The (Further) North – Days 3 – 5

Haven been woken by several roosters competing with one another in some sort of crowing contest. we drove out of Meo Vac knowing this was going to be a long day, with a lot of driving.

But we did make a few stops for scenery admiration and photos.

One stop we made was at a small precarious-looking pedestrian bridge made out of bamboo.

We stopped for lunch at Bao Lac after crossing from Ha Giang province into Cao Bang province. At lunch we discussed the itinerary for the day and the next. Tuna said it was a bit silly as it meant more driving and less time at the attractions we would be visiting on Wednesday. So he called his boss and it was agreed we would stay two nights in Cao Bang City and Wednesday would become a day trip. This suited us, we liked the idea of having a day where we didn’t have to pack in the morning. Of course, the trade off was that Thursday would be a longer day, but having more time on Wednesday to enjoy ourselves sounded good.

We awoke on Wednesday in Cao Bang to the sound of heavy rain. But by the time we left it had stopped and the weather was clearing. It ended up being a very nice day with blue skies and pleasant temperatures.

We drove east towards Ban Gioc Waterfall. Our first stop was just outside a village where the main industry is knife making. By the side of the road were several huts where men were working at shaping steel into various types of knife. There is another local family who make the handles. We watched one guy for a few minutes. It takes him about 4 hours to make a cleaver, which he sells for about VND150,000 (NZ$10).

Further down the road we came across an attraction some local people had built. It consisted of a bamboo pedestrian bridge over the river, a waterwheel, and further on the other bank a swing, rice paddies, and nice views. After enjoying a nice stop there we continued onward. The terrain had changed from the previous days, the altitude changes weren’t as great, but there were still mountains and limestone outcrops to look at.

When we got to the waterfall, we found ourselves in a really nice spot on the border with China, in fact half the waterfall is in China.

We wandered around admiring the waterfall, resisting the urge to ignore the no swimming signs and have a skinny dip. We also rode on one of the large motorised rafts they have there so we could get up close to the waterfall. Funnily enough, we got wet.  There are rafts on the Chinese side too. Each country’s rafts are allowed to cross the border, but their passengers aren’t allowed to step on the opposing riverbank. Because the river splits just above the falls, the view from the Vietnamese side is definitely better as you get two lots of waterfall.

Then we visited the local Buddhist temple, though why it was there we don’t know. Just as at the flag tower, there is no interest at all by the locals in Buddhism. But after walking up the very steep path to the temple, we were rewarded by a very nice view.

After lunch we visited the Nguom Ngao Cave. The cave was a pleasant surprise. It was large, well lit (just enough light to see where we were going, and to highlight some of the stalactite and stalagmite formations), and, apart from one Vietnamese family, we had it to ourselves. It was really beautiful, with very large grottoes, separated by low tunnels through which we had to duck walk. There were no guides, no-one offering abseiling adventures through the holes in the roof, and no barriers. Just a big, beautiful space.

From there it was back to Cao Bang. A long day, but a very enjoyable one. The falls and the cave were well worth the long drive.

Thursday was a long day of driving back to Ha Giang. On our way east we had gone north towards China, but on the way back we stuck to the most direct route. This also meant that a big chunk of the journey was through places we hadn’t seen.

We made a few stops along the way which helped us cope with the long drive along windy roads. Of course, the great landscapes also helped, especially as we neared Ha Giang; the local houses on stilts, water buffalo and people in the fields, and the palm trees, which we hadn’t seen at higher altitudes.

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If anyone has any questions about travelling in Taiwan or Vietnam (not that we have travelled much in Vietnam yet), feel free to contact us at thekiwiandthekraut@gmail.com