Sunday, March 6, 2022
7:13 a.m. Jungle Guesthouse
Pang Mapha, Thailand
The roosters have been just as active this morning. Large numbers of them live in the houses and farms around my bungalow, and they are quite loud. Considering that the ruckus has been going on for hours, the roosters must be quite tired. I’ve always found it interesting that the one bird on the planet that insists on making the most noise early every morning is also the worst-sounding of all the birds. It’s almost like a bad joke. What would it be like if roosters had a rich, melodious song instead of that throat-tearing noise they make?
I do hear other birds outside, of course. I can hear some more typical song birds. They also sing every morning. But they are largely drowned out by the roosters.
I haven’t fully decided, but I think my plans for today will center on revisiting the Lod Cave. I visited this cave once before, and I enjoyed my visit. But being my first visit, I feel that I missed a lot. I was so busy figuring out the ins and outs of the place that much of my energy went into a kind of reconnaissance rather than truly experiencing it. But now that I understand what is involved in visiting the cave, I can do it again more efficiently. I don’t have to worry about figuring things out.
Plus, I used my GoPro to film the interior of the cave last time, and it does not work well in low light. I’d also had it accidentally set to a somewhat low ISO. And that meant that the vast majority of the video footage was simply black. I saw much more with my eyes than the camera saw, and it is usually the other way around. If I visit the cave a second time, I will bring my Panasonic G85 and my Panasonic LX10. Those two cameras will perform far better in the dark conditions inside the cave.
It’s also required to have a guide when you visit this cave, and the presence of the guide flustered me a little bit. I moved through the cave faster than I would normally go. And I also felt I had to leave the cave grounds along with my guide immediately afterward. I realized too late that I could probably have stayed and absorbed more of the place after the cave tour was over. I didn’t have to get on my scooter and leave right away.
Finally, there are two ways to end your visit to this cave. You can return to the cave entrance by taking the river raft back up the river, or you can exit the cave and walk along a trail. On my first visit, I took the raft back. I might even do that again, because it was quite interesting to do. But I’m considering returning along the trail. That would add another new element to this second visit.
In terms of costs in Thailand, it is a bit of an expensive prospect. The norm is to go through the cave in a group of three people. And that costs 500 baht. I was on my own, so I had to pay the full 500 by myself. And if I go back today, I will have to pay 500 baht again. A thousand baht is a lot to pay to visit a cave. But the experience is worth it, I think. When else will I be here? I might as well take advantage of it. And I’m also very curious how my other cameras will perform. I’d like to get some experience using the G85 in a dark environment. It will be an interesting experiment for me. The G85’s larger sensor will work better in the cave, but the G85 will struggle with focusing.