Because we had much to see before they left for Hanoi at 3 pm, Laura, Josh and I started out early this morning.
We drove over 70 km in a white minivan to reach the Cuc Phoung National Park. Because Ho Chi Minh personally declared this green space Vietnam’s first national park, it remains today one of Vietnam’s most protected areas. Over 300 species of bird, 97 species of mammal and 36 of reptiles make this tropical habitat their home. If you’re lucky you might see an Asiatic Bear or hear the call of a languor.
Now if you know me even a little, you will know that I have a few weaknesses. One such weak spot is cuddly and furry animals. So you can imagine that I was extremely excited to learn of the Endangered Primate Rescue Center near the park. Monkeys! Monkeys! Monkeys!
German biologists and local Vietnamese have run the facility since 1995, where they help the remaining Vietnamese primates and other threatened or endangered creatures. Because of hunting and habitat destruction, the estimated number of primates in Vietnam are in serious danger.
Fourteen different types of primate species are cared for in the facility. In Vietnam, it is estimated that 20 species of primate remain in the wild. One objective of the centre is to re-introduce these primates back into their natural habitats. I think most of the primates here were rescued from illegal traders in markets. They are safe here but our guide says it’s difficult to release them into their natural habitats because of the hunting that persists. He hopes that one day this will not be the case. In the meantime, several female primates have given birth in the centre. We were lucky to see a three month old gibbon swinging with her mother in their cage.
After visiting the monkeys we went for a strenuous 4 km trek through Cuc Phuong. My heart was racing after three minutes. It was up, up, up and more up. I thought it was going to be a leisurely walk. Boy was I wrong. Luckily I had the good sense to wear my hiking boots and the bad sense to wear jeans. It’s no secret now that I definitely need to work on my cardio.
All that work was rewarded with a view of an old tree. Not just any old tree. It was a massive, 100-year-old Tetrameles mudiflora. I wasn’t that impressed because the tree in the Bay of Islands in NZ was more impressive. I think dehydration and my pounding heart curbed any enthusiasm. I might have had for an ancient tree.
Kenh Ga Floating Village was our next sight to marvel at. Kenh Ga, which means Chicken Canal in Vietnamese, is a village on the Hoang Long River. It’s similar to the Mekong Delta except the the Delta doesn’t have the beautiful backdrop of those striking mountains. We took a rushed boat trip along the canal. Since this is still not a tourist area, villagers easily waved and called out to us.
Except for a few other Vietnamese, our boat was alone on the canal. Time seemed to slow down as we wondered at the old houses that seemed more like ruins than current housing. What a way to spend a day.