VI
EN
Article: Hieu Minh. Photos: Barry J Atkinson - ASTW
“Because life is a journey…”
Dang Hieu Minh – Head of Mekong Rally 2014
The story of Mekong Rally 2014 only began at the end of 2013 when Mr. Dang Bao Hieu - General Director of Focus Investment Group and founder of Mekong Expeditions Company and his colleagues intended to organize a car trip through 3 Indochinese countries to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory. Although we have many years of experience in the tourism industry, the concept of rally is still very new to us and everything is very vague. Mr. Hieu told us: "Just do it! It's difficult but anyone can do it easily." With that encouragement, along with determination, enthusiasm and a love of adventure, we started.
With only 4 months of preparation, we have completed a huge amount of work: from surveying the route, designing advertising publications, calling for sponsorship, applying for a license from the General Department of Tourism, organizing a press conference and many other unnamed tasks. With the philosophy of developing sustainable tourism and wanting the trip to have a greater meaning and scope, Mr. Dang Bao Hieu directed us to organize charity activities in the places the group passed through. During the research and survey process, 3 names were chosen: "Action Fund for Freshwater Dolphins" - Irrawaddy Dolphins (Cambodia), "Bear Conservation Organization" - Free The Bears (Laos), and "Rice with Meat" - Support Fund for Children in the Highlands (Vietnam).
To reach the finish line at Dien Bien Phu one day before the 60th anniversary (May 6), the organizers decided to choose April 27 as the departure date and the Independence Palace as the starting point. 10 vehicles and 32 participants from Vietnam, Russia, England and Australia, each of us wanted to conquer the challenge. But overcoming a distance of more than 2,400 km in 12 days was not an easy obstacle. We set off with different feelings and thoughts, not caring about what was waiting ahead, but all had the same goal…
The most important thing in trips like this is to maintain high discipline, because a moment of distraction will leave unfortunate consequences. A day for the group starts at 6am and ends at 10pm, driving an average of 8-9 hours a day, requiring physical strength, endurance and high concentration. The road conditions in the first days were quite easy, but towards the end, they became worse as we passed through remote areas of Laos. There were places where the road was very bad, only able to go 10km/h for the entire distance of nearly 100km, plus the increasingly hot and sunny weather made everyone in the group lose strength very quickly.
Our first stop was Kratie, a small province in Cambodia where the mighty Mekong River flows through. This is one of the few places in the world where freshwater dolphins live. According to information we received from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are only about 95 of these individuals left in this area. The decline in habitat quality, the use of trawl nets and fishing boats that do not use propellers are the main causes of the rapid decline in freshwater dolphin numbers. We met with WWF representatives in Cambodia to find out how to improve the situation and take concrete actions to protect these dolphins. (Details at www.wwf.org).
The following days of the journey went quite smoothly, the sudden rains marking the coming of a new season also reduced the heat somewhat, making everyone less tired. This was also when the biggest challenge appeared: the distance from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang was 230 km long; the road was dangerous with steep and mountainous terrain: one side was a vertical cliff, the other side was a deep abyss; plus sharp turns, winding and many corners with no visibility but at the same time it was the most beautiful road!
In the morning before setting off, we carefully checked the fuel, engine, tires, signal system, horn, brakes and radio to ensure safety for the journey ahead. It can be said that this route is not for "newbies". Not all drivers have experience driving long distances and mountain passes, so we had to stay alert and focused more than ever. The rain gradually became heavier, along with the trucks and crazy cars rushing noisily, making the road even more dangerous. The leading car had to constantly inform the cars behind about the road conditions and obstacles via radio. Sharp turns required drivers to handle well and corner accurately.
The road was difficult, but the natural scenery was majestic and magnificent. There were times when we felt like we were passing through primeval forests with giant green trees. The highest point we measured was nearly 1500m above sea level, the temperature was only about 16 degrees, and clouds drifted across the road. After nearly 8 hours of driving, we arrived at Luang Prabang - the ancient capital of Laos, recognized as a world cultural heritage with its own unique and ancient beauty.
Here we spent a day visiting the “Bear Conservation Organization” and met Mr. Mike Brocklehurst – project director in Laos. Mike and his colleagues have been tirelessly working to care for and rescue bears that have been hunted for their bile. Mekong Expeditions has decided to sponsor one of the bears living here and this will be one of the company’s main activities in similar upcoming trips (Details at www.freethebears.org.au).
Leaving Luang Prabang, we continued on our journey with Dien Bien Phu waiting ahead. And after 12 days and 11 nights, traveling a distance of 2,400 km, we returned to Vietnam, in time to attend the 60th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory.
The most profound impression of the trip for me was probably being able to join the crowd, being a small part of the parade, watching the bright and proud faces, singing “Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh”. And I am sure that no difficulty can subdue this heroic nation.
