it run away, it was a large deer. The eyes were spread very far apart, so I knew it was something big. There are supposed to be leopards and tigers here but they are rarely seen.
Just before I camp back to the lake after an hour walking, I scared a civet right behind the guards quarters. It ran up the tree and stayed there looking at me. I took some photos, it was a common palm civet. I wasn't surprised to see it near human habitation. Civets are a bit of a scavenger and it was probably attracted to the smell of cooking food. I've civets around other camps in the rainforest.
The sounds of the lake were really loud that night. Birds and other animals were calling loudly to each other. I heard something large walk right under me. I took out my camera and my light but by the time I looked it was already gone. I think it was a sambar deer.
The next morning I walked and and then cycled back to the main camp. I could have stayed longer but wanted to get moving north. I took a bus back to Dalat. I got my same room at Phoung Hanh.
About one km before the lake the trail branches to the left to a huge mega tree. This tree is easily the biggest I've seen the whole trip. It has massive buttress roots and is about 3m in diameter, 3m above the ground! It was awesome! I took many photos and walked slowly around the monster. As I did I noticed a lizard on a tree. I wasn't sure but I thought it was a flying lizard. I took some photos and spooked it further up the tree and then it jumped! It glided gracefully to the base of another tree nearby. I was right, it was a flying lizard. Well, they don't actually fly but they glide with flaps of skin, like elongated ribs. I have seen 2 of these before in Borneo but both of these times, the guide pointed it out to me. This is the first time I spotted one on my own.
Out at the lake was a lazy scene. There were 2 shirtless rangers reading, so I took off my shirt. There were only men around and I didn't have to wear a shirt at all. The whole headquarters here is on stilts, though the water in the lake was very low. I walked down a raised walkway to the 2 nice bungalows. It was $40 to stay in one of these but they were both unoccupied so I set up my tent on the spacious veranda. I hoped no one would show up and make me move. I relaxed around camp for most of the afternoon. Later 2 young Germans arrived. We toured around the lake in a canoe at sunset. Even though the lake is called crocodile lake, I didn't see any crocodiles! Unlike most places, the crocodiles were always in the water here. They didn't come ashore to sun themselves as the do everywhere else. Was there even crocodiles here, I wondered? I saw a lot of ripples on the water, but that could have been fish making them.
After dinner I wanted to go for a night walk. The forest trail leading out to the lake I thought would be a good place to look for animals. I left at 7.30. Within 5 minutes I was seeing eyeshine in the forest. It was a small animal and I crept closer as quietly as I could to get a better look. I was able to see it and get a few photos. It was a mouse deer, one of the smallest deer in the world. Further down the trail I saw more eyeshine but very far from the trail. I tried walking deeper into the forest but it was too thick and I didn't want to scare whatever away. I think buy the way the animal reacted to me and when I heard it run away, it was a large deer. The eyes were spread very far apart, so I knew it was something big. There are supposed to be leopards and tigers here but they are rarely seen.
Just before I camp back to the lake after an hour walking, I scared a civet right behind the guards quarters. It ran up the tree and stayed there looking at me. I took some photos, it was a common palm civet. I wasn't surprised to see it near human habitation. Civets are a bit of a scavenger and it was probably attracted to the smell of cooking food. I've civets around other camps in the rainforest.
The sounds of the lake were really loud that night. Birds and other animals were calling loudly to each other. I heard something large walk right under me. I took out my camera and my light but by the time I looked it was already gone. I think it was a sambar deer.
The next morning I walked and and then cycled back to the main camp. I could have stayed longer but wanted to get moving north. I took a bus back to Dalat. I got my same room at Phoung Hanh.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Cat Tien National Park
Dalat would be my base city for visiting Cat Tien National park. The park is 175km from Dalat on the road to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC/Saigon). There was nothing I wanted to see in HCMC and I figured why go there. Cat Tien would be as far south as I would go because I still had to go far north to fly home from Hanoi. I had a super nice deluxe bus to the park. The nicest bus by far that I had been on for this trip, hell, almost anywhere for that matter. It took 4 hours to reach the road to the park. From here I had to bargain hard with a moto driver to take me the remaining 25km to the park. I walked away from there ridiculous prices. They followed me and eventually went for my price, which was even a little more, I later learned than it should have been. I then had to cross a river to get to the actual park. The headquarters were right on the other side. I set up my tent in a large, flat field with unfortunately no privacy but still I was happy to be camping.
Cat Tien is an important park in Vietnam, harbouring many rare and endangered animals and forest. The park is under heavy pressure though from hunting and habitat loss. I met some other travellers here. After dinner a couple joined me for a night walk. I had thought about doing the night drive but they let you walk the same road for free, so I thought why not try that first. We saw eyeshine from at least 3 animals. My headlamp has a wide range which is good for spotting animals, even at a distance, but it's not good for zooming in on the animal to actually see what it is!
I only deteremined what one animal was. That was because it was a bird and pratically flew out in front of us. We walked for 2 hours. I had low expectations so I was pleasantly surprised that we did see at least 3 animals, even if we couldn't tell what they were.
Cat Tien is an important park in Vietnam, harbouring many rare and endangered animals and forest. The park is under heavy pressure though from hunting and habitat loss. I met some other travellers here. After dinner a couple joined me for a night walk. I had thought about doing the night drive but they let you walk the same road for free, so I thought why not try that first. We saw eyeshine from at least 3 animals. My headlamp has a wide range which is good for spotting animals, even at a distance, but it's not good for zooming in on the animal to actually see what it is!
I only deteremined what one animal was. That was because it was a bird and pratically flew out in front of us. We walked for 2 hours. I had low expectations so I was pleasantly surprised that we did see at least 3 animals, even if we couldn't tell what they were.
Dalat
Dalat is the first city I've been in that is touristy. There were many foreigners around and many travel agencies and restaurants/cafes catering to tourists. I could actually have an enlish menu! I ate a big breakfast of an omelette, baguette and coffee at Chocolate cafe for $2. I rented a mountain bike to explore the sights around the city. Dalat is spread out and is very hilly. The bike I rented was decent and had many gears which made riding up and down the hills no problem for me.
Crazy House
My first stop was Crazy House. This place was truly awesome! The 'house' was designed by an ex-president of Vietnam's daughter who was educated in Russia. It began in 1990 and is still a work in progress. The house is supposed to have elements to bring it back to nature. There are no round or square windows. Many things resembling roots or the inside of a cave are all over. There are many small walkways, ladders and cubbyholes. Wandering around and getting lost is part of the experience. Crazy House is hard to describe with words. It's like nothing I've ever seen before and I had so much fun checking it out. It is a hotel as well. There are 10 rooms priced from $25-60. I could afford a $25 a night room but the room I really wanted to stay in was $50! I decided not to stay at all in the end. I'll just stay at my $5 cheapie!
Bao Dai's Summer Palace
I rode for 1km from Crazy House to Bao Dai's summer palace. This extravagant home was built in 1930 and has furniture and decor are almost that old. It was an interesting place to wander around. Where Crazy House was busy with tourists, there was almost no one at Bao Dai's. There was one room decked out with a few thrones. I paid the 80 cents to dress up in a royal costume and have a bunch of photos taken. It was fun. The outside of the house was lushly landscaped with strict manicure gardens and had many large bonsai's, mostly fig and bouganvillia.
Flower Gardens
I rode across town beside the lake to the Flower gardens. The lake is emptied and cleaned every 2 years. Unfortunately this happened to be when I was in town. So there is this big lake, dry to the bone. The gardens were right beside the lake and virtually empty. Most of the plants were in containers, plastic and clay. It was a pleasant place to wander around. They also had a huge greenhouse selling every kind of plant. Lots of orchids and bonsai. In general I find that there are a lot of bonsai trees around Vietnam, lining the sidewalks and in front of businesses. I've never seen so many in a country before and I really like it. Some of them are so huge. It would take a forklift to move them. I've never been to China or Japan but for some reason I think this is what they would look like, with many bonsai's everywhere. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.
Train Station
From the gardens I rode for 10 minutes to the old train station. It's mostly for display. There is only one line and it only runs 8km! There is a sign saying that they must have at least 2 passengers for the train to run. I read in the guidebook that there were some old locomotives here. My dad really likes trains so I came to take a few photos for him. There was only one old locomotive, steam powered. I could step inside it and still see the coal ready to be shoveled into the engine. I had never seen an old steamer like this up close.
From the train station I rode back into town and returned the bike. Vietnam has a lot more variety of fruit than Myanmar and Laos. I've been eating heaps of dragonfruit and mangoes since I arrived. I've been having mostly a fruit lunch. I bought 2 sandwiches for dinner and fruit for dessert. My hotel is a little bit out of town up a large hill and I didn't feel like walking into the center of town for a meal.
Crazy House
My first stop was Crazy House. This place was truly awesome! The 'house' was designed by an ex-president of Vietnam's daughter who was educated in Russia. It began in 1990 and is still a work in progress. The house is supposed to have elements to bring it back to nature. There are no round or square windows. Many things resembling roots or the inside of a cave are all over. There are many small walkways, ladders and cubbyholes. Wandering around and getting lost is part of the experience. Crazy House is hard to describe with words. It's like nothing I've ever seen before and I had so much fun checking it out. It is a hotel as well. There are 10 rooms priced from $25-60. I could afford a $25 a night room but the room I really wanted to stay in was $50! I decided not to stay at all in the end. I'll just stay at my $5 cheapie!
Bao Dai's Summer Palace
I rode for 1km from Crazy House to Bao Dai's summer palace. This extravagant home was built in 1930 and has furniture and decor are almost that old. It was an interesting place to wander around. Where Crazy House was busy with tourists, there was almost no one at Bao Dai's. There was one room decked out with a few thrones. I paid the 80 cents to dress up in a royal costume and have a bunch of photos taken. It was fun. The outside of the house was lushly landscaped with strict manicure gardens and had many large bonsai's, mostly fig and bouganvillia.
Flower Gardens
I rode across town beside the lake to the Flower gardens. The lake is emptied and cleaned every 2 years. Unfortunately this happened to be when I was in town. So there is this big lake, dry to the bone. The gardens were right beside the lake and virtually empty. Most of the plants were in containers, plastic and clay. It was a pleasant place to wander around. They also had a huge greenhouse selling every kind of plant. Lots of orchids and bonsai. In general I find that there are a lot of bonsai trees around Vietnam, lining the sidewalks and in front of businesses. I've never seen so many in a country before and I really like it. Some of them are so huge. It would take a forklift to move them. I've never been to China or Japan but for some reason I think this is what they would look like, with many bonsai's everywhere. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.
Train Station
From the gardens I rode for 10 minutes to the old train station. It's mostly for display. There is only one line and it only runs 8km! There is a sign saying that they must have at least 2 passengers for the train to run. I read in the guidebook that there were some old locomotives here. My dad really likes trains so I came to take a few photos for him. There was only one old locomotive, steam powered. I could step inside it and still see the coal ready to be shoveled into the engine. I had never seen an old steamer like this up close.
From the train station I rode back into town and returned the bike. Vietnam has a lot more variety of fruit than Myanmar and Laos. I've been eating heaps of dragonfruit and mangoes since I arrived. I've been having mostly a fruit lunch. I bought 2 sandwiches for dinner and fruit for dessert. My hotel is a little bit out of town up a large hill and I didn't feel like walking into the center of town for a meal.
Buon Ma Thount to Dalat
I took another 15 seater large van from Buon Ma Thount to Dalat. The road was in pretty bad shape and really, really twisty. The driver drove like a maniac which I think was the main reason for a lot of people getting sick. The passengers looked tired and terrible after they got off the van. Dalat is at 1425m, 700m higher than Boun Ma Thount. It was after dark when we arrived after a 4 hour trip. From the transport companys office I was able to figure out where I was with my guidebook map. I wasn't too far from my chosen hotel, so I started to walk.
I walked right near where the hotel should have been but couldn't find it. It was just off the map and I knew I was close. I stopped again to check the guidebook when a woman on a scooter stopped. She asked me in very good english if she could help me. I told her the hotel I was looking for. She knew it and took me there. Another friendly Vietnamese! It was down a dark lane which is why I couldn't find it. I wanted to stay at Pink House hotel but it was full. I ended up staying at Phoung Hanh hotel which was right beside it. My room was large with 2 beds, hot shower and TV all for $5. My cheapest room in Nam so far. I was tired from the journey and felt like watching movies, which I've learned always start at 6pm,8 and 10. I ate 2 sandwiches from a stall just down the street and chilled inside. Since Dalat is higher up, the air is crisp and clean, around 15C at night.
I walked right near where the hotel should have been but couldn't find it. It was just off the map and I knew I was close. I stopped again to check the guidebook when a woman on a scooter stopped. She asked me in very good english if she could help me. I told her the hotel I was looking for. She knew it and took me there. Another friendly Vietnamese! It was down a dark lane which is why I couldn't find it. I wanted to stay at Pink House hotel but it was full. I ended up staying at Phoung Hanh hotel which was right beside it. My room was large with 2 beds, hot shower and TV all for $5. My cheapest room in Nam so far. I was tired from the journey and felt like watching movies, which I've learned always start at 6pm,8 and 10. I ate 2 sandwiches from a stall just down the street and chilled inside. Since Dalat is higher up, the air is crisp and clean, around 15C at night.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Yok Don National Park
I came to Buon Ma Thount to use it as a base to visit Yok Don National Park. Luckily for me the bus station to the park was just down the street from my hotel. It was a local bus and packed with people the whole hour ride. I was the only foreigner on board and got some looks! I got off the bus at the park entrance. I talked with a ranger about my options in the park. He basically told me the park was crap right now. He said there was no shade because the deciduous trees have lost their leaves, so it's really hot and we probably won't see any animals. I could trek deeper into the park but still probably wouldn't see anything, he said. Doing that would cost me $50 a day, not including food. This wasn't sounding good at all.
He told me to go to another place, 5km away, were I could get a guide and trek in the forest just outside the park. He wrote down the name for me. I started walking and got a ride on a moto for 2km and then continued walking. I asked along the way to make sure I was going the right way. I finally reached the large red pavilion the ranger told me about. This was the entrance to Ban Don Eco Tourist Resort, but unfortunately, the resort was another 2km down the road! It was really hot and sunny and I had already walked a lot carrying all my gear, so I sat down in some shade just past the security booth to rest before I tackled the last stretch. The security guard noticed me sitting and came over on his moto and gave me a ride to the resort.
I went to reception and asked them about trekking. No, there's no trekking, and no, they don't have a guide! What!? A large sign behind reception advertised trekking but it wasn't available at the time. This really sucked! I came all this way so I might as well get a room. I got a nice bungalow to myself. The one great thing about this place was that it was very quiet, there was nothing else around. I ate lunch and walked around a bit. This place was set up for a lot of visitors with even a childrens amusement park and elephant rides. On the weekends it gets busy.
At dinner there was a local couple under one pavilion and I decide to give them privacy and went to eat alone at another pavilion. I had just sat down and was deciphering the Vietnamese menu with my guidebook when the female half of the couple approached me. Her boyfriend wanted to invite me over to eat with them. I gladly accepted the offer. They shared all their food with me and their beer. They spoke great english and were super friendly. They didn't want me to pay for anything. They were celebrating. I drank a bit more than I wanted to but felt ok. I watched Forest Gump on TV before crashing.
The next day, Thu and Den, the Vietnamese couple, were going to take me to the bus stop and send me on my way back to Buon Ma Thount. Den (the guy) worked in the area and had some stuff to take care of so Thu and I hung out for a while in the morning while he finished his business. They then took me to the bus stop but told the driver to let me off in the centre of a town about 18km from here. We were 40km from Boun Ma Thount. I wondered why they just didn't send me into the city and say bye but I did what they wanted and got off the bus there. I waited 10 minutes for them and drank a tiny coffee. We all had an ice coffee, which is really popular here and then went for lunch. They wanted to treat me to lunch before I left. We ate rice, meat and veggies, just down the road. Not really my thing for breakfast, but hey, I wasn't complaining, they were so nice. I finally left them, they had things to do and I got on the bus.
I got my same room at Thanh binh hotel and relaxed in Buon Ma Thount.
He told me to go to another place, 5km away, were I could get a guide and trek in the forest just outside the park. He wrote down the name for me. I started walking and got a ride on a moto for 2km and then continued walking. I asked along the way to make sure I was going the right way. I finally reached the large red pavilion the ranger told me about. This was the entrance to Ban Don Eco Tourist Resort, but unfortunately, the resort was another 2km down the road! It was really hot and sunny and I had already walked a lot carrying all my gear, so I sat down in some shade just past the security booth to rest before I tackled the last stretch. The security guard noticed me sitting and came over on his moto and gave me a ride to the resort.
I went to reception and asked them about trekking. No, there's no trekking, and no, they don't have a guide! What!? A large sign behind reception advertised trekking but it wasn't available at the time. This really sucked! I came all this way so I might as well get a room. I got a nice bungalow to myself. The one great thing about this place was that it was very quiet, there was nothing else around. I ate lunch and walked around a bit. This place was set up for a lot of visitors with even a childrens amusement park and elephant rides. On the weekends it gets busy.
At dinner there was a local couple under one pavilion and I decide to give them privacy and went to eat alone at another pavilion. I had just sat down and was deciphering the Vietnamese menu with my guidebook when the female half of the couple approached me. Her boyfriend wanted to invite me over to eat with them. I gladly accepted the offer. They shared all their food with me and their beer. They spoke great english and were super friendly. They didn't want me to pay for anything. They were celebrating. I drank a bit more than I wanted to but felt ok. I watched Forest Gump on TV before crashing.
The next day, Thu and Den, the Vietnamese couple, were going to take me to the bus stop and send me on my way back to Buon Ma Thount. Den (the guy) worked in the area and had some stuff to take care of so Thu and I hung out for a while in the morning while he finished his business. They then took me to the bus stop but told the driver to let me off in the centre of a town about 18km from here. We were 40km from Boun Ma Thount. I wondered why they just didn't send me into the city and say bye but I did what they wanted and got off the bus there. I waited 10 minutes for them and drank a tiny coffee. We all had an ice coffee, which is really popular here and then went for lunch. They wanted to treat me to lunch before I left. We ate rice, meat and veggies, just down the road. Not really my thing for breakfast, but hey, I wasn't complaining, they were so nice. I finally left them, they had things to do and I got on the bus.
I got my same room at Thanh binh hotel and relaxed in Buon Ma Thount.
Pleiku to Buon Ma Thount
My first morning in Vietnam I walked the streets looking for food. I found a street stall selling sandwiches and coffee. Both were good and very cheap. Vietnamese coffee is even stronger, thicker and more chocolatey tasting than the coffe in Laos. The only problem is that they serve it in tiny glasses. I need about 5 of these to equal one decent cup of coffee in a mug. I checked out of my hotel and went to get transport to Buon Ma Thount, 4 hours south.
Now the hassles of Vietnam begin. I had to bargain to get a fair price to the bus and then bargain really hard for the bus. I was brought to a van parked on the side of the road, not the bus station like I asked for so I had to really bargain hard to get the real price. The trip was ok though the driver speed and drove like a maniac.
Boun Ma Thount is another untouristy highlands city. It's even larger than Pleiku with about 230 000 people. I got another nice hotel room at Thanh Binh. In Vietnam the same rooms in a hotel often get cheaper the higher up you go. I walked to the highest floor, only the third, but I saved a dollar just by doing that. I prefer to be up higher anyway and that it's cheaper is just a bonus. I ate a tasty and cheap dinner at a noodle stall. Internet at the post office was free. People again were really friendly here and I only saw about 3 other travellers.
Now the hassles of Vietnam begin. I had to bargain to get a fair price to the bus and then bargain really hard for the bus. I was brought to a van parked on the side of the road, not the bus station like I asked for so I had to really bargain hard to get the real price. The trip was ok though the driver speed and drove like a maniac.
Boun Ma Thount is another untouristy highlands city. It's even larger than Pleiku with about 230 000 people. I got another nice hotel room at Thanh Binh. In Vietnam the same rooms in a hotel often get cheaper the higher up you go. I walked to the highest floor, only the third, but I saved a dollar just by doing that. I prefer to be up higher anyway and that it's cheaper is just a bonus. I ate a tasty and cheap dinner at a noodle stall. Internet at the post office was free. People again were really friendly here and I only saw about 3 other travellers.
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