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Published: October 6th 2012
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This blog has 53 photos. please scroll down and turn page to view all of them. The agenda for my third day in Thailand was an excursion to the town of Soppong. I got a hunch while researching Thailand that Soppong would be a cool place to visit and it did not dissapoint. Once again we wound our way through hairpin turns, curling our way through the mountains. We made a stop at a small White Karon village. Everybody was at work in the fields, so it was quiet except for a little boy who was laying on a mat cradling a hen. I wanted a photo of him so badly, but it was way to dark for it to turn out. The White Karon have a nice aesthetic sense in how they create their surroundings. I find this to be true in most all of Thailand.
The next stop was a lookout point and a Black Lahu veggie market. The guide I hired was suprised that I know what everything was, can cook it, and actually like it --even bitter melon. After stocking up on persimmons and peanuts, we hit the road once again and headed to Tham
Lot.
Tham Lot is a huge cave in Soppong. The Lam Nang river flows through it and during the dry season local guides offer boat rides into the depths of the cave. The river was too high for that so I hired a local Shan woman to take me through the cave. She fired up a gas lamp and we ventured in. Upon entrance to the cave the smell of bat poop hit me in the face. Thousands of swifts and bats populate the cave and sunset is said to be spectacular as they trade posts. The stalactites and stalagmites form all sorts of creatures and the light of the lamp added to the illuision. Total coolness! There are ancient teak coffins in part of the cave, but we were unable to access them due to the high waters. Once again food venders abounded and I had yet another amazing meal.
Cave investigating finished, I checked into my lodging for the night -the Soppong River Inn. I'm not sure how I even came across this place, but it is really special. It of course is set right on the river and boasts a large teak deck overlooking the
river and jungle. My little bungalow was charming and also had a balcony overlooking the river. The jungle was alive with noise that meshed with sound of the river. I could hear gibbons and other creatures, but could only catch a glimpse of an occasional bird.
Soppong is not much to look at, but it is fascinating none the less thanks to the varied hilltribes that populate the region. As I ate a wonderful Shan style dinner, I watched motor bikes whiz by carrying families decked out in their village dress. What an array of color and style! I'd have loved to take a photo, but it's hard to capture somebody passing by on a bike, AND I didn't want to feel like the intrusive camera toting tourist. I want to go back to Soppong next year on a Tuesday when they have their market. People come down from all the villages to peddle their wares and it's supposed to be quite a sight.
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