To the Bat Cave!!

Our first morning at the Cave Lodge - the place is fairly rustic, but our hut is huge and kids think it's great - they have a whole loft section for themselves.

The rest of place is really neat - the owner John is a real character, and has spent the last 25 years building this place out in the Thai countryside. He's got some great stories from the old "Golden Triangle" era of drug smuggling and gun running.

Annie wasn't too pleased to have this guy living at our bungalow - clearly he's had a run-in with something bigger and meaner.

We started the day with a little road trip into the hills near the Cave Lodge, but we did not have much of a map, and I was trying to guess my way through the Thai countryside - not really a good idea, as we quickly got lost.

Maybe part of the problem is that I cannot read Thai script - c'mon people, English please!!

(just kidding)

But sometimes getting lost is not such a bad thing, you stumble on some really beautiful places.

Annie found the local soccer pitch - it was being occupied by a mother pig and her piglets, but we cleared them out and had a phantom game (no ball). Go Angelfish!!

We finally made our way back to the Cave Lodge for a refreshing swim in the Nam Lang river, but not before a quick check for river snakes and leeches. "Hey Owen - why don't you go in first?".

A happily refreshed little boy on the swing inside the Cave Lodge lounge.

By late afternoon it was time to head to one of the caves for which this area is famous. 

Gotta cross a few rice paddies to get there - this countryside is really stunning.

Owen in his element - potty humour will always put a smile on his face!!

Our guide for the cave tour - didn't even get her name. She spoke no English, but her job was primarily to keep us safe and to point out some of the more interesting parts of the cave.

And here is the entrance to the Tham Lot Cave, which is about 1.6 km in length. The Nam Lang River flows through the cave, which is filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The cave is also home to large numbers of bats and swifts. In Tham Lot Cave, teakwood coffins have been discovered which are thought to have been carved by the Lawa tribes people thousands of years ago.

It was pretty spectacular inside. I've been to a few caves in my life, but nothing ever like this.

"Careful you guys - naughty kids can easily get lost in a place like this!"

"But these empty coffins would be perfect places for you to curl up in."

There were three caves in all, and we had a bamboo raft to float from one to another. It was only at the end that we finally encountered the bats - so many in the roof of the cave, making plenty of noise and plenty of poop. And hundreds of river carp were following alongside the raft - it was a very neat ride.

Good idea to wait until the end to exchange money - as Chris De Burgh says - "Don't pay the ferryman 'till he gets you to the other side"

The spectacular finale (for which the photo does not do justice) was about 200,000 swifts flying back to into the cave at dusk to return to their nests for the night - it was unreal!

Back to the Cave Lodge - "Hey daddy - what's all that white stuff in your hair - is it bird poop or bat poop?"

"Take your pick buddy - either one will make you laugh"

Potty humour.