Aimed destination – Pai! Arrived destination – MaeLaNoi! It totally turned the trip upside down!
I was introduced to Pai for the first time in July 2005. And I decided to visite the adorable tiny village of Pai for another time this year.
When travelling there I made a mistake at Chiangmai Arcade, when I hopped onto the wrong bus. So instead of going up north to Pai, I incidentally turned out to heading down south to JomThong – MaeHongSon. Anyway, I broke a trip in MaeLaNoi – a village that I knew nothing about, back then. However, it did make it a trip to remember for me for sure!
It was like destiny guiding me to the location at the first place. It got me to run onto that wrong bus and brought me the seat mate, who – at the time, ran the one and only accommodation in the village. She suggested and offered me to stay at her place called Bamboo Hut for a night – It cost me only THB150/night – which was more than worth it for a warmly stay.
Shhhhhh!! I did not arrive there with enough cash to deposit the debt to her right away. Things seemed to go worse when there was no ATM machine in town – ggrrrrhhh!!! I told her my situation and asked for a drop in MaeSaRiang – a town 30km further. in distance with ups and downs hill travel, in the next morning. She was more than pleased to help me out! Thank you loads!
When the bus arrived at about 17.00, I dropped my stuffs off in a room and refreshed a bit so I decided to walk around the village to see the overall landscape and tried to enjoy my terrific luck. I utmost appreciated the very simple and charming characters of village a lot. The villagers were also very kind and friendly. The air was so refreshing, clean and nice chilled.
That evening, I also had a chance to join the owner and her husband at their dinner. The dinner was set nicely simple but very healthy with fresh and organic local vegetables and herbs which you had to dip the spicy recipe of chili dipping paste. Right after dinner, the night of silence and peace just drove me into sound sleep in short time. It was one of my best sleeps ever!. Especially, when I woke up into the cool shock of mist and the next surprise before the very first sun light hit a start zone horizon – an ice cold trip on a motorbike to hunt for a ATM machine in the next town!!
At was about 08.00 when we arrived back to the village MaeLaNoi. Right afterwards, my hostess did introduce me to the amazingly stunning Calcite Cave called Kaew Komol. It used to be a Fluorite mining – located in Baan HouyMaPhai, MaeLaNoi, MaeHongSon, found out a mouth to bottom of cave sparkling Calcite. Though, it was discovered incidentally in year 1993 and as the second place in Asia. With its depth of 30 meters, 120 meters in length and has only one way in and out, hence, the number of visitor shall be limited per touring.
This cave just meant so much to my travel diary, since it’s a so very rare found sparkling calcite cave in Thailand, also in the whole world. Still I accidentally happened to go see it by hopping onto the wrong bus with a little decision to break in an unknown village where the cave located. Better than just to see it, I happened to coming to see the Cave in the early era so I could shoot some shots – which are nowadays strongly prohibited!!
After seeing the cave I got back to town just in time to catch another bus to head down to Mae Hong Son and Pai – as the next destinations. I must very thank the owner of Bamboo Hut for the great moments of time in MaeLaNoi. When I take the next visit over there I would for sure not miss the sheepish village, which I missed this time. I would love to greet Shaun the Thai hill tribal sheep. Yee-haw!!
/// Written by Veranuch Wongduan, Thailand
