Two kilometers south-west of Ti Top
Beach is the Me Cung Grotto or
Bewitching Grotto. It formed on Lom
Bo Island, and seen from afar, the
entrance is like the roof of a house
denting the island's side.
After a narrow crack only allowing
one person through at a time, many
partitions appear. These chambers
are somewhat small and narrow, but
very refined, and with many
stalagmites and stalactites bearing
beautiful forms.
Threading your way through narrow
passages, you find a dim light from
afar, which signals the exit of the
grotto. On getting out of the
grotto, climb up several rugged
stone stairs and look down, you see
a large round lake surrounded by the
mountain. Its waters is blue all
year round. The lake is home to many
kinds of fish, shrimps, octopuses,
algae, see weed, and coral. Lying
adjacent to the lake there is an
area of old trees popularly known as
an alluring "royal garden".
It is dry and well-ventilated, and
features a thick layer of shells
forming the foundation of the
entrance. Formerly, this layer was
1.2-meter-thick and semi-fossilized.
In the course of research, there was
also a fossilized animal's skeleton
discovered in the interior. The Me
Cung Grotto has been recognized by
archaeologists as one of the
vestiges of the pre-Ha Long new
Stone Age culture, that existed
between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Pushing into the grotto, tourists
feel like walking in a palace of a
Persian king. Hearing the murmur
from out of nowhere, you think that
Scheherazade is telling the stories
of the Thousand and One Nights for
her king.
On the island, there are many
ancient trees casting long
reflections on the water of the bay.
They are home to many species of
birds and animals (monkeys, chamois
and varans).
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