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Adventures in Caving, Part 2: Hang En
So why would anyone put themselves through such torture? Because Hang En is a worthy cave in its own right: enormous and stunningly beautiful. And, as I said in Part 1 on our caving adventures in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park, the Hang En trek is a steal at $285 and is still accepting trekkers unlike Sơn Đoòng, which only allows a scant 220 visitors a year.
Like any trek with Oxalis, the Hang En adventure begins with an early morning pick-up at your hotel, followed by orientation at their HQ. Being a small group (one other client, a guide, two porters, and the required national park ranger), we were quickly on our way into the park via the Ho Chi Minh Highway.
One hour and many stomach-turning curves later, we arrived at our starting point – basically a bend in the road well above the valley floor (our ultimate destination). We began our descent almost immediately, making our way slowly down the steep and muddy hillside wearing, what else, the Cambodian Chuck Taylors.
We arrived at the floor of the valley a short while later, meeting a tributary of the river that would feature prominently in our lives for the next two days.
We made our way to Ban Đoòng, a local “minority” village, as it’s called here. Depending who you ask, there are anywhere from 28 to 44 people living in this village. They are subsistence farmers and don’t have much contact with the outside world aside from arranged marriages with nearby villages, and, of course, Hang En trekkers.
On the advice of Howard from Oxalis, we brought lollipops for the village kids. While it’s generally a bad idea to give teeth-rotting candy to kids who will never have access to dentistry, we felt: “Who are we to deny these kids the smallest of pleasures for ‘their own good’?”
Upon arriving, we handed over the bag of immoral goodies to the village elder for distribution (no going back now) and met the local attraction: a beautiful owl found wounded and nursed back to health by one of the villagers. It’s clear this owl is a point of pride for the community, and it follows and dotes on its rescuer with its liquid amber, miss-nothing eyes.
Our fellow trekker kept trying to pick up the owl for a picture, but the bird was not having it. It made for an awkward scene, with the owl flapping all over the place. Those talons were enough to put me off.Hang En Village CollageWe stopped a short while later for a picnic along the river. Sausage from a tube, Laughing Cow cheese (absolutely ubiquitous here), bread, and sesame seed brittle. Hubby heaven. Tomato, cucumber, and fruit also made an appearance. H paid them minimal heed.
We stopped a short while later for a picnic along the river. Sausage from a tube, Laughing Cow cheese (absolutely ubiquitous here), bread, and sesame seed brittle. Hubby heaven. Tomato, cucumber, and fruit also made an appearance. H paid them minimal heed.
After re-fueling, we set off for the cave, eager to get some blood pumping after our slow crawl down into the valley. The porters took off ahead of us, blazing a fiery path wearing plastic sandals and shouldering 100 lb. packs with minimal shoulder support and no waist belt. I was very humbled carrying my little 10 lb. day pack.
After about two hours of flat and easy walking and frequent crisscrossing of the river through the mist-shrouded valley, the first of Hang En’s openings came into view. What initially looked like a dark streak in the rock slowly revealed itself to be a massive overhang halfway up the hillside, a void of darkness below.
It looks like a bear or lion roaring – a figurative and literal mouth. The jungle encroaches from all angles, especially from the bottom. The photos with people in it are the only way to really get a sense of its scale – 460 ft. wide to be exact.
As it turned out, we followed a sharp bend in the river and walked about 10 minutes past the roaring beast to find a second, daintier mouth of the cave. We entered here, following the river’s path into the darkness. This is right about the time I started feeling like Russell from the movie Up – just another wilderness explorer thrilled to be on a grand adventure. Hang En Hike to Inside CollageOnce inside, we encountered a massive pile of boulders spilling down into the cave from the aforementioned opening. After about 10 minutes of scrambling, we crested the pile and finally got to glimpse the enormity of the 650 ft. tall cave. Our campsite was a mere speck below below the soaring ceiling, situated on a lovely stretch of river “beach” next to a deep turquoise pool. Our porters already had a fire going and were busily setting up camp and beginning preparations for the evening’s feast.
Once inside, we encountered a massive pile of boulders spilling down into the cave from the aforementioned opening. After about 10 minutes of scrambling, we crested the pile and finally got to glimpse the enormity of the 650 ft. tall cave. Our campsite was a mere speck below below the soaring ceiling, situated on a lovely stretch of river “beach” next to a deep turquoise pool. Our porters already had a fire going and were busily setting up camp and beginning preparations for the evening’s feast.
After scrambling down to our campsite, we dropped our stuff and took off to explore the rest of the cave. More river crisscrossing, some 300 million year old fossils, and then more scrambling. As an added bonus to the generally muddy and slick conditions in Hang En, the boulders deep in the cave were covered in excrement from thousands of flying fox (a type of bat) and swifts (similar to a hummingbird). Sadly, we didn’t see either. Apparently, the swifts had already moved on for the season, leaving only said excrement, nests, and a few stragglers behind. No idea where the flying fox went.
We reached the final mouth of the cave, the one made famous by National Geographic in 2011. This is the way to Sơn Đoòng, and this is the tease. So, so close.
Our fellow trekker was having difficulty navigating the boulders, so we had the opportunity to get out ahead a bit and enjoy the beauty of this place in relative solitude. I’m not going to get into flowery descriptions – just go and experience it for yourself, as only a handful of others have. I promise, you will never forget it. Hang En Backside CollageAll too soon, we were called back to camp for dinner. After changing into blessed, dry shoes, I watched the porters finish our meal over the fire. I’m pretty sure I was leering at the food, and I’m pretty sure this made them really uncomfortable. Eventually, my hovering was too awkward, even for me, so I went to help H set out our sleeping bags and arrange the tent.
All too soon, we were called back to camp for dinner. After changing into blessed, dry shoes, I watched the porters finish our meal over the fire. I’m pretty sure I was leering at the food, and I’m pretty sure this made them really uncomfortable. Eventually, my hovering was too awkward, even for me, so I went to help H set out our sleeping bags and arrange the tent.
What little daylight we had in the cave faded fast, and, as darkness set in, we saw more headlamps on the boulders, making their way toward camp. Turns out, we were to be joined by another group – two clients plus their guide and porter. That made for 11 total cave dwellers, and though I had initially been excited by the small size of our group, it was nice to have some fresh blood.
Soon after their arrival, the feast began. To the best of my memory, it included: tomato and cabbage soup, stir-fried beef with green peppers and onions, fried pork ribs, sauteed cabbage, fried tofu with tomato, grilled pork wrapped with wild betel leaves picked from the jungle, stir-fried morning glory, and rice. All this was prepared with one knife, two pots, some chopsticks, and a fire. Proof that good food is universal and can be found anywhere, prepared by anyone, in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
The feast was accompanied by copious amounts of “rice wine”, which is not wine at all but rather rice moonshine. Drinking is a very social experience in Vietnam and begins with a toast of: “Một, hai, ba, yo! Hai, ba, yo! Hai, ba, wuaaah!” Roughly translated: “1,2,3, cheers! 2,3, cheers! 2,3, drink!” This incantation is shouted whenever someone takes a drink, and when one person takes a drink, everyone else must drink too.
The rice wine is potent and not the worst hooch in the world. The key is little sips – otherwise, you get refilled, on and on it goes until it runs out, making for a very rough trek the next day. Somehow, we managed to avoid the challenges to finish our cups, which was likely impolite but ultimately necessary. Now, if it had been a beer chugging contest instead…
The night wrapped up with coffee and stories around the fire, with bedtime at 9:30 p.m. We were all pretty tired, and there’s only so much you can do to pass the time in a pitch black cave after sunset.
After a fitful night’s sleep (our tent was on a slight grade, causing me to slide into H all night), we were greeted by another misty day and an enormous plateful of delicious banana pancakes – way more than we could finish.
We set out shortly after that, trying to sear the feeling of being in that cave into our brains. We fell in with the two latecomers, Stephanie and Alex from Montclair, NJ – a stone’s throw away from where my aunt, uncle, and their kids live. Small world. They are fellow wanderers and have been to some amazing places, so we had a great time exchanging travel stories.
We went back the way we came, following the river along the valley floor, back through the village of Ban Đoòng, and up the slick, muddy, steep hillside, which was actually much easier than anticipated. Before we knew it, we were at the top and drinking a celebratory beer.Hang En Camp CollageOverall, I highly recommend the Hang En trek not only to folks who can’t afford Sơn Đoòng (or wait for spots to open up) but also to anyone traveling Vietnam. It deserves a spot on your itinerary, even if you are only here for a week. It’s been the highlight of our trip so far, rivaled only by our tour of the Mekong Delta and a few great motorcycle rides.
Overall, I highly recommend the Hang En trek not only to folks who can’t afford Sơn Đoòng (or wait for spots to open up) but also to anyone traveling Vietnam. It deserves a spot on your itinerary, even if you are only here for a week. It’s been the highlight of our trip so far, rivaled only by our tour of the Mekong Delta and a few great motorcycle rides.
The entire Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park is still remarkably untouched – not the norm for development in Vietnam. If not for the amazing local community here, there would already be a cable car through the valley (seriously).
In my view, the opening of Sơn Đoòng and its recent inclusion on the New York Times list of places to visit in 2014 will change all this. There has already been insane interest in the area this year, as everyone in town will tell you. There’s even a rumor that American film director James Cameron offered Oxalis an ungodly sum of money to jump the permit line (they turned him down, if the rumors are to be believed). I challenge any country, especially a developing one, to look at all that money-making potential and walk away. It just doesn’t happen, though I sincerely hope I am wrong about this.
The time is now, fellow nomads. I’ve included some information below to jump-start your planning. Happy trails!
Peace, love, and happiness -
Source: wanderrlust.com
