Paradise Cave

To Dong Hoi, Vietnam

Hi, it's Kylie today. Ever since I got on that bus last night, I hated it.  The driver started smoking, the beds were hard, small, and just large enough for me, and I had just put down my things when for some reason a bus attendant grabbed a tourist woman's bags and shoved them on my bed at my feet! (I handed her things back.)

As the bus started moving, we all tried to relax, and were grateful we had seat belt to hold us in place. Eventually, I did fall asleep because I woke up to pouring down rain (at least from a Californian's perspective).  Not long afterwards, everybody shuffled off the bus.  We wandered around until we found bathrooms and, since we weren't allowed to get our bags, we figured out we would be eating pho for breakfast. We stayed just long enough for everyone to eat.  Then we shuffled back on, and I started packing up my things.  Thirty minutes later, we got off the bus and onto a van that took us to the Paradise Cave check in office.

The office was still forty-five minutes away from the actual cave, so into another van we went.  When we got there, we were greeted by our guide, Dong.  It seemed that the rain had scared the rest of the tourists away because we were the only ones there.  After a change of clothes, we were driven one kilometer along a paved path in an electric buggy to where 500 stairs led up the hill to the cave entrance.

Dex and I on the back of the buggy.

The first kilometer of the cave was all lit up, and there were wooden walkways.  The stalactites and stalagmites were massive, which is incredible because they only grow the width of a stand of hair each year.  This means some of the formations are millions of years old.

Down into the cave

Awesome reflection

The cave started to dim and we turned on the lights of our helmets and started to explore the unlit part of the cave.  Our guide pointed out interesting things and told us fun facts like stalactites will grow faster and look more bubbly if the water dripping from the ceiling is slow.  The faster the dripping water, the smoother and more flat topped the stalactites will be.  A small stream we were following, would be completely gone the next morning if it stopped raining.  One other thing I thought was neat is that the temperature inside the cave is mostly the same. If it's hot outside, it's cool inside; if it's cold outside, it's warmer inside.  Once the guide stopped and on a particularly white stalactite, using his fingers nails, he played jingle bells.

Broken stalactite showing rings

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Baby thousand year old stalagmite.

We had to walk five minutes farther when we were instructed to turn off our lights and not move or make a sound.  After standing there for two minutes, the guide said to shout "echo."  So, one, two, three "ECHO, ECHO, Echo, Echo, echo, echo....  The sound bounced back and forth in the cave and lasted for ten seconds.  It was really neat.

Later on, the cave ceiling dropped down and the water increased and blocked our path, so Dex and I hopped into a nearby kayak and paddled our way around the pond.  The guide said we could swim. Luckily, I had planned ahead and had my swim suit on under my clothes.  Dad and I, after slipping and sliding on the mud, dove into the cold water.  I always try to swim whenever we get a chance.

We didn't stay much longer after than and didn't stop as much on the way back.  We had walked only four kilometers into the cave, even though the whole cave is more than thirty kilometers long.  The van took us back to Dong Hoi and it wasn't long before we were in our nice hotel.  What a fun day.

Contemplating the next move