Kayaking to the Pak Ou Caves

So, the day starts just like any other day in Laos. Well, at that point I didn't have too many days in Laos, just three, but there were some demonstrated similarities. In any case, we take off in the van down what we came to know as a "yes/no road".  

What is a a "yes/no road"? If you have never been traveling in a van while vacationing in Laos, this would be a reasonable question. Picture this. A van is heading down a road so bumpy that you cannot control the motion of your head. At times, it is moving back and forward in a yes-like manner. Alternately, your head may move from side to side exhibiting a no-like movement. If this occurs with some frequency, you are traveling on a "yes/no road". 

On this particular day, we were on a "yes/no road" for some long periods of time while on our way to kayak on the Nam Ou River. The Nam Ou flows into the Mekong River; at the junction of the rivers one finds the Pak Ou Caves. These caves have been a place of worship for Theravada Buddhists for more than 500 years. The caves have been a place where old buddha statues are retired, and a place where valuable buddhas have been hidden from invaders.

Our trip took us several kilometers down the Nam Ou. We were to lunch at the junction of the rivers, and then cross the Mekong to the caves.

Along the way we stopped for a break and an opportunity for a swim. 

A few of our group opted for the swim including my wife Randeen. Once back in the kayaks, Randeen and I managed to dump our kayak in some moderate rapids. We did not manage to paddle rapidly enough to avoid a rocky upset. Hoping that we had not swallowed too much of the Nam Ou, we went back to paddling.

Upon our arrival at our lunch spot, we beached the kayaks and made our way to a restaurant on the banks of the Mekong. There was quite a bit of activity along the banks of these rivers. 

Fishing is a major activity for lots of the locals. Boats were being maintained and fish traps were being repaired or drying awaiting the next use.

After our repast, we crossed the river avoiding tourist and commercial boats. We landed just below the 2 caves and made our way about 50 yards up the hilly river bank to the caves' entrances.

The caves are located with one on top of the other, like two stories in a building. The upper cave is accessed via a series of steps that deter all but the most fit or determined tourists. The only lighting in the caves comes from the cave opening. There is no additional lighting. A flashlight or camper's headlamp is of huge benefit. This fact is further reinforced by the failure to bring either a lashlight or camper's headlamp.

It is estimated that approximately 4000 buddhas have taken up residence in the caves. We stopped counting after reaching 387. They all started looking the same.

Many pieces of the statuary shows signs of a long residency, significant numbers are eroded, cracked or  broken.

I can say with great certainty that I have never seen more buddhas in one location.

There seemed to be no limits on the sizes and variations. It seems that the only limiting factor on the size of a buddha in the cave was the cave entrance.

It seems hard to believe that this pair of remote caves could become the home to all of these buddhas.

I don't think I'll ever make the trip back to the caves, but it was interesting. It is difficult to convey the vast number of buddhas through just a few photos. 

When we departed the caves, we headed down the Mekong for a few more kilometers of kayaking. Randeen and I managed to capsize our kayak, again. This time it was in a whirlpool created by a tourist boat. That's our story and we are sticking to it.