After leaving Hanoi (which turned out to be a half-day slog dodging buses and scooters on intensely pot-holed roads), and a mechanical setback (I popped a spoke due to aforementioned roads, and had to cycle all the way back into Hanoi to get replacements), the first place we hit up on the way down the length of Vietnam was Cuc Phuong National Park (pronounced Koo Fwong). What an oasis in the desert, so to speak. While the rest of Vietnam is seemingly under continuous construction, full of people, dust, exhaust fumes, and decidedly lacking in natural splendors, Cuc Phuong only had one small road in, and nothing to do except hike around, check out the local flora and fauna, and sleep under the stars.
The road into Cuc Phuong.
Setting up camp.
Chillin' with the local fauna.
Minseong only looks like John Lennon when he wakes up in the morning.
Hiking under the canopy.
What's this? A Shaky in his natural habitat!
Oh and then there was this cave!
Some more of the hiking trails.
Pretty awesome plants.
Finally, we visited Cuc Phuong's Primate Rescue Center, which they run in conjunction with some foreign NGOs. The Rescue Center aims to take primates illegally kept as pets or poached to be used for their medicinal value, and rehabilitate them in a safe place until they can be re-released into the wild. It turns out that poachers can make big bucks by capturing local monkeys and selling them to dealers, mostly in China, who use their various body parts in traditional Chinese medicine.
A few of the rescue center's residents.
After three days at Cuc Phuong, we're off towards our next adventure!
The road into Cuc Phuong.
Setting up camp.
Chillin' with the local fauna.
Minseong only looks like John Lennon when he wakes up in the morning.
Hiking under the canopy.
What's this? A Shaky in his natural habitat!
Oh and then there was this cave!
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Finally, we visited Cuc Phuong's Primate Rescue Center, which they run in conjunction with some foreign NGOs. The Rescue Center aims to take primates illegally kept as pets or poached to be used for their medicinal value, and rehabilitate them in a safe place until they can be re-released into the wild. It turns out that poachers can make big bucks by capturing local monkeys and selling them to dealers, mostly in China, who use their various body parts in traditional Chinese medicine.
A few of the rescue center's residents.
After three days at Cuc Phuong, we're off towards our next adventure!
