You know how sometimes you witness something you know is "beautiful" while surrounded by over-enthusiastic people and aren't all that impressed? This is usually accompanied by a feeling of inadequacy and/or disappointment. Well, quite honestly, this is how I've always felt about caves. Until now. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not that I haven't found caves impressive or beautiful before, it's just that I've always felt somehow cheated or disappointed by them. I mean sure, we are all standing in some large hole in the ground where thousands of years of dripping water mixed with minerals has created all these awesome looking shapes... On an intellectual level I always felt that I should be impressed by it all but in reality I always felt somewhat damp and scared of bats and well, underwhelmed.
Therefore, it isn't surprising that based on my past experience with caves I didn't have too high hopes for my recent trip to Phuong Nha Caves National Park. I was looking forward to being out of the city and surrounded by mountains. I was also happy to read that one of the caves was only accessible by boat, and I've always enjoyed a boat ride in the Asian countryside. And a third perk was a lovely eco-trail on the way to the other cave where we would be able to stop for a quick swim. However, I have to say that all of this dimmed in the sight of Phuong Nga and Paradise caves. What a sight!
On the first day, A. and I visited Phuong Nga, the most famous cave. This was the one we accessed by boat. The sheer scope of this cave dwarfed any other that I had previously visited. A. was able to get some great pictures with her camera phone: (our digital cameras weren't up to stuff!)
After this visit, we agreed that just visiting this one cave had made the whole trip worth while. But it was really just the teaser.
Our second day was quite the adventure! We rented a manual motorbike which I was quite confident I could drive. I wasn't expecting the freak thunderstorm and shower that accompanied it. I also didn't consider that going up and down hills alone on a motorbike is completely different than when doing so which a second person on the back! Slow was the key and nobody got hurt. That is, until we arrived at the hotel and when getting off the bike I brushed up against a neighboring bike and got a little burn on a calf!
Anyways, we spent the morning driving to Paradise Cave. Stopping at the eco-trail along the way for a much needed swim -- before the storm hit it was at least 40 degrees out and sun was incredibly intense. Then, as we made our way on foot to the 500-step climb up to the cave the downpour started. On the plus side, it meant we were about to climb the steps without passing out from heat exhaustion. On the negative side, entering the cave wet made for a very cold visit... but to be honest, I barely noticed my body I was so astounded by my visual field.Thanks to the railings on our pathway, I was able to get some pretty great pictures:
Paradise Cave is the longest dry cave in the world. Only the first out out thirty one kilometers is accessible to the public, but even that one kilometer is incredible.
The mouth of the cave is tiny. You then go down a lot (probably the 500 you just climbed up) of stairs just to reach the bottom of the cave. I thought this was it, and had I been right, I still would have written this exact post, but there was more and more and more. I can't even describe the sheer scope of this cave, it just was. (Side note for my fellow Shambhalians: I now know what to imagine for my second step of Maitri practice.) Here is the view from the bottom of the stairs:
I want to end by sharing our final experience of the cave. On the way back to the mouth of the cave, at around the half way point, A. and I realized that we were the only people we could hear. Before that we had been surrounded by tour groups, and then somehow we were completely alone. My ears hurt from the complete and somehow very deep silence. We were transported into this completely foreign world and we were alone. That first sound of deep, deep, intense silence will remain with me.
Therefore, it isn't surprising that based on my past experience with caves I didn't have too high hopes for my recent trip to Phuong Nha Caves National Park. I was looking forward to being out of the city and surrounded by mountains. I was also happy to read that one of the caves was only accessible by boat, and I've always enjoyed a boat ride in the Asian countryside. And a third perk was a lovely eco-trail on the way to the other cave where we would be able to stop for a quick swim. However, I have to say that all of this dimmed in the sight of Phuong Nga and Paradise caves. What a sight!
On the first day, A. and I visited Phuong Nga, the most famous cave. This was the one we accessed by boat. The sheer scope of this cave dwarfed any other that I had previously visited. A. was able to get some great pictures with her camera phone: (our digital cameras weren't up to stuff!)
After this visit, we agreed that just visiting this one cave had made the whole trip worth while. But it was really just the teaser.
Anyways, we spent the morning driving to Paradise Cave. Stopping at the eco-trail along the way for a much needed swim -- before the storm hit it was at least 40 degrees out and sun was incredibly intense. Then, as we made our way on foot to the 500-step climb up to the cave the downpour started. On the plus side, it meant we were about to climb the steps without passing out from heat exhaustion. On the negative side, entering the cave wet made for a very cold visit... but to be honest, I barely noticed my body I was so astounded by my visual field.Thanks to the railings on our pathway, I was able to get some pretty great pictures:
The mouth of the cave is tiny. You then go down a lot (probably the 500 you just climbed up) of stairs just to reach the bottom of the cave. I thought this was it, and had I been right, I still would have written this exact post, but there was more and more and more. I can't even describe the sheer scope of this cave, it just was. (Side note for my fellow Shambhalians: I now know what to imagine for my second step of Maitri practice.) Here is the view from the bottom of the stairs:
I want to end by sharing our final experience of the cave. On the way back to the mouth of the cave, at around the half way point, A. and I realized that we were the only people we could hear. Before that we had been surrounded by tour groups, and then somehow we were completely alone. My ears hurt from the complete and somehow very deep silence. We were transported into this completely foreign world and we were alone. That first sound of deep, deep, intense silence will remain with me.
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