Touching the Sky

Today we got off to a nice late start, heading out of town with a friend of my uncles' to Ba Vi National Park, west of Hanoi.  It was nice to get out of the city, but we had to drive through "the least pretty area in Hanoi," through much construction and small villages specializing in goat's milk.  I tried goat's milk yogurt and was pleasantly surprised to find that it married tart and sweet in perfect proportion.  The drive up to the start of the trail on which we were to embark was long, winding and seemingly never-ending, very much like the mountain "roads" I encountered in Greece but with thick foliage through which there were only sporadic panoramic views of the adjacent mountaintops.  So convoluted was this road that I was forced to turn away from my alternating mountainside and mountaintop observations after nearly succumbing to car sickness, a dreadful affliction from which I've only very rarely suffered.  Thus, by the time we reached the mouth of the trail and were taking our lunch, I nearly wimped out and opted to traverse a trail less intimidating in appearance.  Fortunately, Roman talked me out of what would undoubtedly have been a mistake.

All the white beyond the trees is cloud...that's literally how high we were.

Lunch with Roman, Kyle and Yasue on freezing concrete stools in the arctic mountain air.

So begins our ascent.

The forest through which the trail slowly winds is lush and filled with more greens than the English language can name.  It immediately reminded me of the Hoh Rainforest in Washington state, and this series of forest photos is dedicated to my dear traveling companions, Amy and Cassie, who will recognize the similarities to the Olympic Peninsula. 

1,229 steps, each unique in size, depth and smoothness.

Oh, what a tangled web...

About a third of the way up.

Cave!

We were above the clouds, so I got to see the sun!

Light at the end of the tunnel.

We were heading to a temple perched at the top dedicated to Ho Chi Minh.  There was some construction going on nearby, and we kept passing and being passed by workmen who hauled loads over one hundred pounds up the mountain seven times each day.  You know how you get that feeling occasionally that after you've passed by a group of people, they begin to talk about you?  But you tell yourself it's paranoia.  I'm fairly certain I wasn't being paranoid today each time we met this same group of gentlemen.  I've already had a handful of awkward encounters that have only been exacerbated by my discomfort at drawing attention to myself and accepting compliments.  Perhaps I'll soon get used to being an exoticism and point of interest here.


And now I have a surprise for you: a video from an overlook point very near the top.  The view was too amazing and panoramic to try to capture in a photo, so I hope my commentary is not too boring and my voice not too grating, because this should be the first video of many.  Enjoy.

I finally made it to the tippy top and was warmly greeted.

We hung out for about five minutes before making the perilous trip back without tumbling down the mountain.  Roman stopped along the way to dig up some black bamboo, which he secreted into an inner pocket and is now attempting to grow on the balcony.

Kyle with a ginormous fern plant. He almost fell down off the trail twice trying to get this picture.

Back at the beginning.

I made it! I wish my hiking friend, Erica, were here to share my victory.

The other trail, which Roman described as "crappy."

The CUTEST PUPPIES EVER awaited us at the end of the trail!

We then wended our way back down the meandering road until we arrived at the Bamboo Park.

We've got your blue bamboo!

We've got your yellow bamboo!

Heck! We've even got your yellow-and-green striped bamboo! Come on in and stay a while!

Gorgeous mountains with the sun peaking through the clouds...not that you couldn't have deduced that on your own.

Rice fields!

And then, after three hours of hiking up and down, over hill and dale, it was time to head back to the bustling city and hit up a restaurant near West Lake for dinner.  I was initially going to get chicken cordon bleu (I know--I should be embarrassed about such a lame choice, but I was STARVING and wanted something I knew I would like), but was saved from making that faux pas by finding seafood fried rice on the menu.  Mega yums.  Roman and I of course wanted ice cream after this blisteringly cold day followed by an equally chilled night, but I learned about a new strip along Truc Bach Lake that I'll be more than likely to revisit.  Today's highlight?  Being told by one of the mountaintop workmen that I look young for a twenty-four-old Western girl...maybe not all the attention is unwelcome. ;)