We started off with an early morning trek in search of wild gibbons. Met up with our guide a mile down the road at 4:45AM and started off into the jungle. After about a 30 minute hike we setup hammocks and waited for sunrise.
After more hiking and no sign of any, our chances of spotting them looked slim. Then, much higher than we expected our guide pointed out two adult gibbons in the canopy. They were so fast and so agile swinging from tree to tree. An amazing experience.
Afterwards we went and visited gibbons at the rescue center. This is another place in Vietnam where they try to rehabilitate monkeys that have been rescued from the pet trade or some other awful abuse.
They also have a bear sanctuary.
Most of these bears were rescued from farms were they are kept for their bile, which is periodically collected from their abdomen with a needle. The bile is used in traditional Chinese “medicine.” Pretty cruel stuff.
In the park we are staying in a tent-cabin. It is quite nice but at certain times they turn of power to conserve and it can get a bit hot without a fan.
Our deck overlooks a river that was dry when we left Hanoi, but with the start of the rainy season, is now rapids.
Sounds like a great stop. Man that was an early start!
The worst part was that they keep the power off until 6:00 and forgot to leave a lantern in our room so we had to get ready with just the phone lights and make our way a mile down the road in the dark.