Day 2 of Hang En Cave (December 3, 2025)
I woke up before my alarm was set to go off at 5:30am because I understand that the sun comes up at 5:45am and I’m excited to see the morning light enter the Hang En Cave as we emerge from our tents. I managed to get to bed around 10pm (my normal bed time) despite our providing a fascinating history lesson of Vietnam around the campfire. Our guides made this already amazing experience that much better. And hearing their experience of growing up in Vietnam was a real treat — especially around the warm campfire.
When the sun did come up, I was meditating to my Insight Timer app facing the cave opening. More accurately, I was going in and out of meditation as I was recalling a vivid dream I had that night.
Big Cave Energy!
Before I went into this cave, I spoke with my friend Lisa de Marignac about my journey and what it will be like descending into Gaia herself — the mother goddess, the very personification of the earth itself. What was most surprising to me was just how alive this cave is. From the many bats who live here this time of year to the name “Hang En” itself which means “Bird Cave” or home of the many birds who seasonly live inside this cave. Of course there are bugs, but I wasn’t expecting so much life in and around the cave. My friend Leah (from Aspen, CO) felt a fish bump into her leg while exiting the lake.
But mostly, I felt all of this in my dreams. I felt like I had taken Bobinsana tea the night before given how vivid my dreams were. And as I sat in meditation, my dreams replayed themselves as I curiously watched the replay with an open mind and curiosity of what messages I had received from this cave. I will continue to be open to what was shared and see what unfolds in the days ahead.
Part 4: Deeper Trek Into the Cave
(FYI, Parts 1-3 were covered in yesterday’s blog if you missed it.) After a breakfast of crepes with bananas and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, as well as noodles with meat and vegetables, we put on our gear and hiked further into the cave. There was a rocky path behind where we were camped and it led us deeper into the cave itself. This is where we would view the fossils trapped in the rock of the cave and explore the different shapes made by the stalactites, stalagmites and columns (which is what you call it when stalactites and stalagmites connect).
We also discovered a few cave crickets, spiders and smaller centipedes making their way though the sand floor. There were also several mushrooms that looked like Dinosaur eggs (and were extremely poisonous).
Part 5: Social Media Photoshoot by Guides
Once we completed the geological exhibition part of our trek, we ended up at another giant mouth of the cave which might have been an alternative entrance. This part of the climb perfectly positioned us to have our pictures taken with an epic looking backdrop. Clearly, the guides knew the spot and how to take the best pictures using a combination of light from the headlamps and intentional shadow.
After the guides took my picture and gave direction for the best shots, I was free to take a few of my own and play around with this beautiful cave entrance as subject matter.
Part 6: Pack Up and Trek Back
After our cave exploration and photo shoot, we made our way back to the camp to have lunch, pack up and head on out. We were so well fed on this trip and it boggles my mind to consider all the food and water that was hauled into this cave and the waste that was packed out. The porters who carry stuff in and out of the cave can handle upto 70 kilos (which is about 154 pounds of weight on the same trails we took).
Moreover, the chefs are preparing Michelin-star meals using headlamps as their only source of light, propane tanks and grills. Every few hours, they are making incredible meals for the 15 of us as guests in addition to our guides and each other. So impressive.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, these porters also carried each of our “overnight bags” so that we had less to carry to and from the cave. This included our overnight dry clothes, our pervious day’s dirty (and wet) clothes, toiletries, extra shoes, etc. Each dry bag could hold about 7 to 10 kilos of stuff and there were 15 of us! Like I said, impressive!
In fact, the ONLY negative of this trip happened in the last few miles as we trekked up hill to return: leeches. Where I’m from, I only know of leeches to be in the water (and usually pretty big in size). These suckers are tiny and prefer moist dry ground. They are attracted to body heat and are amazingly nimble, moving around at quick speeds like a Slinky once they are on your clothes. The good news is that they don’t hurt and do not carry disease. They are easily removed once spotted and leave an ever so tiny mark which scabs over quickly.
Once back, we returned our equipment (i.e. helmets, boots, gloves, head lights, etc.) and wrapped up our tour before being dropped back at our respective hotels for hot showers before dinner. This is also when we created our WhatsApp group to share pictures with each other and stay in touch after a really short but powerful experience.
Dinner with friends: Bill, Leah (Aspen, CO), Rachael (NY) & Connor (NY)
Over dinner, we saw some creative artwork that mirrored what our guide was telling us about post-war Vietnam when citizens would saw the live bombs to disarm them and extract the dynamite for cash. In these depictions, the cash was used to by various brands of beer.
It’s not that I didn’t believe our guide when he told us this story, but to see it memorialized in a restaurant was surreal. It was one of many topics of discussion that night over dinner. So nice that we can create friendships so quickly. In just 48 hours we really get to know each other and intend to stay connected and even visit each other. Leah, for example, has an open invitation to come visit her New York friends and has reciprocated the offer to have us come visit her in Aspen.
Given that I’ve never been to Aspen, but have heard about it for many years, I’m excited that I know a local, Leah, who is well tapped into the skiing culture. I’m looking forward to visiting her in 2026. As she’s said, she’s been saying she’s planning on moving back to Florida where she’s from, but she’s also just renewed her apartment for 2 years. So I think I’m safe to visit in 2026 and keep this party going.
