2012
Click the images! Nearly all of them have a blow up
You will find in many places in Thailand limestone cliffs above a nearly flat area. Many of them are just like a hollow tooth.
Inside many of them you will find caves [in Thai: Tham] which are often very huge. For example, in the north -near the road from Mae Hong Son to Pai- there is the cave Tham Lot. A river flows through it. The visitors can travel on boats, a bridge connects the two banks inside the cave.
Another huge cave, Tham Erawan, is situated in the northeast near the road between Udon Thani and Loei.
Erawan, that is the name of the three-headed elephant which the god Indra is riding. Some people imagine, that the rock looks like a kneeling elephant, the head near the entrance of the cave.
I visited this cave for the first time in 1991. You have to climb roundabout 600 steps leading up to the entrance with a large sitting Buddha statue. In those days there was no electric light in the cave, but so many bats, that a thick layer of their excrements covered the ground. — In march 2012 I climbed up again.
A nun sold joss sticks. I gave a donation. Then I soared up and up till the sitting Buddha welcomed me.
From the entrance the cave leads downwards.Today there are illuminated paths.
This huge mountain is in reality only a thin shell. There are several holes where the daylight is shining through.
How high and wide the cave is, you can see it in the large image on the right [don't forget to click]. On the opposite side you can recognize at least two people upon the path. Then you have an idea of the dimensions. In the length the cave is still much larger.
If you do not see the two persons, please → click here (original size)
The illumination, especially the coloured, is debatable! I am glad to have seen the cave beforehand!
Tham Erawan is a very huge cave. Apart from that there are many interesting caves in Thailand. However, there is a reason why I wanted to visit Tham Erawan once again.
Almost at the end of the cave there is an opening with a promontory from which you can overlook the whole landscape. Nowadays a large staircase helps you to get up there.
In 1991 a phasmid danced on a cactus.
Unfortunately I did not meet it again in 2012.
But the cactus was still there and was groaning under its age, as I do.
Back to the entrance. Oh, what about the bats? I cannot tell you about them, I did not notice any bat.
It was afternoon when I came down again. The restaurant owners had lunch, and I also got a good lunch.
