Travellive 5 - 2018

was a little different from the two
that we took where we visited
many different places and were
constantly on the go and thus
needed lightweight luggage, this
time, with only one destination
in mind and completely different
living conditions, we wanted to be
more than well-prepared.
Our travel items included
climbing sticks, lightweight bags,
wind-proof jackets, trekking
shoes, flashlights, headlamps, a
GPS device, a compass, and a pair
of binoculars, and a magnifying
glass. Everything was prepared
with the sole intention of letting
Oc learn and have fun while
exploring the natural world.
The story of the forest
Our first days in Cat Ba National
Park were blessed with beautiful
weather that allowed us to
enjoy the sun, moon, stars, and
birds singing every morning
throughout the forest. Everyday
we woke up to a stunning scene
of lush forests, and fragrant
flowers, as well as clean, fresh air.
The mountains in front of our
eyes were painted yellow with the
color of the sun, while the sky was
filled with all kinds of birds flying
by. We were simply immersed in
the most pleasant and peaceful
atmosphere imaginable.
Trekking in the forest was a new
experience for the whole family,
even for me. I was not sure if Oc
was ready for it, even though she
had traveled everywhere with us.
She is only 3 years old after all,
and trekking in the forest requires
strength and perseverance.
On our first day, I took Oc for
a short trek into the forest. We
did not go on the main trekking
route, and instead followed a
small trail that led to the forest.
It was about 600 m from where
we stayed, and as soon as we
completed the trail, we found
ourselves lost in an incredible
world of trees, birds, and the
sound of nature.
We sprayed mosquito repellant
on Oc to prevent her from getting
bitten, but mosquitoes and bees
still circled around us. Oc got
to see many new things during
her first day in the forest, from
ants crawling under the brown
carpet of leaves on the ground,
to termites making a nest in a
tree trunk, to colorful bugs which
could be spotted under the leaves,
as well as all kinds of different
birds and butterflies flying from
one branch to another while the
sun was piercing through the
lush forest.
Oc found a small branch with
flowers, and enjoyed blowing the
petals away. The whole family
continued to follow the small
trail into the forest. My wife
suddenly started singing, and Oc
sang along cheerfully with her
mother, while I turned on the
GPS to navigate my way around,
and mark important spots. My
3G connection was weak, and
I was not sure if I could trust
my Google Map since it might
not have been accurate anyway.
It is very difficult to determine
exactly where you are when you
are standing in the middle of the
forest, and easy to panic if you are
lost. I felt much more confident
taking the GPS with me, so that
we knew where we were and
where we were headed.
Oc was excited to see, hear,
and experience so many new
things, although she had yet to
understand everything. I gave
her the compass to carry, along
with the binoculars on her neck,
a trekking stick in her hand, and
a hat to wear. Oc even played with
my Garmin GPS for a while until
she was bored, and moved on to
playing with her binoculars. We
wanted her to get familiar with
the items, even though she had
little knowledge of their purposes.
Oc became used to trekking, and
we went on further routes. One
particularly long trek was to Ao
Ech, where we had to split the
distance into shorter trails. We
completed the Forest Education
Trail, and passed the May Bau
Peak. The trail leading to Ao
Ech is picturesque whenever the
sun pierces through the forest,
creating a breathtaking scene,
the kind that you often only see
in movies. The terrain was flat at
the beginning of the trail, but the
later part was made up of steep
slopes and cliffs that required
more intense climbing and was a
lot more challenging.
TRAVELLIVE
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