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Other entries in Hoi An

Bach Ma National Park

After being told that I was suppossed to catch the bus from where I bought the ticketand notfrommy hostel as the travel agent had said I managed to board the bus heading south for the National Park. Just as I had dropped of to sleep the bus pulled over in some random town and said that this was where I was supposed to get off. Thankfully there were plenty of moto drivers yelling Bach Ma to me and I could see a sign saying Bach Ma 3Km away. I jumped on the back of one and headed in to the jungle to the parks accomodation and information center. The rooms were expensive for what they were but it was all that was on offer.

My roomy and neighbour were interseting characters, not Swedish blonds, but long, hairy legged and the neighbour was green. I think the ones in my room were Huntsmans Spiders which were about 8cm wide and the next door neighbour I haven't got clue but was glad he was out side,it was at least twice the size if not bigger.

I attempted to go for awalk through the village butended up playing football with the local children for a few hours before managing to escape to see some of the countryside.

The canteen that was at the park entrance, looked after me very well providing me with way to much food and not charging me any more for it.They were also up at 6am for my breakfast, as I had decided to walk to the top of the mountain and needed an early start. It was to be 17km to the top,all on roads, but the temperature and humidity was almost unbearable by 10am.It was an amazing walk to the top though,. Listening to Gibbons, Cicarders and birds singing all around and the sweet smell of Bananas and Jungle. It was deserted as well, only seeing 3 people on motos on the way up and a hand full at the cafe at the top. The top of Bach Ma is at about 1500m and was used by the French in the30's as a holiday camp to get out of the heat in summer. Its littered with the tumbeled down remains of over150 French villas, shops, hospital and post office,some that have been restored for tourism but most left for the jungle. The French abandoned it and in the American war was used as an advanced helicopter base, even though there weretunnels running only20ft below the landing pads, used by the Viet Cong  for a number of years.

At the Summit there is a veiwing platform, that was deserted as well. I sat there for an hour reading my book, with the Loas border infront of me,  the fog covered jungle mountains and the South China Sea behind me, in the warm sun and light breeze, almost heaven. It was timeto head down to the cafe for some lunch and to wait for the heat to die down a bit before the long walk back to the camp.

I arrived just after dark and went for dinner and an early night as it was an exhasuting day. The next morning I checked out of the hostel and took a moto to where the bus was supposed to pick me up. Unfortunately I arrived half an hour before it was suppossed to and it arrived an hour before it was supposed to be there. I was just organising a moto to take me 90km to Hoi An when I saw a bus that was heading to Danag, roughfly the right direction. I eventually managed to find some accomodation as most of the Lonley Planets suggestions had turned into wine bars or dissapered altogether. Most people that I talkto were under the impression that the Veitnamese new year was on the night of th 17th,I went to bed early on the16th  and so missed it,next time im back here I will have to make moreof an effort to get the dates right.

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