Environmental pollution is a hot issue in the world. In Vietnam’s two biggest cities, Hanoi and HCMC, traffic jams and industrial development keep the environment polluted and fresh air a rarity. To find a weekend escape from the foul air and the noise, I searched for a green place for my lungs.
From HCMC, I cross 51 kilometers on National Highway 1A heading to Tan An City in the Mekong Delta province of Long An. From the post office in the city center, I turn left heading to the Moc Hoa Border Gate to visit a cajuput forest which is considered the largest lung of the province and an artificial mountain called Nui Dat. The clean path to the f orest runs alongside a stream.
If on the national highway, vehicles hustle together on each centimeter, the path heading to the forest seem to be another world, spacious, clean and quite with a few of motorbikes. Upon reaching more 30 kilometers of the path, I start to get lost as I feel relaxed in extremes with shade of cajuput on my head, sweet favor of cajuput flowers in my nose and whisper of streams along the path on my ears.
After filling my lungs with fresh air and wild fragrances, I move on to Nui Dat, the artificial mountain built in 1957-1960. The mountain includes three islands; the first one is place of two small mounts which are high 10 meters surrounded by green trees while the second island is linked with the first one by a bridge. The third one boasts its beauty with seasoned bodhi trees and rock-garden. Not serving tourists as an entertainment place, Nui Dat look like a small park, bringing travelers stillness and cool air.
I leave Nui Dat for the romantic Lang Sen, a spacious site with gentle canals and cajuput and lotus trees.
The site is also home to many kinds of fish, birds, snakes and turtles and local authorities are planning to develop the area into an eco-tourism site.
Moc Hoa is recommended for those who love peace and stillness and the beauty and primitiveness of nature.
