Cavelodge spectator
My days at Cavelodge have been spent observing or spectating, whatever you might call it, by that I mean I have had a lovely time watching others having a lovely time.
Due to my fall on day 2 of arriving at Cavelodge I have spent most days in the communal area watching the world go by, I sit and listen to the cicadas, Geckos, frogs and the bells around the cows necks, as well as the many insect and bird sounds of the jungle. I watch the many different coloured butterflies flutter around, the peace and tranquility sometimes spoiled only by new arrivals, checking in, or ordering food.
The hospital where they treated my knee!
Cavelodge is where all travellers stay at some point, they come for a day to try one of the fantastic trips to the caves, waterfalls or simply the magnificent sunrise trip but end up spending much longer, the ambience, the jungle, the general feeling of the place is magical you just have to stay longer.
Passion fruit growing outside my hut
The food is cooked freshly from locally grown vegetables and locally reared animals, the fruits are plenty and tantalizingly delicious, the people are warm and friendly and welcoming, you can’t help but want to stay and enjoy the atmosphere.
Tom Ka soup made with chicken, vegetables and coconut milk with lemon grass and other herbs and spices locally grown.
Growing outside my room and found in my soup, known as “rat shit chillies” they blow your head off!!!!!!!!
It is simply built, on stilts in the jungle, out of teak , bamboo and leaves, the only entertainment is what you make yourselves, I have met some wonderful people from Belgium, Yorkshire, Surrey, USA, Canada, Netherlands and many other places and spent many hours chatting or enjoying music or listening to their tales of their day’s adventures.
I have heard about the birds that come to the cave every night, swifts in their thousands swooping into the cave entrance for the evening, I can only imagine because I have not seen them but the photos look fab, I have listened to tales of leeches at the waterfalls and enjoyed looking at the photos again, in all it hasn’t been so bad not being able to experience it all for myself, I had the next best thing, excited traveller stories and of course I can plan my next trip back here knowing all the exciting things I will do.
Everything is just more colourful here, the tribal people’s clothes, the flowers, the buildings and even the insects and fungi are colourful. Thailand is an amazing country which I have had the good fortune to spend some time in, next time it will be longer.
The tribal people we have met have been so warm and welcoming, the friends I am with have been as good as family to me during this lazy time sitting around, we have played games (discovered a new favourite “Cards Against Humanity”), eaten together, shared wine, shared stories, shared the delicious fruit longan, made tons and tons of way markers for the fantastic Ultra Marathon and generally had fun with craft ideas for the tribal school children.
Even though my time in Thailand has come to an untimely end, I have thoroughly enjoyed the company of the people and the ambience of Thailand and will definitely be coming back, wiser when it comes to choosing travel insurance, richer when it comes to having a safe buffer and more excited because now I know all there is to offer in just the few places I have been so far, I also know there is so much more to explore.
A darling little girl, daughter of Non, who works at the Lodge!
While at home I will be sorting my blog properly and doing my TEFL course so that when I come back it will be with better prospects and different expectations, hopefully with the promise of a job I will get paid for, teaching English to Thai children. I also need to keep learning Thai although it seems the best saying you can learn is Mai Pen rai, meaning its ok, no problem, all will be well, which is how I am resigned to feeling at the moment.
Chok, one of the sons of the staff, playing on the swing!