Surviving Bach Ma: A story of hubris, then humility (Part two)
To get up to speed on what happened before this, please read Part One.
By Ivan Yap
As I took my virgin steps into Bach Ma National Park amid the dank and dark conditions, it suddenly dawned on me how quiet it was. Apart from the constant drone of rustling leaves and creaking branches brought about by the blustery weather, there was nary a sound to be heard.
This obviously didn’t bode well for my desire to photograph the beautiful birds that purportedly throng the lush forests of Bach Ma. Indeed, for the first hour or so, all I glimpsed upon were trees upon trees, and the odd uninhabited spider web.
Essentially my view for the first couple of hours. Trees and more trees, without any signs of sentient life.
The delightful intricacy of the odd uninhabited spider web kept things interesting.
I knew something had to change, so I made a decision to wander off the main path, and to tread the narrow inlets that presented themselves from time to time. And, almost immediately, my decision paid off—a rare flicker of life! While trundling uphill on a slippery path, I detected the unmistakable movement of birds in the distance.
With my camera at the ready, I crept towards them. My joy was fleeting—despite trying to be as still as possible, I was quickly detected by the astute creatures, and only managed to fire off a quick snap or two before they fled into the thick, impenetrable undergrowth.
One of the rare glimpses I got of the birds that have made Bach Ma National Park a locale of choice for birding enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the lighting (and wet) conditions made it supremely difficult for me to get any usable shots.
I stuck around the area for a bit, and when that proved futile, I returned to the main path and continued my journey towards the summit of Bach Ma.
Another uneventful hour passed, and just when mild despair began to set in, the man-made structures dotting the summit began to reveal themselves through the fog.
There was a decidedly surreal feel, magical about my experience from that point on, largely thanks to the misty conditions. There’s just no way to adequately document my wonder, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
The breathtaking view from the Bach Ma summit tower.
Peering out from one of the many windows lining the walls of the summit tower.
At the top of the flight of stairs leading up to the summit tower.
One of the prominent sculptures that lent a sense of wonder to the summit.
A nearby bell that was almost completely obfuscated by the thick fog. Interestingly enough, the bell sounded while I was exploring a neighbouring nature trail. Perhaps I wasn't as alone as I thought.
A pair of regal mounts 'guarded' the entrance to the Bach Ma summit tower.
After my initial wonderment subsided, I decided to seek some respite from the pouring rain in the summit tower, and to munch on a snack or two (Kinder Bueno, my favourite) in lieu of lunch. I must confess to being somewhat spooked by the place, with the pitter patter of the rain and the howling wind not helping matters. Just when I was trying to shelve my anxiety, I felt something akin to a pinch on my right hand. Looking down, one of my other fears was realised—the leeches had finally chosen to welcome me to their habitat.
The leech that drew first blood from me. This was my first encounter with leeches, and I didn't know how best to dislodge them. So I chose to peel them off with brute force, a poor decision in retrospect.
The interior of the first level of the Bach Ma National Park summit tower.
Once I was ready to move on, and after I’d carefully inspected my poncho to ensure that there weren’t any more leeches nestled among its folds, I threw on my gear and stepped back out into the rain.
That’s when I chanced upon the largest earthworm I’d ever seen. Again, the pictures do a better job of capturing how monstrous this creature was.
The mother of all earthworms. This behemoth was huge!
Here's a shot taken with my cellphone that shows just how massive the earthworm was.
Satisfied that I’d soaked in enough of the summit’s intoxicating atmosphere, I spent about another hour exploring a nearby nature trail (during which I heard the distant bell sound—perhaps I wasn’t as alone as I thought) before making the trek back to the start of the entrance of the summit trail.
The start of a nearby nature trail that I explored briefly. As before, there were zero sightings of any form of wildlife.
As I descended into the depths of the nature trail, I only had trees for company.
Here's quick video that captures the highlights of my experience at the summit of Bach Ma National Park:
Find out what happened next in Part Three.