November 30, 2006 Phetchaburi, Thailand

November 30, 2006
Phetchaburi, Thailand

This morning we all woke up around 8:00. Spizz showered and then headed down to breakfast. Jackie was the next to use the bathroom and I went last. Just as we finished getting ready for the day Spizz returned. We then left to grab some breakfast. After eating we reunited in the room.

Our first stop for the day was Khao Bandai-It, another cave sanctuary. We jumped in the back of a cab and rode for about 10-minutes before reaching the road up to the cavern. It was a very steep walk and about halfway up an English-speaking guide met up with us and offered to show us around for free.

We followed her to the very top of the mountain (many, many steps). At the summit a large Buddha was under construction. It was especially cool because half of it was covered in gold tiles and the other half was still stone. After taking in the view and snapping a few photographs we headed back down (only part way).

Our guide led us past a small Wat and to the entrance of the cave (a small door). The entryway opened up into a much larger chamber. As with the cavern we visited yesterday, the walls were lined with impressive Buddha statues. We strolled through the cave and eventually came to a small praying area. Our guide showed us how to pay respects to Buddha. She walked us through the process of lighting the incense and placing it in a small boll at the foot of the statue.

Feeling enlightened, we continued to follow our leader through the cave. We saw many more impressive statues and a lot of bats. It was a great experience. Still, I was more impressed with yesterdays cave…

Eventually, we returned to the surface and our guide then led us to a Wat that was right next to the cave. She knocked on the door and a small monk dressed in white let us in (after removing our shoes). We were then shown how to participate in several other Buddhist rituals. We rubbed gold flakes on a statue, got to bang on the gong, and pick up a very heavy golden elephant with our pinky (Jackie got to use her ring finger).

After giving a tip to the Wat we left and found a small restaurant very close. The entire area was filled with monkeys. Spizz purchased some monkey food (corn) and had a fun time feeding the wild creatures.

Once we were done playing with the monkeys we sat down at the tables to take a break and figure out what to do next. While looking through our book we talked to the only other tourist in the area, Matt (from England). Having seen the caves we did not know what to do for the rest of the day. We discussed returning to Bangkok but decided to wander around town instead.

As we were leaving the cave area Matt decided to join us on our journey. We walked down the street until we stumbled upon a small restaurant. The four of us grabbed a table and ordered something from the menu. We had no idea what to expect because none of the workers spoke English. We were (pleasantly) surprised when each of us got a bowl of soup with rice and meat. It was delicious.

From there we continued down the street until a cab picked us up. Not knowing where to go we pointed to a cool looking building at the top of the highest mountain. Our driver smiled and drove us to a small market area at the base of the mountain.

Thinking we would have to hike up, we started looking for the trail. Fortunately, someone spotted the cable car to the top. We paid the fee (70 baht each) and rode to the summit. As usual, monkeys were everywhere and they were not at all afraid…

Once we reached to top we started exploring. Our first stop was an old palace that has been converted into a museum (mostly just old furniture). From there we visited a small Wat at the top of the mountain and enjoyed some spectacular views. Next, we continued across the mountain to another set of buildings. Once again we got to see some super cool buildings and some great views.

On our way back to the cable car we ran into a group of monks. Jackie asked if she could take their picture and then they told us boys to join them…After a quick photoshoot we returned to the cable car and headed down.

We spent the next hour wandering through the shops at the bottom of the hill. Everyone made a few purchases and then said goodbye to our English buddy. Spizz, Jackie, and I grabbed a cab and headed home (16:30). We were all exhausted and just chilled out in the room until it was time for dinner.

For dinner we just went to the restaurant next door. We left feeling very full and tired. When we got back to our room I collapsed onto the bed and didn’t move for a very long time. We did not do much for the rest of the night and went to bed quite early.