Spring Clean

Day 62: Da Lat (VN) – Cat Tien National Park (VN). Maybe it was the cooler climate of the Central Highlands, maybe it was the solitude of the Lang Bian mountains, or maybe it was the coming of spring. I don't know. But whatever it was, something clicked with Karen and me in Da Lat that made us look back on our scribblings of nearly a year ago to see how our trip was shaping up.

Taking out the crumpled piece of paper we eagerly read through the notes we both made in the Waggon & Horses all those months ago. “Have a story to tell: I think we'll do that”, Karen said, “Challenging: Definitely; Culturally diverse: Absolutely; Live & travel like locals: I think we'll achieve that”, she continued. “Outside our comfort zone and Simple existence. Hmm, maybe we need to think a bit more about those two.” She was right. Whilst our trip through Asia, had been an unforgettable experience, the low cost of living had made it just too easy for us to opt for soft options: An air conditioned bus here, a pre-booked hotel there.

With six weeks remaining before we reached Bangkok, now was to time to push ourselves just that little bit further. That meant exchanging the travel guide for a good map; packing our sandals and dusting off our hiking boots.

We had read of the beauty of the Cat Tien National Park but has dismissed it as being just too remote. But now, with our new found energy, we were determined to get there whatever it was going to take.

“Cat Tien?”, Karen pointed to the huge expanse of green on our map. The lady at the bus station shook her head, but in typical Vietnamese fashion we soon had a crowd around us trying to help. A middle aged lady in a long dress and conical hat pointed us in the direction of a small mini-bus ready to depart. It didn't go to the Park but the driver could drop us off along his route which would put us within 25km of the entrance.

We gladly accepted the offer and were hurried on to the bus: In itself, an experience: Apart from people, the seats were occupied by animals, bird cages, sacks of rice and one lady even brought her motorbike aboard at Bao Doc and parked it in the aisle! Five hours later, the driver dropped us off at little town of Tan Phu. Unsure of how were going to cover the next part of our journey, we soon found ourselves at the centre of a huddle of inquisitive locals wanting to know where we were from and where we were going.

Two of the locals offered to take us to the park on the back of their mopeds, which after the customary price haggling, we agreed to do for the princely sum of 120,000 dong (about £2.50 each). Loaded with full backpacks, Karen and I clung on for dear life as our maniac drivers raced each along the twisty jungle roads at speeds approaching 80kmh, desperately trying to get their knee down, until we reached the Dong Nai river and the end of the road. From here we managed to get a raft to take us across the swollen river to the entrance of Vietnam's most beautiful wilderness area, home to the Javan Rhinoceros – one of the rarest mammals on the planet.

“I think my rider thought he was Valentino Rossi”, I joked to Karen as we approached the Ranger Station to enquire about accommodation in the Park. I don't think she heard me though – my voice was completely drown out by the deafening sound of cicada's in the surrounding trees. You know, today really felt like travelling.