Village House, Phong Nha, Days 1 and 2

So we heard there was a typhoon coming, and people weren't lying. As we get off the half empty bus at half 4 in the morning, we are met by torrential rain. The offer of a free pick up has been forgotten as the whole electricity in the town has been switched off, so a half an hour walk in the downpour is our welcome to central Vietnam.
Luckily we can walk into the home stay when we arrive and check into our room. We are told not to leave, and we soon see why. The noise of the wind and rain hammering the building is very loud, and the sight of the rain lashing down from our window is almost to the point of frightening. We have heard the typhoons out here are bad, and people weren't lying. As night draws in we finally step outside onto a driveway scattered with broken trees and leaves. We eat a dinner cooked by the family along with some other tourists and call it a day, hoping for a chance to explore tomorrow.
As the sun rises after a very sweaty night (no electricity means no aircon) we are desperate to escape the home stay, so get on a few bicycles and try to see the caves. The typhoon has ravaged the landscape. Roads are blocked with broken trees and some houses on the road side are completely destroyed. As we were inside in a large sturdy house during the storm, the full power off it wasn't really realised until now.
All roads to the caves are flooded, and locals drive out to them to get their laundry done. Children play in huge puddles on what should be highways. It is a very surreal day. As night draws in we head into town for some beers, and that means a very dark bike ride home. The night is hot, and there's still no electricity or no water, so we fight through it (I sleep okay but Amy hardly gets a wink) and decide when the morning comes we need to move into town, and we need somewhere that has some power during the night!Read more