Primeval charming beauty of Do (Downpouring) waterfall arouses interest of the tourists. Photo Hiep My

Go along the national highway 19 to An Truong hamlet, An Nhon district’s Nhon Tan commune, turning left as road sign guides to another cemented road, keeping on going straight eight more kilometers to reach the tourist destination of Nui Mot Lake.

Climbing upward to a 700-metre long bank dyke, the scorching summer heat seems to vanish as viewable picturesque scenery appears with the clear blue lake, the imposing luxuriant jungles and the range of endlessly stretching mountains.

Even at the boat wharf, the scenery looks beautiful with secular trees and big strange-shaped stones. We go along a mountainous track a few hundred meters away from the place of setting up An Truong Revolution Memorial Stele to reach Ong Dai Cave, where many Vietnamese soldiers used to shelter and hide their war provisions in wartime. The cave is rather spacious and spectacular. I touch its solid stone wall while thinking of the history.

2.

Going on board of a pretty tourist boat, we begin a boat trip to explore the Nui Mot Lake. We all experience a wonderful moment of tranquility and peace, of comfortable relaxation while letting the boat drift on the vast lake. The surrounding scenery looks so picturesque.

After spending 45 minutes touring around the lake, we reach Do (Downpouring) waterfall which looks like a white silk ribbon left by some fairy. Making our way under shade of secular trees upward the waterfall, we enjoy wonderful sounds of nature: murmur of springs, warble of birds, sough of wind, rustle of leaves. 

The waterfall appears after a 15-minute hike and climb. Plunging from the height of approximately 30-40 meters, the cascade creates countless white foam before mixing with gently flowing down streams to the lake below. Following the trail, we keep on climbing to top of the waterfall.

Such a worthy effort!

Standing on the top, we can now see a gorgeous panorama with the powerful waterfall, the imposing forest and mountains, the lower graceful Nui Mot Lake. Around the waterfall, there are pieces of even and flat terrain or blocks smooth and flat rocks under shady secular trees, ideal places to rest while enjoying specialties like stewed marble gobies, fried carps, grilled chopper clown knife fish, sour soup with grass carp together with local impetuous rice wine of Bau Da.

All grief and sorrow of daily life seems to go with the fall. Finishing the lunch, some of us take dreamy rest under the shady trees while others swim freely at the cool lake. The tourists may bring fishing rods to catch fish there, feeling satisfaction from being in the open air.

3.

At mid-afternoon, we go on board of the same tourist boat for the return trip. On the way of coming back the departure destination, we stop over at Canh Tien ethnic village, Canh Lien commune, Van Canh district.

More than 100 households of Bhana and Cham H’Roi ethnic people have lived there, keeping distinct unique features of their own traditional culture. Their friendliness and hospitality are shown through naïve glints of the village children and gentle smiles of the village elders.

So Uoc, a villager, regrets, “the village’s communal house has been dilapidated for over one year. We haven’t repaired it yet because of financial strains. If it were repaired, we would welcome the visitors there with gong performances and xoang dance (sorts of native shows of the Central Highland ethnic minority people).”

“Then, we would treat them to local specialties wine (a kind of wine drunk out of a jar through pipes which is very popular among the highlanders). The village elders would sing hoamon (epic poems narrating about a hero’s deeds) and tell legends about the mountainous land. How pleasant it is to listen to their performances!”

As we leave Canh Tien village, sunset light is fading over the lake surface. I suddenly remember a verse written by Thuy Kha: “Nui Mot Lake catches attraction of the tourists. Dreamy boat is gliding in the sunset.”

• Hoai Thu