11 November Khaothone River View Resort (Ban Wang Krachae)
44.1 kilometers
The longest day of our trip began with a paddle past Sai Yok Yai Waterfall,
though we dared not go underneath it. All around us towered dramatic limestone
cliffs, including two cave-like overhangs—one with a natural skylight—that
Mathilde and I kayaked into. As yesterday, jungle-clad mountains appeared at
times above the riverside vegetation. We passed many houses of local people and
a few large raft resorts. At about the halfway point we stopped and crossed a
suspension bridge to Wat Hat Ngio, a monastery with a collection of large
colorful Buddha statues in a Karen village. Nearby in a shop Chris arranged for
lunches of take-out fried-rice, which we consumed downriver at our next stop.
A kayak view of Sai
Yok Yai Waterfall
Morning fog added
mystery to the riverscape.
A lonely fisherman’s raft hut
Cave-like overhangs
appear ahead.
Mathilde admires the geology.
Bamboo flourishes
along the river.
Many people cross
the Khwai Noi on foot or on motorbikes to visit Wat Hat Ngio and the Karen
village.
Ordination hall decorations
Inside the
ordination hall
The five Buddha statues beside the ordination hall
This is a
very unusual grouping of Buddha statues.
Lawa Cave lies within Sai Yok National Park and is one of the largest in
Kanchanaburi Province. The cave features electric lighting, however we were glad
to have flashlights as the lights shone only on the pathway and not on the cave
features. After we paid the 300-baht entry, a little girl led us up concrete
steps to the cave entrance. Inside we first detoured to a Buddha chamber on the
left, then continued along the main path for about half a kilometer. The series
of five chambers feature a great variety of cave features, most dry and some
wet. Bats hung from the ceiling in the first room and a small snake curled up in
a hole.
Thai people like to
put Buddha images in caves.
Bats hang out.
I think this is
a Ridley’s beauty snake, cave dwelling ratsnake, cave racer
(Elaphe
taeniura ridleyi) that’s native to Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.
A massive
column
Travertine pools
A fine assemblage
of cave features
This stalagmite is
probably still growing.
An especially fine
“cave bacon” drapery
Back on the water we enjoyed a bit of sunshine. Heavy rain then
fell for a short duration, bringing out pleasant scents from the jungle. A good
current helped us along all day, though toward the end I started feeling sleepy.
Unfortunately the current ran fast at our destination, making for a tricky
arrival. At the start of the kayak tour, Chris had reminded us that when coming
to shore or a dock in current, it’s easiest to make a U-turn and paddle upstream
to make a slow controlled arrival. Chris and Chow did just that, but the next
two kayaks—helmed by Hans and David—failed to do this and crashed into the
resort dock at excessive speed. Both kayaks nearly overturned and a few small
things fell overboard, but Chris and Chow quickly got people and gear out of the
kayaks and safely onto the dock. Mathilde and I arrived last and easily turned
up to the downriver side of the dock. Iew was in shock from the near upset, so
Mathilde gave her a long hug. Hans lost a shoe and remained unconvinced that we
might find it far downstream. I appreciated our spacious raft
rooms—especially after the basic huts of last night—for the hot shower,
air-conditioning, and large covered verandah. I sat on the verandah to watch the
show of sun-illuminated rain showers followed by clouds drifting across hills.
Rain sparkles in
the sunshine at our raft resort.
Clouds drift
through the hills after the rain.
For dinner I enjoyed a pleasantly flavored soft tofu dish and a very spicy green
curry. People in a neighboring raft house made a lot of loud noise from music
and talking in the evening, but soon settled down. During the night I heard
occasional banging sounds from pieces of driftwood in the swift current hitting
the raft house pontoons.