I was afraid I would die: HK actress on Vietnam cave adventure

I was afraid I would die: HK actress on Vietnam cave adventure

Veteran Hong Kong actress Rain Lau recalls her expedition to the world's largest cave, Son Doong cave in Vietnam, and the challenges she faced.

What were the difficulties you faced while filming "The Challenge" at the Son Doong Cave in Vietnam?

Rain Lau: We really underestimated the difficulty of the cave.

"When we did the research on Son Doong Cave, we hired 5 to 6 professional cavers from England who were going to lead us on the expedition. They told us it was very easy and that everybody can do it. Sounds so relaxing right?

"On the first day, the car took us to a secluded and abandoned place, and told us to get off and walk.

"There were no roads, only dense forestry. The time to get the entrance of the cave on foot was two days.

"We spent a night in the cave. It was a huge cave full of swallows.

"It was so dark that when I stretched out my hand, I couldn't even see it.

"When we woke up in the morning, we were covered with swallow droppings.

"All our clothing was soiled. We had to put our clothes on the ledge with the swallow droppings. We still had to wear them.

"There was no shower, no toilets. We had to dig holes. We virtually lived like cavemen. With no makeup, like cavemen!

"On the second day, we made our way to the second cave entrance. We were already heaving with regret even before we got there.

"If we moved forward, we didn't know what dangers to expect. If we turned back, we'd feel bad to our boss, because all the expenses had been paid.

"I was very stressed because we couldn't get a cell reception. The satelite phone couldn't get a reception either.

"If any of us got injured, we had to rely on the Vietnamese porters to carry us out. Even if they walk fast, it takes one day to reach the main road.

"And there is no reception on the main road, who will save you then? So it was very stressful and I was very afraid.

"I thought to myself, should I just die? It's better than being injured.

"I cried every day. In that instant, I missed my family and my home so much.

"I kept thinking that if I got into an accident, I would never see them again.

"So every step I took I thought of survival. It was really like being a caveman.

"All the other material things like Louis Vuitton and all that branded stuff and make up and all... I forgot all about these. It was all about survival."

 

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