After finishing work in Da Lat city, I have a long time to rest before starting a new job. This vacation I take time to visit my family, where my parents live in a small countryside in the North of Vietnam. The nearly two years I have been away from my hometown make me very eager to come back and see my mother and younger brother. He is the youngest child in the family and also suits me the most, and my mother often jokes that she is a version of me because of my naughty and playful nature. Maybe it's a manifestation of intelligence to the living world when I think it's a good thing and needs to be strengthened and fostered more. This time when I come home to visit, I want to reward him with a long-distance trip as promised before, when he has good academic results. His name is Thuan, 13 years old, and his hair and eyelashes are quite long, especially like a girl. I chose Ninh Binh province to go with him to a few tourist sites, sightseeing some scenic spots. Ninh Binh is famous as a province possessing unique limestone mountains and natural landscapes combined with rice-growing countryside to create a majestic but also more peaceful beauty.
This place has a scenic complex of Trang An that was once selected as the filming location for the movie KONG: Skull Island with limestone mountains as a mysterious remote place of the world. In the complex of mountains of Trang An, I chose a cave to visit it because the weather on the day we went was not really favorable when taking a boat to admire Trang An, because although it was sunny, it was cloudy. most of the sky and I think the mountains are more suitable for clear blue skies. Going underground would make more sense.
The cave that I chose is called Mermaid, the name is very interesting and has a fairy tale like the legendary stories about mermaid. It is located in Hai Ninh commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh city, Vietnam. We choose motorbikes to move around because there are small shortcuts and need to go through the ferry across the river to get to Ninh Binh province, which is closer than going around the major highway. So we save about 40km compared to taking the detour, and because most of the distance going through the peaceful villages will be much more enjoyable. The rice fields are about to bloom, bringing a relaxing feeling typical of the sparsely populated small countryside. Tien Ca cave is located nearly 12km from the center of Ninh Binh city, but it will not be wasted and boring with the road leading to it, from afar we have admired the rocky mountains with many shapes and characteristics of this land. . The adjacent mountains are like a big wall, a natural barrier and it is not difficult to understand when this land of Hoa Lu used to be the ancient capital of the Dinh and Tran dynasties many centuries ago.
Because the cave is located in a tourist area, we will have to pay a fee to enter and visit, this is a very large tourist complex and includes many items, so the fee will be a bit expensive. 150,000 VND (7 USD) is quite expensive for domestic tourists. I wish they could categorize them as we just want to visit the cave and have no need to visit the man-made checkin sites and other amusement complexes.
Mermaid is an underground cave where a small underground river flows through and acts over a long time with rain and water in the mountains to form a low cave, creating a beautiful and attractive stalactite system. . A product of mother nature, and people here have long considered that small underground river where mermaids live? I don't know because the stories usually revolve around a certain feature of that place. Or could it be because the stalactites are formed to look like a coral system under the sea, so where the mermaid lives in seclusion in this charming landscape?
Before Thuan and I walked down the 40 stairs to the cave, we needed to stand outside the store to regulate our body temperature a bit as recommended by the ticket seller. It is quite hot and muggy outside because it is summer and the temperature difference under the cave can be larger. Stepping deep into the cave, the cool feeling spreads everywhere and we need to crouch down to follow the surrounding wooden bamboo bridge system, it's quite low for adults and the lighting system doesn't seem to do well compared to the surrounding area. with landscape. The multi-shaped stalagmites are a story for me and my brother to talk to each other and exchange knowledge about geography and physics. He seems smart and interested in this knowledge and this is a chance to test the product more directly and objectively for him.
However, the water in the underground river is not so clean, it has a thin layer of scum covering the surface of the water and could be the product of a chemical reaction of water and limestone? That I'm not sure but it was accompanied by a few small pieces of trash dropped by some ignorant people and lurking in that scum.
The cave system is quite long and we walked through the limestone stalactites to the end of the cave and I appreciated the first part more. On this side, the ceiling of the cave has been higher and we can stand up straight comfortably, moreover the system of stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns is more sophisticated and eye-catching, with a more attractive color lighting system.
This is probably the largest cave and has a height closer to the ground because of its spaciousness and the rays of sunlight that penetrate through a few holes in the ground. They look really beautiful because of the rays of the sun and their white color looks very suitable for people to place a statue of Buddha or some bodhisattva nearby.
Both sacred and mysterious in the cave. I just let the younger brother go first because each person will have a different way of observing and watching until we reach the exit at the end of the cave. It was closer to the ground and the light coming in was brighter. We stopped at the mouth of the cave for a bit because of its coolness because we felt the hot air outside before leaving. Should choose small roads along the cliffs instead of the main roads will be more sunny.
And I am also satisfied after 30 minutes of sightseeing, it is a place worth visiting for travel. And if you come to Ninh Binh city, don't miss it.
Thanks.
alone? come on mate, get a nice chick to go there
That's a cool idea. I will deploy it soon. haha.
Thank you
The cave is very beautiful. The atmosphere of the rice fields is green. An atmosphere like this is really hard to find.
Really, it's been a long time since I've been immersed in the scenery in the countryside like that, the city with too many concrete structures and people. Thank you
Thank you. Yes, living in the countryside like this is what I wish for too.
Wow, I loved the pictures. Thanks for sharing with us 😊
Glad you liked it. It's been a long time since I've seen it myself
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