Cat Tien
- Amy Tournas
- Sep 26, 2017
- 2 min read
Yesterday (Monday 9/25), we traveled 3.5 hours to a national park called Cat Tien to spend the night, half way between Ho Chi Minh and our destination for the week: Da Lat.
This national park we stayed at was in a very rural setting, and the national park was a wildlife conservation center. When we got there in the afternoon, we ate lunch and then headed over by boat to the animal conservation center, where a woman taught us about animals that have become vulnerable due to the poaching and tourism industry. Hearing her talk about how she and the rest of her team confiscate and fine those who take animals, specifically Gibbons and Lorises, away from people who use, torture, and kill these animals.
At this sanctuary, our guides showed us around the property, where different animals were in different stages of rehabilitation. There were many different Gibbons, which are a type of monkey, swinging around the forest, clearly very happy to be in their environment. It was really cool to see animals taken such good care of and in such a safe environment, knowing that they are going to live long and healthy lives.
Once we got back from the sanctuary, we had the opportunity to explore the national park, but on bikes. I took a tandem bike with my friend Maddie, which was actually a very difficult task, despite my extensive bike riding as a kid. The ground in Vietnam is always wet, so it was pretty slippery, and adding the skills of riding a two person bike was a bit difficult. Safe to say I woke up this morning still feeling that bike ride. However, despite the difficulty, it was such a peaceful and fun adventure. I went off on the bike with the Maddie and my friend Todd, and we rode all around the park, into the woods and through water. It was a really calming afternoon and it finally gave us a break from some chaos and engagement.
After trying tirelessly to remove the thick layer of sweat that seems as though will never leave my body, we ate dinner as a group, and then embarked on a night ride of animal observation. We loaded up on the bed of a truck that had benches on it, and we drove through the jungle with a guide holding a headlamp. She surveyed the land back and forth, and she had really good eyes, because she spotted so many different animals: water buffalos, birds, deer, and ferrets. At one point, we turned the engine and the lights off, and just sat there looking at the stars. It was a truly beautiful night and for once we could sit in peace. The humidity subsided and the bugs seemed to be on a break for the night, and I think we were all grateful for that. The night was beautiful and a good start to the week ahead.