It has been theorized that if one gathers large enough samples one will eventually find multiple identical occurrences; for instance, in a clump of sand on the palm of one's hand one is not likely to find two identically shaped motes, however, if one is to sample ten thousands more clumps or even all the sands on the beach one will most likely find two or more identical motes in terms of shape and, perhaps, weight.  In the same line of reasoning, if we sample a large enough region of space trillions and trillions of light years deep in all directions we will “probably” find another planet that looks exactly like the Earth which has the same me writing this entry and the same you reading it...; ah, the wonder of the law of probabilities in the realm of infinity...



Well, to bring matter home, not long ago I wrote an entry titled White Waterfall (Thac Trang), a magnificent falls found in Minh Long, Quang Ngai, and having been seeing quite a number of falls around the country, I nearly came to the conclusion that it was one of its class...that was until I found another one of the same class in Tam Lanh district (Quang Nam).  Surprisingly, the site in Minh Long is just about less than 100KM away from this one here in Tam Lanh (on a straight line).  Come to think of it, such sites are not that strange to find at all, as water from the western plateaus naturally flows down to the flatlands forming numerous falls along the borderlines, and some of them happen to appear “white” to the locals, hence the identical names.  Admittedly, from a mortal's standpoint, it's wondrous to discover such natural beauty again and again scattered all over the gossamer of our strange, new traveling way.



Unequivocally, like all other untouched, off-the-beaten-path sites, it takes some effort to get to the White Waterfall of Tam Lanh (I'm referring to it in this manner of speech from now, to distinguish it from the one in Minh Long).  At the crosspoint within the town of Tam Ky, proceed westward on Tran Cao Van deep into the countryside for about 10km, and then another 20km of zigzagging along the smoothly paved curves of the Phu Ninh's lakeside and mountainous terrain will take us to the village of Tam Lanh.  Here is a typical little highland settlement with one famous exception, it is the sole serving base of operation for a nearby goldmine (being operated by an entity called Bong Mieu), to which quite a number of daring men who came determinedly to make a handsome fortune, and as the stories are told, some succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dream and many more were to never come back...  The vicinity of the gold mine itself is off-limits to outsiders, what with a high-power zoom lens could only reveal more of trees and inconspicuous landmarks, effectively, the mining operation is pretty much concealed inside the landscape.  They say, controversies abound around the operation that be, it is defacing the landscape as much as it is contaminating the ecosystem, and the lingering fear that deadly chemicals involved in the operation may leak into the environment especially the major source of fresh water nourishing the entire populated area.  Sadly, how the authorities are dealing with all these shabbinesses is still shrouded in the fog of greed and politics.  Anyway, let's get back to the topic before I get angry and start a series of profanity.



Further west, bypassing the goldmine for a distance of 3 kilometers there lies the end of the road, whereupon lies the White Waterfall of Tam Lanh.  The entire area before the falls is stripped clear which makes it look desolate and unfinished in some way, and it finally takes a five-minute walk on rocky and uneven surfaces to get to the base of the falls.  In appearance, it is as tall and as white as the one in Minh Long, and the running wall is steep enough to shoo away the timid.  Nonetheless, if you refuse to hang around at the base, upon close observation, there are nooks and steps barely connected, enough to make 1/3 of the way up where there's a fine spot for an open-sky shower.  There're no candy stands or gift shops to mark your experience with, thus, be prepared to bring something to save the day.  I'm not even aware of the existence of any motels or restaurants, so make it a point to leave the site before dark.  If you're an adventurous soul, you may find excitement riding back at night, just be warned that you'll be the only one bleeping on this stretch of the mountainous road, like we did.