We have now been in Hue for a little over two weeks, and the time keeps slipping through my fingers faster and faster. The past few days have been very exciting and eye-opening. On Sunday we had a free day so the group decided to split in half and do separate tours. One group went on a dragon boat tour of the Perfume River, visiting temples and pagodas along the way. Another group, which included myself, decided to travel 50 kilometers to Bach Ma National Park and enjoy a nice hike and swim through some waterfalls. We soon realized that nothing is this simple in Vietnam.
It started off innocently enough. We hopped on a bus Sunday morning with other tourists and got on our way. About an hour down the road the bus stopped and told the five of us to get off. We were a little confused at first and tried to ask the bus driver what was going on, where is Bach Ma? Why isn't anyone else getting off the bus? The driver just kept pointing off the bus saying 'Bach Ma, Bach Ma'. So we got off, the bus's doors closed, and away it went, leaving us in the middle of nowhere. There happened to be some Vietnamese motorbike drivers nearby who offered to take us to Bach Ma, whether this was planned or not we are still unsure. So we hopped on the bikes and sped off towards Bach Ma.
Ten minutes down the road we arrived at the entrance to the park and told the motorbike drivers to be back at 3 so we could catch the bus. We bought our tickets and asked the clerk if it was possible to hike to the first waterfall. He told us it was no problem, only a little ways up. We started hiking up the mountain and soon realized that this was not the pleasant hike through the jungle that we were anticipating. It was hot, and when I say hot I mean it was like doing stairmaster in a sauna. Just as we were thinking the worst a van pulled up and offered us a ride to the summit. We bargained a price and then hopped in the van. The ride up to the top was amazing. The road curved up the side of the mountain through the jungle, on one side was a vertical drop-off with a beautiful view of the countryside. As we got further up the temperature started to drop, by the time we reached the top it was almost bearable to be outside.
The driver dropped us at the head of a trail and we hiked through green bamboo forests and thick jungle to arrive at a breath-taking view from the top of a 300 meter waterfall. We were the only ones there so we sat and relaxed for almost an hour. We headed back towards the road thinking that getting a ride back down the 8 mile road wouldn't be a problem. After sitting for 30 minutes with no cars in sight we decided to start walking down. After a few kilometers we were getting a little desperate for a ride, and the giant spiders we saw didn't help much. Finally a car stopped, but there was not enough room for us, so they said they would send someone back up. After hiking for another hour we realized no one was coming and flagged down another van. The Vietnamese tourists happily let us squish into their van and we finally headed down. When we got to the bottom we saw the driver of the car sitting and relaxing on the side of the road...so much for sending someone back up.
After waiting until 3:20 for our motorbikes to come back we decided they weren't coming and managed to get some locals to drive us to the main road to wait for the bus. We arrived right on time for the bus, but once again we were left to wait. Buses and buses passed us by, none of which appeared to be our bus. Finally, after waiting over an hour, our bus pulled up and saved the day. We would not be left in a village in the middle of Vietnam with no food and water after all.
I learned some valuable lessons that day, and despite the mishaps we had I think it was one of my favorite experiences so far. It was an adventure I'm sure I will never forget. And to all the worried parents out there, don't worry! It's not as dangerous as it sounds! I'm sure the giant spiders were really very friendly!
I'm off now to prepare for a farewell party tonight with our Vietnamese translators and friends. Tomorrow we leave for Quang Tri province where we will be working with CPI. Thanks for reading!
~Kathleen Boylan
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