Cycling in BONG LAI VALLEY

KNOWING THAT I LIKE CYCLING, SOME OF MY FRIENDS WORKING IN THE PHONG NHA TOURISM INDUSTRY RECOMMENDED THAT I TRY CYCLING TO BONG LAI VALLEY, WHERE YOU CAN FIND “THE PUB WITH COLD BEER”, FAMOUS FOR ITS IRRESISTIBLE GRILLED CHICKEN. NOT ONLY DID I GO, BUT I’VE BEEN BACK MANY TIMES. BONG LAI HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER ASIDE FROM AMAZING GRILLED CHICKEN...

GIA HUNG BAKERY

From the center of Phong Nha, cycling along the Son River, passing by the silty mudflats from last year’s flood and the fields beginning to green with corn and peanuts planted by local farmers, I crossed into the village of Gia Hung.

Gia Hung is famous for its beautiful wooden church. People in the vicinity of Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park had once relied on the forest for a living, so a large amount of timber was used to build structures here. The parishioners voluntarily

contributed their timber to the pastor to build this beautiful structure. Teens and children often play in the church yard, so I found it exciting to take a break and to talk to them to get a better understanding of local life here. During one such encounter, I discovered an interesting place: the Gia Hung Bakery offering Vietnamese pastries called “banh beo” and “banh xeo”.

Despite the name, it’s not an actual bakery, but is in fact the place where Ms. Lai and Mr. Son’s family live and bake. Ms. Lai took an apprenticeship in baking as a child at the age of 8–9 years old. When she was 17 years old, she married Mr. Son, and gave birth to her first child two years later. In 1997, she officially succeeded in making “banh beo” and “banh xeo” as a fifthgeneration baker.

Their family bakes two batches of pastries each day. The evening batch is sold at the market the next morning. The noon batch is served at home for villagers to eat. Watching the baking process is like watching a performance.

The pastries are made from ordinary ground rice or red rice, water and garlic chives, then poured into a mold made of recycled from bomb shells or flare boxes that were collected from the war. The pastries are fried or steamed on a wood-burning stove, served with raw vegetables and fish sauce; locals can eat these delicious dishes all day long.

TERMITE FARM

From here, I rode my bike over a floating bridge across the Son River. On the bridge, I had the opportunity to see the Son River up close, to adore the beauty of the water source for the many villages that run along the more than 50 km road from Phong Nha Cave to the sea.

The river’s crystal-blue water is translucent, an incredible sight.

Arriving at the other side and pedaling a little further, I met a slope. This slope is not erect but long, a challenge for any cyclist. At the top of the slope I saw

Bong Lai Valley, this sight gave me the strength to conquer this lengthy slope. Sipping water, I cruised up the slope and took in the sights: the green of undulating hills and mountains; the green of rice fields; the green of cassava plots and the rows of bananas; and in interspersed in this sea of green were houses with faded red tiled roofs.

Starting downhill, the closer that sight became, the more eager I was. The rows of pepper on both sides of the road were eye-catching. Pepper, locally produced in this area, is usually harvested in May and June – a convenient time for drying and preserving. The signpost pointing to the “Termite Farm” made me slam my brakes.

Right in the center of all this greenery is the Bong Lai Church, its red bell tower and yellow walls against the winding Rao Con riverbanks make the valley appear like a sublime work of art.

Termites are insects that swarm after it rains in this area and they were chosen as the name of this farm. Old Mr. Vi, a war veteran, and his wife own this farm. I met him for the first time 5 years ago while cycling around this area. Seeing him in a military uniform walking with an abnormal gait, I knew that he would be full of interesting stories. And it was true. He clutched my bicycle’s handlebars and enthusiastically made his introduction: “On my farm, I have everything. I just don’t have anyone to talk to!”

Following him, I found that everything was indeed available on his farm: pigs in the barn, chickens around the garden, and plants such as grapefruit, pepper, guava, tea, cassava, corn, watermelon, squash, katuk... This elderly couple also tends to the wildflowers, making this farm appear like a miniature version of the prairies I’ve only seen in movies.

A walk around this farm will expand the agricultural knowledge of anyone who is under the guidance of the funny and hospitable Mr. Vi. I also had the opportunity to share the wisdom bestowed upon me by both of my grandmothers since childhood.

Afterwards, they cooked meals for their guests so they could hang out and talk with them for fun. He told stories of war and of peace as well as the farm while his wife diligently cooked. His son had rebuilt their wooden house, hooked several hammocks up and opened the nearby kitchen for his wife and daughters to show off their cooking skills to guests. Grilled pork in bamboo tubes and turmeric chicken are two of my favorite dishes here.

RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF ALL THIS GREENERY IS THE BONG LAI CHURCH, ITS RED BELL TOWER AND YELLOW WALLS AGAINST THE WINDING RAO CON RIVERBANKS MAKE THE VALLEY APPEAR LIKE A SUBLIME WORK OF ART.

WILD BOAR FARM

Leaving the Termite Farm, and cycling through a few more bends and some steep passes, I reached the banks of the Rao Con. Rao is the name that the locals use to call the river. Rao Con is a “child river,” to be distinguished from the “mother river,” where the child river flows into. Observing the shallow water, I rode my bike across the river. A good thing about riding a bike is that, when you choose the right type of bicycle for the terrain, the experience is even more exciting. My mountain bike seems to belong to the Bong Lai Valley.

After crossing the river, I arrived at the top of the village, where Mr. Cuong and his family live: The Wild Boar Farm – Bong Lai Ecofarm. After graduating from a university in Hue, Mr. Cuong returned to his hometown to do some jobs before deciding to bring his wife and children to the top of the village next to Rao

Con and set up a farm. His family is famous for raising wild boars – originating from a boar he rescued from the local junglers a few years ago.

From that boar, the family built a farm raising herds of boars, putting bread on the table for the whole family. During last year’s flood season, the boars were swept away, so they stopped raising boars. Now they raise crickets – a source of clean and nutritious food that gives locals more options to enrich their tastes.

Mr. Cuong quickly created experiences for visitors that lets them learn more about crickets through his interesting and humorous personality. I call him by the nickname Jackie Cuong because his appearance is quite similar to the martial arts actor Jackie Chan. Recently, the family also made swings for those who love thrills and want to view the beautiful Bong Lai Valley from a new perspective.

When I come here on sunny days, I often go down to Rao Con, where a deep-water hole is located, to cool myself and listen to the birdsongs and flowing streams; it doesn’t get much better than that. If the weather is cool, I lie in a hammock and take a nap with a blissful feeling.

When leaving the valley, the cycling route also passes through some other famous places that, are: “The Pub with Cold Beer,” as mentioned in the beginning of this article and owned by the Quy Nhat couple; and the “Duck Stop,” a friendly duck farm of a young village boy where visitors can have more humble and interesting rural experiences.

On my way out, cycling through a few rice paddies at sunset, leaving behind the limestone mountains surprised me; I had to stop to take in that magnificent scenery just for a while longer. I am excitedly looking forward to my upcoming trip back to Bong Lai.