The Loop: Day 3 – Subterranean Adventures in Kong Lor Cave
22 October 2010
Using our trusty Lao phrase sheet we ordered omelets at a road side cafe in Kuan Kham. After almost half an hour received caramelized chunks of rice. I managed to choke my helping down with the assistance of a liter and a half of water.
The road from Kuan Kham to Kong Lor was straight and smooth lined with rice paddy fields. Dark silhouettes of craggy mountains rose up on all sides. We passed numerous guesthouses before pulling up to the guard shack at Kong Lor Cave park around 11 in the morning.
From there we rode on a forest track to a wooden gazebo with life jackets hanging haphazardly from the rafters and several men milling about. We strolled up and purchased tickets from a middle aged man in a floppy hat for 110,000 kip (~$14). He asked us where we were from and how long we'd been in Laos.
Then the man pointed out our two guides and gave us life jackets. Jean and I followed the two guides down the steep clay embankment to where several long, low profile boats were tied up on the sandy shore. The jade river was wide and moving with a discernible current. It flowed out of dark, gaping mouth of Kong Lor cave a quarter of a mile away. The imposing entrance was set in the sheer rock face of a soaring peak.
We got settled into a boat and the guides started rowing us upstream and across the river. The guy in front didn't have an oar so he paddled with his flip flops. We quickly made it to the other side and stepped out. The guides then led us up some rock hewn stairs into the mouth of the cave. More long boats were moored on the rocky shore inside. I judged that the frothing and vociferous rapids at the cave entrance made the boat transfer necessary. Scattered around the rocky bank were several motors. Each motor was attached to a long metal shaft with a propeller on the far end.
One guide scampered down to get a boat while the other rummaged around on shore picking out an engine. I was struck by the immensity of the cave. The ceiling must have been at least 40 feet above the river's surface. As my eyes adjusted to the light I observed small creatures flitting about in the gloom farther back in cave. All was quiet except for the constant dripping of water.
One of the guides pulled a boat up to where the rock steps descended into the water and gestured for us to get in. The other heaved a engine on board. He mounted it to a thick metal loop on the stern via a long bolt welded to the engine's framed. The first guide jumped into the bow as a lookout. Pulling an oar from underneath the gunwale he rowed us out to middle of the river.
The driver yanked on the starter rope. After several tries, the little two-cycle engine roared to life. We powered up the river and quickly lost sight of the entrance around a bend. Soon, we were slicing through the water in the darkness. The driver and lookout each wore powerful headlamps. Jean and I had a couple of torches. The crazily swinging beams of lights created a kaleidoscopic effect. For stretches I would see nothing but dark water and the far walls. Then suddenly a huge boulder would loom up out of the blackness and our driver would send us skimming around its perimeter.
Ten minutes after leaving the mouth of the cave I caught the sound of rushing water. It was barely perceptible over the snarl of the motor. The sound quickly grew more definite and seemed to be coming from ahead of us. Suddenly, the driver revved the engine and we plowed full ahead into the darkness. The roar of the engines and the rush of the water filled my ears. With a crash, and the grating of rock against the hull, the bow nosed up.
In the myriad of dancing beams I could now see that we were charging up a shallow set of rapids. The motor whined, churning up the water as the skiff struggled against the flow of the white capped water. We lurched to a halt as the craft grounded on some rocks. The lookout jumped overboard and began pulling on the bow while motor howled furiously. The driver killed the ignition and hopped in to push. Jean and I followed suit and went over the side into the calf deep water and began helping dislodge the boat. We then pulled it up and clear of the rapids.
Back in relatively still water we boarded and were soon cutting through the dark waters again. Occasionally our lights would catch flying creatures streaking by. I'm not sure if they were insects or bats. Pieces of reflective plastic mounted to walls and rocks would sometimes flash red under the sweep of my torch.
Soon after the rapids the skiff pulled to a stop at a set of rock steps disappearing into the darkness. We got out and followed the lookout up. He ducked under the hand rail and opened a breaker box. Several orange, red and blue lights blinked on illuminating several formations in the recesses of the immense cavern. We strolled around amidst the stalactites and stalagmites admiring the grandeur before returning to the boat.
The lookout switched off the lights and we were back to using our torches.
Thinking that the tour was now over and we'd be heading back now, I considered our money well spent. We stepped into the boat followed by the lookout. He took his paddle and rowed us out to the middle river. The driver fired up the engine and we roared on, power sliding around corners and jetting through the blackness.
Some time later we careened up yet another rapid and caught sight of the yawing cave mouth in the distance. I was befuddled as to how we could have doubled back having never gone down any rapids. As the mouth grew closer it quickly became apparent that this was another entrance. We'd gone all the way through the mountain.
I squinted as we zoomed out of the cave into the bright midday sun. The driver followed the snaking green river for several minutes before driving the skiff up on a sandy bank next to a wooded area and a covered picnic shelter.
Jean and I took a seat on a bench and had some potato chips while the driver and lookout hung out nearby. Neither appeared to speak English and we weren't quite sure if they were giving us a ride back or if we were walking back from here. After twenty minutes, they began stirring and the lookout walked over to us.
“Let's go?” he said.
We followed them back to the skiff. The lookout pushed us off the bank and we took off back down the river and into the cave. After going over both sets of rapids we reemerged on the other side some 45 minutes later completing my wildest cave tour yet.
See video of us taking some rapids here. This is us coming out of the cave. The video is dark and jerky. For the best effect I recommend turning off the lights and turning up the volume.
 |
| Caramelized Rice. Not so yummy. |
From there we rode on a forest track to a wooden gazebo with life jackets hanging haphazardly from the rafters and several men milling about. We strolled up and purchased tickets from a middle aged man in a floppy hat for 110,000 kip (~$14). He asked us where we were from and how long we'd been in Laos.
Then the man pointed out our two guides and gave us life jackets. Jean and I followed the two guides down the steep clay embankment to where several long, low profile boats were tied up on the sandy shore. The jade river was wide and moving with a discernible current. It flowed out of dark, gaping mouth of Kong Lor cave a quarter of a mile away. The imposing entrance was set in the sheer rock face of a soaring peak.
One of the guides pulled a boat up to where the rock steps descended into the water and gestured for us to get in. The other heaved a engine on board. He mounted it to a thick metal loop on the stern via a long bolt welded to the engine's framed. The first guide jumped into the bow as a lookout. Pulling an oar from underneath the gunwale he rowed us out to middle of the river.
The driver yanked on the starter rope. After several tries, the little two-cycle engine roared to life. We powered up the river and quickly lost sight of the entrance around a bend. Soon, we were slicing through the water in the darkness. The driver and lookout each wore powerful headlamps. Jean and I had a couple of torches. The crazily swinging beams of lights created a kaleidoscopic effect. For stretches I would see nothing but dark water and the far walls. Then suddenly a huge boulder would loom up out of the blackness and our driver would send us skimming around its perimeter.
Ten minutes after leaving the mouth of the cave I caught the sound of rushing water. It was barely perceptible over the snarl of the motor. The sound quickly grew more definite and seemed to be coming from ahead of us. Suddenly, the driver revved the engine and we plowed full ahead into the darkness. The roar of the engines and the rush of the water filled my ears. With a crash, and the grating of rock against the hull, the bow nosed up.
In the myriad of dancing beams I could now see that we were charging up a shallow set of rapids. The motor whined, churning up the water as the skiff struggled against the flow of the white capped water. We lurched to a halt as the craft grounded on some rocks. The lookout jumped overboard and began pulling on the bow while motor howled furiously. The driver killed the ignition and hopped in to push. Jean and I followed suit and went over the side into the calf deep water and began helping dislodge the boat. We then pulled it up and clear of the rapids.
Back in relatively still water we boarded and were soon cutting through the dark waters again. Occasionally our lights would catch flying creatures streaking by. I'm not sure if they were insects or bats. Pieces of reflective plastic mounted to walls and rocks would sometimes flash red under the sweep of my torch.
Soon after the rapids the skiff pulled to a stop at a set of rock steps disappearing into the darkness. We got out and followed the lookout up. He ducked under the hand rail and opened a breaker box. Several orange, red and blue lights blinked on illuminating several formations in the recesses of the immense cavern. We strolled around amidst the stalactites and stalagmites admiring the grandeur before returning to the boat.
Thinking that the tour was now over and we'd be heading back now, I considered our money well spent. We stepped into the boat followed by the lookout. He took his paddle and rowed us out to the middle river. The driver fired up the engine and we roared on, power sliding around corners and jetting through the blackness.
Some time later we careened up yet another rapid and caught sight of the yawing cave mouth in the distance. I was befuddled as to how we could have doubled back having never gone down any rapids. As the mouth grew closer it quickly became apparent that this was another entrance. We'd gone all the way through the mountain.
I squinted as we zoomed out of the cave into the bright midday sun. The driver followed the snaking green river for several minutes before driving the skiff up on a sandy bank next to a wooded area and a covered picnic shelter.
“Let's go?” he said.
We followed them back to the skiff. The lookout pushed us off the bank and we took off back down the river and into the cave. After going over both sets of rapids we reemerged on the other side some 45 minutes later completing my wildest cave tour yet.
See video of us taking some rapids here. This is us coming out of the cave. The video is dark and jerky. For the best effect I recommend turning off the lights and turning up the volume.
Comments
Do you know if the caves are passible year-round?