Critters

Some of our previous posts have included pictures of the local/jungle/cave wildlife, here are a few more that we've managed to photograph along the way (and some we haven't!).

We sometimes see Langur Monkeys, I think they are Delacour's Langur Monkeys, these are found only in North-central Vietnam and are one of the rarest and most endangered primates on Earth. The striking black and white Langur has a white lower back and outer thighs (and tail I think) and it is sometimes referred to as "Vooc Mong Trang", meaning the Langur with the white trousers. Difficult to photograph, even when you can see them, you mostly get pictures of trees.

Some Jungle, but I can't see any Monkeys!

As previously noted, you get spiders in caves, we found this one on my last Son Doong Trip, it was deep into the cave so it may be a new species but it is coloured so probably not! When we saw this one it was just finishing a meal of Cave Cricket. The body was just over three centimetres long so if you account for the legs the spider would be six to ten centimetres across, no where near as big as the Giant Huntsman Spiders that you sometimes see.

Cave Spider

We haven't got any Cave Cricket pictures so maybe when we have some we will do a "Critters II". You also get spiders in the jungle, most of them are fairly normal but the picture below is a bit different. This one is (I think) a Giant Wood Spider, the body is about five centimetres long which makes it quite big and scary by the time you include the legs. The web is incredibly strong and I'm told (not necessarily reliably) that it is a bird eating spider, whatever the truth is, the web is certainly built to hold a heavy object. The internet says that they are not harmful to humans, but I'm not getting close enough to find out.

Giant Wood Spider

Here's something that is normally very difficult to photograph as they don't ever stay still long enough. This Dragonfly had somehow got into the cave so it was attracted to our lights and kept landing on people to hitch a ride, it followed us to within sight of the entrance so hopefully it will get out. At the moment there are thousands of these about, some are quite plain but there are some that are a shocking pink colour, very striking, but they won't stay still!

Dragonfly

Similarly difficult to photograph are the butterflies, there are also thousands of these about, usually near a water source but as soon as you approach they all fly off.

Butterfly 'Hide and Seek', come and find me Dick

Fortunately they are attracted to Dick Ellis and will settle on him, even if he walks around. I've no idea what type of butterflies these are, just those that like Dick.

Can this one tell the time?

Slightly more sinister are the Hammerhead Slugs, these are actually a flatworm (known as Bipalium), references state that these are predatory i.e. they eat other worms and that their secretions are at least distasteful and at worst extremely toxic, always wash your hands after playing with one of these. We've seen various types up to about five centimetres long, but the one pictured below was deep into the cave and only about one centimetre long. At the rate at which they move it would have taken it approximately five hundred years to get out to daylight.

Hammerhead 'Slug'

We see bats in the cave, but they would be impossible to photograph unless you got extremely lucky, we got lucky, though not so for the bat as it was dead! In that state I would guess that it's not harmful to humans.

Resting Bat

Here's a little Frog that lives in Doline One, it's sat on the Phytokarst so not the most comfortable of seats. It's green and small, not much more to add about this one.

Small Green Frog

Last but by no means least, Leeches. These little bloodsuckers are everywhere, especially after a bit of rain. They wait on the path, detect your body heat and latch on to your shoes as you pass then make their way to some flesh before finding a cosy spot to settle down for a meal. As they bite they inject a local anaesthetic so that you can't feel them and an anticoagulant so that their meal is not interrupted. When full they drop off or if found you can pull them off (some burn them off or add salt) either way you continue bleeding for a while.

Large Leech

Unlike ticks and mosquitos they do not carry any nasty diseases so apart from a bit of bleeding, as long as you clean the wound like any other cut, they do no long term harm. If you spot one (or pull one off) you can get it onto your hand by putting your nice warm finger near it, then you can roll it around your palm until it gets confused, dizzy or travel sick at which point it can no longer grip onto you (for a while), you can then simply flick it away or put it into a fire if you are at camp (you don't want it coming back later).

Dizzy Leech

Nang Hai

This inconspicuous plant is definitely one to avoid. The bushes can be very tall, but that does not make it stand out in the jungle so it can be difficult to spot. Fortunately our porters will point it out when they spot it.

Nang Hai

The leaves are often full of holes but this is also not a definitive way to recognise the plant.

Why is it important to avoid the plant? If you touch it you get a sting similar to that from a stinging nettle, only much much worse, it lasts for up to five days and if wetted or immersed in water then the pain is intensified. To be avoided.

Tu Lan, Hung Ton and Hang Kim

Monday 16th March

Cliff near Tan Hoa, potential Via Ferrata site?

This was another preparation trip for the Spanish TV film, on this part of the film Andres has to do some abseiling so we had to set up two abseils where the camera man could descend alongside Andres to film him. The chosen locations were Hung Ton Cave, close to the current ladder and Tu Lan Cave, next to the pitch that is used on the four day tour. To get to Tu Lan we had to go through Hang Kim.

Rigging the pitch

After a seven 'o'clock pickup from our house we set off from Tan Hoa at around nine, the team was just Ruth, Myself and Yo, a porter who was carrying our lunch.

Ruth and Yo

Another roasting hot day with temperatures above 30°C so we were glad of the early start and made it to the entrance to Hung Ton Cave before it got too hot. From the entrance it was about five minutes to the pitch, the rigging was a bit awkward so we took about an hour to complete the rigging but by the time we had finished we had a fine fifteen metre free hanging pitch, descending alongside Stalactites all the way.

We exited via the swim, this time the water was the perfect temperature and a welcome cool down. From the exit it was a short walk to Hang Kim with its three swims to emerge near the entrance to Hang Ken where we stopped for lunch, coincidentally meeting Watto and Dick who were having lunch with the Tu Lan four day tour.

Ruth at the Hung Ton pitch head

After lunch we went to Tu Lan and rigged a route close to the current pitch before retracing our steps back to Tan Hoa, arriving just before five pm. A very enjoyable days caving, one we would like to repeat without carrying drills and ropes.

Part way down the Tu Lan alternative pitch

BBQ Sunday

Sunday 15th March

It's Sunday, it's sunny, it's hot, and our neighbours are having a party. Unfortunately there is karaoke .........................  fortunately we have not been invited but sadly the singing is loud, very loud.

A power cut occurs and appears to save the day but no such luck, within ten minutes they have a generator up and running, adding to the noise and spewing exhaust fumes into our bedroom.

Up on the roof

Could be worse, at least we have a BBQ up on the roof of the other cavers house to go to. The house is the tallest building in this part of Phong Nha and the views from the roof are fantastic.

Cooking, lets get this party started

We started off with Gin and Tonic while we waited for a bucket of ice to arrive, then it was cold beers with the usual selection of BBQ foods, chicken, pork chips and spring rolls with the local spicy dip, called 'Chao' (I think that's how it's spelt).

Food is ready

Seamus, who also lives in that house and manages the Easy Tiger Hostel, bar and restaurant, was there and gave us Easy Tiger discount cards which entitles us to 20% off food and drink which will come in handy and coupled with our locals rate at the Bamboo Cafe should cut the cost of living even further.

Setting Sun

We stayed to watch the sunset before heading back for an early night as we have a 7 am pickup tomorrow morning for a day trip to Tu Lan.

Sunset, time for bed

Hang Va

Friday 13th March

'Flowers' at the entrance

While Ruth was in Hang Son Doong I had a quick day trip into Hang Va, the purpose was to rig the traverse in the cave and to mark a route through the delicate formations prior to a visit by a Spanish film company producing a reality TV show featuring Andres Velencoso. In addition to preparing the cave, we had several porters with us who were to prepare a campsite by the entrance.

Cones and Gours

We were stopped near to the Hang Son Doong Exit drop off and then walked down a stream before going steeply up hill, and then a descent to the cave entrance.

Stream Passage

On route I spotted a large white lizard which was clinging to the ruins of an old tree, before I could get my camera out to take a picture, the porters, who were clearing the path, chopped a tree down which fell onto the old tree and lizard, they both disappeared in a fraction of a second!

Stream Passage

We left the porters to prepare the campsite while we entered the cave. The entrance was a steep descent down boulders into a streamway which was then followed upstream by squeezing through boulders at stream level, although the water was waist deep at times, it was a really pleasant passage and the water was comparatively warm. After a few hundred metres the passage enlarged with a massive bank of calcite on the left.

Cone Formations

Although the stream continued, our route was up the calcite to a traverse, which was easy but as there was a large drop we rigged a rope which we left in place ready for the film crew. From here on the cave is stunning, massive Gours, sometimes over two metres high, and the unique Cone formations which the cave is famous for.

Cone Formations

We marked a route through this part of the cave using metal rods with a piece of bright green tape attached to the top, each of these looked like a little plant trying to grow in the dark, the bundle we were pulling them from resembled a bunch of flowers (if you squinted a bit!).

Metal Plant

Beyond the Gours and Cones (where the film crew will stop), the cave continues but it is much lower with formations on the roof. The formations in this part are Stalactites and Helectites but there are also large numbers of Anthodites which are a very rare and beautiful formation. The cave ends soon after at a calcite blockage.

Anthodites

We returned to the entrance, gaining the surface after three hours of very enjoyable caving. After a quick bite of lunch we set off back to the road via a different route, which was a bit of a rocky scramble, to pick up the Hang Son Doong Exit path back to the road. After five minutes of walking down the road we were back to where we had been dropped off and the van which was waiting to take us back to Phong Nha.

Anthodites

Hang Son Doong tour 8 and Composting Toilets'

SD8 - Friday 6th March to Tuesday 10th March

The Garden of Edam

A fairly standard tour (I was with Watto), with five Vietnamese, four Americans (two couples) and a Russian (who lives in Oman). All nice people but because of the language differences the tour tended to split into two groups, so at times it was a bit like herding cats. Once again it was very misty as we approached Camp One so the 'Hand of Dog' viewpoint was not as impressive as it could be, the only other real points of note were that on the last night (in the Hang En Camp) we were provided with Vietnamese Vodka instead of the usual rice wine, tasty, but a bit stronger, we think this was provided because drinking too much of the rice wine can cause unpleasant side effects (swift filling of the red buckets) in addition to the expected hangovers. The Hang En Camp is now populated with thousands of Ens (or Swifts as you might know them) which means that some areas are subject to a constant rain of poo. The weather is not too hot at the moment so the walk out was comfortable.

Swarm of Bees spotted on the way out from Hang En

You may wonder (or maybe not!), with all these people going to the cave, what happens to all the waste. Rubbish is either burned, carried out or composted along with human waste. At each camp, there are three composting toilets, two for customers and one for the porters, although sometimes the porters also use the customers toilets. One of the toilets at each camp is a 'loo with a view'.

View from Hang En 'Loo with View'

The toilet is a simple wooden framed building which is covered by tarpaulin, sometimes with a door or a roof depending on location.

Toilet 'Building'

Inside the building is a metal frame with a toilet seat attached, nails on the frame provide convenient toilet roll holders.

Inside view

Underneath the frame is a red bucket, which hopefully (if your aim is correct!) catches the waste.

Inside view

Having finished your business, you use toilet paper as normal before 'flushing'.

Rice Husks and Scoop

At each toilet is a large sack of rice husks, this is the 'flushing' and is done by covering everything with a large scoopful of the husks.

View from Camp One 'Loo with a view'

The rice husks absorb any moisture and smell and also accelerate the decomposition into compost. When the bucket is full it is emptied into a large container where it turns into compost (significantly reducing in volume) before being carried out at the end of the season.

Out and about around Phong Nha

Dave and I took a bike ride from our house around Phong Nha and another ride from our house to the pub with cold beer.
Here are some of the sights from our rides.

                                                    The statue at the Phong Nha museum

There are lots of hazards on the road, including buses, many children, piles of sand, piles of large stones, wandering buffaloes, chickens and chicks, the occasional snake(they have been known to get wrapped up in passing bicycle wheels) and cows.

                        Cows on the road. Fortunately for me cows are much smaller than at home!

Buffalo often walk up and down the road to and from the fields. These buffalo were cooling off in the river watched from the road by their owner.

At the start of the road that leads into Phong Nha and the national park is a huge Hollywood style sing that cannot be missed. At night it is lit up and can be seen for miles around.

Rice fields dominate the area. When we first arrived there was just a hint of green across the fields. Now they are vibrant green.

Working in the rice fields.

In amongst the rice fields are hundreds of graves. These are very ornate. 

Graves

The rice fields are irrigated using water pumped from the river. These pumping stations are all over the area.

Pumping station

To get to the pub with cold beer you would usually have to cross the river, either by boat or fording the river on foot. There is now a smart looking suspension bridge that has very recently been constructed and opened for public use. There is still much work going on to make good the ways on and off the bridge. 

Construction worker on the bridge.

The building in the distance is the pub with cold beer. The beer is served cold and the food is really good too. The chicken is caught and killed as you order. Very fresh!

Pub with cold beer in the distance.

Whilst I was waiting for Dave just before we left the pub with cold beer I spotted a snake chasing a frog down the road. The frog didn't make it!

I identified the snake after we got back. It is a red necked keel back. Deadly poisonous. 

On to Bamboo cafe for.....

iced coffee, iced lemon tea, roast peanuts and .....

...wonderballs!

It's a hard life.