30 March 2013 Pang Ma Pha

Pang Ma Pha is in the Mae Hong Son province, in the top north-west corner of Thailand, next to the Burma/Myanmar border. 5 hours from Chiang Mai in the mini-bus.

The whole area is densely forested hills and mountains. Steep cliff faces, deep valleys, sloping mountainsides, fallen rocks, all covered in trees. Green undulations as far as the eye can see. Largely untouched and unspoilt, very little building or agricultural development, the road is steep and winding, up and down, sharp bends. Astoundingly beautiful. My pics fail to do it justice (But it is the burning season in Thailand and Burma. Smoke from fields far away creates a smog covering thousands of square miles, including these mountains and even Chiang Mai 200 kilometres away).

On the way we stop at the Pai Hot Spring. The water seeps out from deep down at 80 – 100 degrees C.

Further down the stream, you can bathe or dangle your feet in it. It has great healing properties, so I am hoping it will fix my damaged toe nails and so save on my chiropodist bills. The water is 35 degrees here.

Next, the memorial Bridge

 

And lunch in a great restaurant

Then to Cave Lodge, where I am to spend my one night away on this trip. It is a timber built collection of lodges perched on a mountainside, with a huge main building for reception, meals and socialising. This is the link http://www.cavelodge.com/lodge/accomm.html    Here is my lodge

 

 

 

 

 

and the view from my balcony

We walk through the village of Tham Lod

To the cave

We enter the cave on bamboo rafts. The water is about 2 ft deep and full of big fish which we feed.

Out of the boat, we walk and climb steep steps through the heart of the cave. Huge caverns, tiny gaps, fantastic rock formations, stalag mites, tites and all the other ites, created over millions of years, forming incredible structures and shapes. 619 625 613 618

Bats, in bunches of 100s clinging to the cave roof, squeaking………..eerie

And a cave painting, 2 –3 thousand years old

And coffins that look like ancient boats, carved out of trees 1,000 plus years ago. They have found hundreds of them in the many caves around this area. (Sorry no pic.)

The far exit is an incredible sight, not just for the beauty of the trees and river beyond, but also the continuous swarm of swifts returning to the cave for the night. You can’t see them in the photo, but they are dense shrieking waves pouring through the entrance to the cave. Half a million of them returning at dusk.

The whole experience of this cave, and Cave Lodge to which I now return for a meal and sleep, is going to be one of my most memorable travel events.

Another day tomorrow; All the Best,  John