Day 18 & 19: Dong Hoi-in'

Our eventfully funstrating (see what I did?) trip to Laos had come to an end, and Dan and I sat in the massively boring town of Vinh (the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh, communist Vietnam's venerated liberator/demi-god) trying to decide what to do next. Dan's decision was reluctantly made but relatively straightforward: the passport fiasco had taken quite a toll on his bank account, and he simply did not have the funds to continue traveling, so a flight home to Saigon was the most efficient, cost-effective option. He had been hoping to see the towns of Hue & Hoi An, but it wasn't on the cards this time around.

My options were more varied, but after investigating train and bus options, I came to the obvious conclusion that I should just start driving south, and see what happens. So after bidding a tearful goodbye to Dan, I set off down the Highway 1, a lonesome drifter with no concrete plans to speak of. Man i'm cool.

just a man and his bike

I decided that I'd stay in the town of Dong Hoi, some 200 Km south of Vinh, and finally set off just after lunchtime. (didn't I say in a previous post i'd never leave at the hottest time of day again?.. woops) The drive proved more pleasant than expected. I got to see some fabulous scenery, and the first glimpse of the ocean I'd had in several months.

Ocean to the right, mountains to the east. Would you have taken the tunnel? Yeah.. me neither

In addition, while taking a short break to rehydrate, I witnessed a sword fight. No, not an elegant, choreographed duel like you see in the movies, but literally two guys chasing each other at full sprint, angrily brandishing 2.5 foot long sabers, which they were not shy about swinging at one another whenever they got close enough. Just when I thought I was about to watch someone lose an appendage, the brawl got broken up by several other guys carrying identical blades of their own. The main assailant was apprehended, and I got the hell out of there before they brought out the battle axes and maces...

read on to see if I stumble across any other dangerously violent activity. Plus: pictures of caves!

 

Dong Hoi's main attraction is actually located about an hour out of town, but it is the reason most tourists find themselves in the otherwise pleasant but uneventful coastal town. Phong Nha cave is one of the most impressive caverns in Southeast Asia, and it seemed a waste to pass through without checking it out. So I quickly decided I would drive out to the caves the following day, staying a total of 2 nights in Dong Hoi before moving on.

Welcome to one entrance to the biggest Karst (jaggedy limestone mountains) mountain range in the world, spanning across Vietnam and Laos and 2 different enormous national parks

The people running the hotel I stayed in were very sweet, and were quick to offer to set up a tour of the best caves, Phong Nha and Paradise Cave. But the price of 800K VND ($40) seemed outrageous, and quite frankly out of my budget. I opted to drive out myself and try to see the sights on the cheap. I was able to share a boat with an Australian couple who were traveling with a guide who had grown up in Dong Hoi (free local guide? Yeah, sure, i'll take that). The boat ride through the cave was amazing, and my pictures will not do it justice. Lighting was an issue, as you might imagine in a cave. Here's a couple anyway:
 

Do notice the amount of neck craning necessary to take this all in

They say it takes 100 years for a stalactite to grow 1 centimeter...

After enjoying Phong Nha, I went in search for Paradise Cave, a newly discovered dry cavern which is apparently more than big enough to drive a car through, and even more spectacular than the cavern i'd just seen. While the drive was beautiful, I wasn't able to find the cave, and with a storm visibly approaching, I thought it best to just make my way back to town. I headed to the beach when I returned, and the watched the sun set (symbolically) on my time in Dong Hoi.

Next stop: somewhere else, tbd.