It was a steep walk up to the entrance of the cave. A long paved path wound its way among the numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Colored lights were used to highlight varous features.
The cave was divided into two parts... a tall cavern with many stalactites, and a even larger, massively long cavern. It is supposedly still growing but lots of damage is being done since it isn't protected from people. There were black sections everywhere from constant touching.
The cave is about 100 feet tall.
The most famous formation is a large phallus, highlighted by a pink spotlight. The locals consider it a fertility symbol.
Sad. Very sad.
We exited and walked down the other side of the hill and along an elevated pier to where our boat now was.
View from the cave exit
Low tide
Once everyone was on board, the boat headed out to the center of the bay and anchored. We were allowed to take the kayak out, so I dragged one of the Australians onboard and off we went. We paddled around one of the nearby islands and checked out a shallow cave. We then headed back to the dock, where the guide told us we still had 30 more minutes. So we went out again. We paddled between two islands and past many moored local fishing boats.
As we rounded the corner of an island to head back, we see our boat leaving! Figuring we'd never be able to catch it, we went back to the dock... where a guy promptly took my oar and told us to go out to the boat which had now stopped near the islands we had just paddled about. So we did... with only one oar now.
Upon reaching the boat, a guy is standing on a very rusty, heavy metal buoy attached by a chain to the front of the boat. He is frantically yelling at us in Vietnamese. Thinking he's wanting us to come to him, we head over. But he's now yelling even more and chasing us away. We circle the boat with no way up. Eventually they lowered an extremely rusty ladder. I climbed up first - now both wet and rusty.
While we were gone, they had assigned rooms. Gerald told me that originally they insisted on giving him and me a joint bed (even though we were just friends), yet the married couple was being forced to take separate beds. After much fighting, he apparently got things sorted out.
I made my way along the very narrow skinny walkway alongside the boat to the room. I changed out of my wet clothes and hung them up to dry... which because of the high humidity, they never actually did.
Back on the top deck, we were all told we could go swimming. But 1) everyone saw what the boat had done to us and nobody trusted that it wouldn't just leave and 2) there were large jelly fish in the water!
Eventually we assumed that we were spending the night here. We all sat on deck while the boat slowly twirled around the anchor, watching the sun set over the water behind the islands.
We had dinner in the small dining room. Fortunately there was enough rice and vegetable for me. Back to the room. I didn't take a shower as to avoid a big mess in the small bathroom... but the shower head was attached to the faucet and went on automatically anyway as well, soaking all my things. Eric, who had paid extra for a single room, didn't have a bathroom so had to use ours too.
Every now and then, the engine would kick on very loudly and rumble for a while.
return • continue
