WE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO STRETCH OUT on the Vietnam Airlines 787 from HCMC to Hanoi—the plane is huge and was just over half full. The group, sans “the other John,” was heading north for the six-day “Northern Extension” to Tam Dao and Cuc Phoung National Park. Somewhere along the way Quang let out that while the general density of birds in Vietnam is low, it’s even lower in the North. Now he tells us!
Tam Dao from the Valley in the perpetual smog
1328 Steps to the Top
Our landmark in Tam Dao, of unknown origins
We didn’t see much of Tam Dao on the drive from Hanoi; it was dark and misty and I was dead asleep! The town sits at about 900 meters and was a French refuge from the steamy summer weather below. Today it’s a holiday resort with dozens of hotels, restaurants and a very un-communist feeling of gaiety.
Silver-Eared Mesia
Golden Babbler
It was still dark and foggy yesterday morning but we could see Tam Dao’s steep, twisty streets unraveling below as we searched for birds. All things considered, I got pretty good photos of the Silver-eared Mesia and Golden Babbler.
A little prayer couldn't hurt
Steps, steps and more Steps
Fork-tailed Sunbird
Black-chinned Yuhina
Short-tailed Parrotbill
Tam Dao’s hills continue above the hotels and houses, past a Buddhist shrine and up, up, up—1328 steps as it turns out—to a gated military facility about a mile high . About halfway up supposedly lurk some Gray Laughingthrushes, one of the few places they are found. I stayed close to Noreen, ostensively to help her up the steeper sections but actually to use her as an excuse to catch my breath. Though we only heard the Laughingthrush (chuckling at us?) we repeated the first half of the stairway this morning determined to get the last laugh. I actually had three on a branch in my viewfinder but the di di’d before I could focus. Let’s call it a draw. We did see a colorful Fork-tailed Sunbird, a Black-chinned Yuhina and the cutest Short-tailed Parrotbill.
Monasteries are for praying, not birding
Birding in the afternoon heat isn’t very productive, but when clients are paying huge sums . . . . We got on the bus and headed down into the valley where it would be even hotter, destination Truc Lam An Tam Zen monastery. Maybe it was the heat or maybe because I am reading “Eat, Pray, Love” but something about slinking around stupas and statues of Buddha looking for birds seemed wrong. So I sat on a bench under a tree listening to chanting monks and doing my imitation of meditation. Very relaxing if not enlightening.
Rock Cafe, Tam Dao—our greatest victory
The Food Rebellion exploded when Hedda, noticing a number of Tam Dao restaurants advertising pizza, said “We want pizza tonight!” Others pointed to the Rock Cafe, echoing her sentiments. Andre magnanimously admitted it was “our trip” as if that were a new concept and the Rock it was. When we realized ribs, pasta and seafood were options we voted to return on our final night, too. We might not win the food war but this battle ended in a tasty victory.
Festive Tam Dao at night
Kids laughing it up
While the group was reviewing the birds we had seen, I walked outside and took some photos of Tam Dao and its residents. Teens goofing, lovers strolling, older couples sitting on a bench, families licking ice cream cones and kids racing electric carts around the track, all under the glow of festival lights. Quang had said people in the North didn’t like Westerners but I got smiles, waves and a few “Where are you from?”s in reply to my “Xin chao!” One old woman hawked up a loogie and spit generally in my direction but she coughed first and with the dirty air, I’m willing to give her the benefit of doubt. What I can’t explain, though, is I was the only person in our group to have any interaction with the locals, to take any photos of them and to even try to say “Good day” and “Thank you” in Vietnamese.
.
