During
our visit to Vietnam, we stopped to visit the lava caves of Trieu Dong. We reached the
smoky entrance after a short trek and armed with torchlights, we climbed down the rocky
"steps" of the cave's entrance into the damp, musty and smoky cave. The smoke
was rather suffocating and caused many of of eyes to tear. Where did the smoke come from,
we wondered. Overhearing us, our guide told us that it was caused by fires which people
built to create smoke to chases out the bats taking shelter in the caves. These bats, we
so learned, had medicinal values, and were trapped in nets draped over the cave entrances
as they came flying out to escape the smoke. They were then sold to medicine companies for
quite a sum of money. The caves were cool though, and we certainly enjoyed the
"air-conditioned" comfort of the caves much more than the hot dusty roads of the
city!
The cave
floor was damp and slippery being covered with moss and rocks littered the floor, making
waliking very difficult, especially also because it was so dark and smoky. Little shrieks
and thuds could be heard occasionally as we slipped and fell on our bottoms. When we
reached the heart of the caves, our geologist then proceeded to tell us how the caves were
formed: When the volcano erupted, molten lava would flow down its slopes, solidifying
quickly and engulfing everything in its way. Sometimes, spaces of air would be trapped
under it and when the lava solidified, caves would be formed. The scenery at the caves was
also beautiful. We gazed in awe at the neat rows of rubber trees against the clear blue
sky stretching right into the horizon. Many of us also brought home a small "magma
rock" to keep as a souvenir.
During
our visit to Vietnam, we stopped to visit the lava caves of Trieu Dong. We reached the
smoky entrance after a short trek and armed with torchlights, we climbed down the rocky
"steps" of the cave's entrance into the damp, musty and smoky cave. The smoke
was rather suffocating and caused many of of eyes to tear. Where did the smoke come from,
we wondered. Overhearing us, our guide told us that it was caused by fires which people
built to create smoke to chases out the bats taking shelter in the caves. These bats, we
so learned, had medicinal values, and were trapped in nets draped over the cave entrances
as they came flying out to escape the smoke. They were then sold to medicine companies for
quite a sum of money. The caves were cool though, and we certainly enjoyed the
"air-conditioned" comfort of the caves much more than the hot dusty roads of the
city! 
The cave
floor was damp and slippery being covered with moss and rocks littered the floor, making
waliking very difficult, especially also because it was so dark and smoky. Little shrieks
and thuds could be heard occasionally as we slipped and fell on our bottoms. When we
reached the heart of the caves, our geologist then proceeded to tell us how the caves were
formed: When the volcano erupted, molten lava would flow down its slopes, solidifying
quickly and engulfing everything in its way. Sometimes, spaces of air would be trapped
under it and when the lava solidified, caves would be formed. The scenery at the caves was
also beautiful. We gazed in awe at the neat rows of rubber trees against the clear blue
sky stretching right into the horizon. Many of us also brought home a small "magma
rock" to keep as a souvenir.
