05.11. Crazy Duck Farm

After the last two eventful days, today was a little more relaxed for us. After a good night's sleep and breakfast, we took the scooter a little further away from the national park to another area near Phong Nha to a Duck Station. An unforgettable experience!

The journey there was already adventurous, as the roads were no longer paved and our route often consisted only of compressed gravel. Sometimes we just had to step on the gas to gain more stability and survive without a scratch.

Upon arrival at the Duck Station, we first had a chat with the son of the family business about the place, our life paths, and the journey in general. We enjoyed peanuts with a special chili salt and pepper grown on the farm, sitting among these pepper plants as we talked.

Then it was time for the main reason we came: the ducks. The whole flock lived in an outdoor enclosure with a small pond, and first, we had the chance to feed the animals by hand. It was an incredibly funny feeling, as it felt like vibrating when the beaks of the ten ducks crowded around us, all trying to quickly devour all the food.

We also had the opportunity to try ourselves as duck moms. It was a bit strange to run in front of the flock with a handful of food and make duck sounds, but for a moment, we felt like great leaders, even if only of ducks.

As we sat down on a bench in the enclosure, our human companion sprinkled duck food between our feet, and the whole duck brigade came running to clean up all the food under our feet, giving us a unique duck foot massage.

Lastly, we were able to help a duck fly. Of course, they can't do it on their own anymore because their feathers are clipped, so the son of the duck owners handed us a bird and we threw it into the air. Don't worry, the ducks are fine. They fluttered their wings a bit, flew a few meters, landed in the small pond, and immediately waddled back. It looked very entertaining on video and in slow motion. If you're interested, feel free to ask.

After we had bothered the ducks enough, we moved on to Donald Trump, the bull. We were allowed to sit on this powerful bull and ride through a water hole and a bit across the nearby meadow.

After we enjoyed a small snack as a conclusion, we continued along the "road," which got even worse, and made two stops at restaurants to enjoy the view and swim a bit in the nearby river.

But at the end of the road was the most beautiful viewpoint of our tour. We had a fantastic view of the surrounding green hills and could sit at a table right at the edge, where we immediately started playing Rummy.

Another special experience was a large swing, where you could swing over the edge into the valley and feel incredibly free and weightless, as long as you don't have a fear of heights.

A few minutes later, we arrived at a lake with a resort attached. We changed in the hotel's showers and swam a few laps in the lake to cool off, as it was about 30 degrees again.

As it was getting dark, we drove up the nearby hills and sat down in a nice restaurant that had sun loungers facing the distant mountain ranges and the sunset. After enjoying the sunset with a lotus tea, we headed back to Phong Nha, of course, to the Bamboo Café for dinner.

At 22:00, our night bus arrived, taking us to Ninh Binh in nine hours. Phong Nha was once again a wonderfully beautiful stop. The caves, the national park, and the village atmosphere were incredibly refreshing and will remain a fond memory for a long time.