The Last Post

May rain later

So, the end of the road as we know it, I'm now back in sunny Yorkshire (and it is sunny!)

Yup, here it is

Here are a few pictures from my last day in Phong Nha. The day started off sunny but then clouds began to gather before half an hour of torrential rain.

Man in rice field

There were not many of us left in Phong Nha, but we went out for some drinks and a final meal, Pizza! How very Vietnamese.

Looking down stream from the bridge

First though, I cycled out of town to the main road and onto the bridge over the river. From here there are some good views, both upstream and downstream.

Phong Nha from the bridge

Excellent visibility but I had to leave to start drinking beer before any sunset occurred.

Another view of Phong Nha from the bridge

(Too) many beers were drunk, before and after the pizza, and it was nearly ten pm before I wobbled off home.

Close up of the town

The next day was my last in Vietnam, a midday flight to Ho Chi MInh City and then a midnight flight back to the UK.

The quiet streets of HCMC

I booked a hotel for the afternoon so I had somewhere to leave my bags while I went out for food, I managed to find a nice little Vietnamese restaurant near the hotel, fried pork belly with salt and chilli, very nice.

Hotel room, small but acceptable

One last bike ride, just for old times sake

Highway to... Phong Nha

I leave tomorrow, so I thought I'd get in one final quick bike ride around the village, checking on the state of the rice fields and countryside in general.

Country roads... take me home

The first hing I pass is the dual carriageway, there is finally some progress here, the farthest point from town looks almost finished (and there is some work at the town end too).

Green fields

As I cycled round, the sky got rather dramatic, looked like rain.

I don't know what the sign says, but it makes a statement

The rice is nearly all ready, turning yellow and ready for harvest. Just in time as it is the rainy season soon.

Phong Nha view

Looking back towards Phong Nha is a great view, and one that will hopefully never change, rice fields, colourful graves and the mountains in the distance.

Money, money, money

There was a National holiday a few days ago, and so the area around the graveyard was scattered with votive offerings.

The road to nowhere?

As I returned to Phong Nha there was a little bit of rain but this cleared up in time for the sunset.

River deep, mountain high

Not as good as the previous night, but at least I had my camera this time. Shame I didn't have it with me as this was one of the best sunsets I've ever seen, did get a rubbish shot on my phone though.

The previous day

Phong Nha streets and shops

I had a quick tour of Phong Nha yesterday, just taking pictures of various shops and hotels to remind myself what the place looks like in 2016, here they are below;

Hotels and Homestay's aplenty

Why Not, an old favourite?

Menu, Vietnamese style

Nice enough, but now out of favour

This one is new, still being built

One of two wedding shops in town

Hotels and booking offices

Mechanic and motorbike rentals

Attractive to Westerners?, never been, never will

Another new place, plays rubbish Vietnamese music, won't go there!

New clothing shop, bad taste name, won't go there either!

Rooftop bar with good views of town

Bamboo Cafe, consistent food, pleasant staff, one of my favourites

New place, different food, good but pricey 4 quid for a meal!

Hmmm, Karaoke Massage joint! (local brothel?)

Oxalis office with the competition next door

Gear shop and another Karaoke joint, one of many in town

More hotels

More booking offices

More bike rentals, and a bakery

Still more hotels

Even more hotels

Yet another hotel, strange name though

Hang Son Doong 50, the final tour.

Sparkler Son Doong

This was the final tour, both for me and Oxalis, well not quite as there was a Japanese film group going in a day after, but more on that later.

Happy to help

As we were walking down the initial hill, we caught up with some of the villagers (the women and children!) who were carrying some large sheets of tin roofing down the hill. They looked rather heavy so myself, Watto and some of the guide assistants decided to give them a hand,

Hanging boulder in Hang En

They were indeed very heavy and awkward to carry I managed so far but when I got to a steep slippery bit I decided it wasn't worth the risk so handed my load back to a small woman and picked a much smaller sheet from a small child, much easier!

Hang En Oxbow

Back at the foot of the hill I was reunited with my large bit of roof and once again set off, this time managing to get about half way to the village before swapping to a smaller load again.  I think our help was much appreciated.

Crossing the rivers by bridge

Conditions in the cave were good, even though the water levels were up and we had to use the bridges on the way in.

Doline One reflections

The crew that was following behind us were not just involved with filming, half of them were going to follow the film crew out, de-tackling and cleaning the cave as they went. This meant that extra cave safety experts were required and as Watto was flying home immediately after the trip, I was volunteered to go back in to help.

Doline Two

After seeing the clients safely out of Son Doong I turned around and went back to meet up with the Japanese film crew. Caving on my own in such a big cave was fun but I had to go carefully, never the less, I still got from the entrance to Camp One in twenty minutes and to Doline Two (where I met the group) in forty five. Quick times but I wonder just how quick some of the porter team could go, probably from the entrance to the wall in under an hour!

Second river crossing

It was a very busy Camp Two, but the Japanese and their interpreters were a really friendly group and good fun to be with. On the way out the water levels were not quite so high so we did the river crossings but had to use the high level path as it was raining heavily so the water in the river was likely to be too high.

Hang Son Doong entrance, seen for the last time

The Japanese had some really poor boots on and were slipping all over the place, but generally having a good time and laughing at themselves and each other, even as they slipped and landed on their bums!

Looking out from Hang En, raining