Buzz
Many liken this place to a Sa Pa or Tam Dao of the Thanh land. A place where the crowing of roosters resonates in both Hòa Bình and Thanh Hóa provinces.
Embark on a journey to discover the 'paradise' of Cao Son in Thanh Hoa
If you travel from the center of Bá Thước district, Thanh Hoa, towards the foot of the mountain, scooters and small-displacement cars all bow down to the steep slope, sharp turns, and rough roads.
This is none other than Son, Bá, Mười, also known as the captivating Cao Son amidst the pristine Pù Luông nature reserve.
Conquer Son, Bá, Mười
Departing Hanoi amidst the autumn weather, we set out towards Thanh land. After a journey of over 160km from the city center through Xuan Mai, then onto Ho Chi Minh road, and provincial road 217, we paused for a night's rest in the town of Canh Nang – Ba Thuoc to recharge.
From the town of Canh Nang to Cao Son is nearly 40km. But before setting off, the host at the inn advised everyone that from here to Pho Doan, they should find a repair shop for maintenance such as oil change, chain tightening, brake adjustment, etc., if they want to ascend Cao Son.
Conquering Cao Son, everyone had to endure a challenging 10km steep road, making scooters or small-displacement cars yield.
Fortunately for us, despite heavy rain the night before in Ba Thuoc area, the road to Cao Son had been mostly paved. Arriving in the area of Lũng Cao, drivers began to feel nervous as they truly entered the challenging route.
The towering peak of Pa He, standing proudly over 1,200m above sea level, awaited adventure enthusiasts eager for daring paths.
The manual bikes that have conquered many routes switched back to gear 2, then gear 1, twisting the throttle to the max to crawl up each steep section. To shorten the steep ascent of Cao Son, numerous mountain peaks had to be cut through, with steeper slopes than other mountainous roads.
Just 10km, yet the ascent to Cao Son exhausts both the driver and the vehicle. A friend in the group admitted that tackling Cao Son is more challenging than conquering Ma Pi Leng, Khau Pha, and many others.
It took us nearly two hours to wrestle with the steep path before reaching Son village, the first piece of the Cao Son area.
A majestic landscape painting
As everyone reached the mountain ridge, the passenger on the back of the bike exclaimed: 'Wow! It's so beautiful, so majestic!' Stopping the bike on the mountainside, where there's still no protective railing, we began to gaze into the distance. The scene unfolding in the early autumn sunlight was truly magical.
The white clouds floating beneath the Pho Doan valley, Co Lung in the Pù Luông nature reserve, captivated the eyes. The scenery along the road was beautiful and majestic like a gigantic landscape painting. At the foot of the mountain is a small, peaceful village.
Around 10 am, despite the early autumn heat reaching 37-38°C downhill, as we ascended to Son village, the air suddenly became refreshingly cool. The sky was clear blue, the golden sun shining brightly, making everyone forget about fatigue, filled with excitement.
We were mesmerized as we unfolded before us a vast expanse, a myriad of green hues from intertwining trees and the deep brown stilt houses of the Thai people. Beautiful, akin to a tranquil highland painting.
The first adventurers to reach the land of Cao Son likened this place to a Thanh's version of Tam Dao, Sa Pa, or Da Lat. The temperature in Cao Son hovers around 20°C in the main season, while winter can be intensely cold, sometimes dropping to -1, -2°C.
However, upon setting foot in Son village, we felt it was even more marvelous than the vivid descriptions. This land retains the most beautiful gifts nature has bestowed, untouched by urbanization or the hustle of crowded tourist tours.
The road through the Cao Son region is straight and gently sloping. Our vehicle glided through the vibrant green cornfields, bitter melon vines, as the wind gently cooled our bodies, creating a delightful sensation.
The stilt houses with wooden walls and fibrocement roofs, weathered by time, appear nestled among rice fields interwoven with corn and bitter melon.
The Cao Son region begins with Son village, followed by Muoi and Ba villages, eventually bordering the land of Lung Van, Tan Lac, Hoa Binh. The highest peak in the Cao Son region is also the core of the Pù Luông nature reserve, towering over 1,500m above sea level.
Rich in emotions, despite material poverty
Roaming around with delight, we paused at a traditional thatched house belonging to Mr. Ngan Van May and Mrs. Vi Thi Len. Situated right by the road in Son hamlet, the house is simple, constructed with bamboo walls, thatch, and fibrocement roofs. They warmly welcomed us, saying it's been 'a long time since people from the capital visited.'
Engaging in conversation with Mr. May and Mrs. Len, we learned fascinating stories about the land and people here. The Thai people in Son, Ba, and Muoi villages mainly cultivate glutinous rice, sustaining many families throughout the year. Locals also grow a lot of bitter melon for consumption and sale.
“In our Cao Son region, only about 30% of households have electricity. Small hydroelectric turbines are placed in various streams to bring electricity to the village. However, the power supply is insufficient, and water is scarce. Due to these difficulties, there was a period when Cao Son residents requested to be reclassified under Lung Van, Tan Lac, Hoa Binh, where electricity has been available for a long time, and the roads are much more convenient,” Mr. May shared.
Due to the challenging roads, scarcity of electricity and water, the school in Cao Son (located in Muoi hamlet) only has male teachers. People, from the elderly to the young, jokingly say that a female teacher from down below (in Thanh Hoa) coming up here to teach would face water shortages and might not be able to return home for visits.
Despite many hardships, the people here are tightly knit and love one another. Mr. Ngan Van Duc, the head of Son hamlet, informed us that though Cao Son has three hamlets administratively, they consider themselves as one. Despite its scenic and pristine beauty, Cao Son still sees very few tourists.
Whenever someone from below visits, locals, young and old, gather warmly, extending invitations, asking questions, and engaging in conversations. The children eagerly enjoy us taking photos and immediately showing them, laughing joyfully. Adults invite guests into their homes for a chat and a drink.
Meeting only on the roadside, with no prior acquaintance, yet Ms. Vi Thi Mai, freshly back from harvesting corn, enthusiastically invited us to visit her home. After a chat, she even insisted we take some corn to boil when we head down.
“Our corn is just right, not too old, not too young. Boiling it when you go down will make the best meal!” – Ms. Mai exclaimed.
For lunch that day, we enjoyed a meal inside a resident's home in Muoi village. Sticky rice, genuine mountain chicken meat, along with a bowl of bitter melon soup, a jar of pickled bamboo shoots with chili, a cup of local wine... savored on the stilted house without a fan yet still pleasantly cool – it couldn't be more wonderful.
While resting by the roadside, we coincidentally met Mr. Ngan Manh Hung, the head of Muoi hamlet, on his way to Pho Doan for a meeting.
According to Mr. Hung, before the road was built, going down to Pho Doan for a meeting sometimes took almost a day for the 40km journey. On sunny days, and even longer when it rained, forcing them to postpone meetings.
According to Mr. Hung, the Cao Son region (comprising three hamlets) has about 200 households with nearly 1,000 residents, of which 87% are Thai ethnic people. Additionally, there are some Muong and a few Kinh people from below coming up.
As reported by Tuoitre.vn
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourSeptember 1, 2015
