Journey to the Center of the Earth

Recently, my wife and I went on a “little hike” as I called it (this was before we went on the actual hike).  There are a lot of cave systems in Thailand.  You may remember the dramatic rescue in 2018 of the boys’ soccer team who were trapped by flood waters in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system.  The caves are beautiful with many stalactites and stalagmites, and it feels like being in another world.  Now, let’s be clear.  I am not any kind of professional cave explorer.  I’m just your average cave tourist.  Being in a cave always reminds me of a favorite movie I watched over and over when it came on TV – Journey to the Center of the Earth.  Based on the novel by Jules Verne, it’s not only full of caves but also giant mushrooms, rubies and gems, the lost City of Atlantis, a sunken ocean, and even dinosaurs (actually, large lizards filmed up close to appear as dinosaurs but hey, looked like dinosaurs to me as a kid)!

The cave we visited recently is called Phraya Nakhon Cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.  I dutifully paid the park entrance fee for farang (foreigners) of 200 baht while my Thai wife paid only 40 baht (don’t get me started on the financial discrimination policies of Thailand towards foreigners – see my previous blog). Once you are actually in the cave, it is quite nice.  Cool temperatures, easy walking, and beautiful cave features, not to mention the Kuha Karuhas Pavilion which is a four-gabled pavilion built during the reign of King Rama V in 1890. The pavilion is a beautiful Thai-style structure built by artisans from Bangkok, and it commemorates King Rama V's visit to the site. When the sunlight comes in from an opening over the cave, say around 9 or 10am, it illuminates the pavilion, making for a wonderful photo opportunity.

But today I’m not really writing about the cave system or even spelunking in general.  No, today, I’m talking about the effort to actually get into the cave system.  The first step, after paying the park admission fee, is hiking up and down a small mountain, or hill.  It felt more like a mini-mountain to me, but not a bad hike, though this was only step 1 of 2.  We even had a Thai stray dog lead us up and down the mountain path.  He’d even wait for us when we’d get a little winded and had to rest.  Beautiful views of the ocean, though.  For those who don’t want to do this first of two hikes, you can pay 200 baht and take short boat ride on the ocean and go around the mountain.  After the first hike you can rest on the beach for a bit or go right into the second and harder hike.  If you want to get into the cave system, everyone has to hike this second path.  Even in the morning hours and being on the beach, it’s still hot and humid.  This is Thailand, alright?

So, equipped with bottles of water and a decent pair of sneakers (we saw some poor tourists climbing up this path in flip flops which I know they were quickly regretting).  The path is a rocky climb up and down the mountain (yes, I would definitely call this one a mountain).  Sometimes there were some decent rock features that qualified as steps and at least we did have pretty decent tree cover for almost all of the path.  It took us about 45 minutes to an hour to climb up (and down) the path before we made it into the Phraya Nakhon Cave.  Of course, there were younger folks who buzzed by my wife and I as we took several water (and breathing) brakes on our way.  I can only speak for us, though, and there were a few times we thought we might give up.  My wife had a hard time breathing at times and also felt dizzy.  There wasn’t any cave system I wanted to see so badly that I would jeopardize her health so there were several times where I told her, “Lets just go back down and leave.”  For those who did hike past us, I heard all of them huffing and puffing and sweating as they walked by.  But after several resting breaks and munching on Oreo cookies for some sugar energy, we made into the cave. And it was well worth it.  Beautiful. Peaceful. Meditative. Reflective. Contemplative.  All of those words and more would describe our experience in the cave. 

Sometimes our journeys are hard. Sometimes we feel like giving up. But if we persevere and keep going, the reward will be great.  That’s the lesson I learned on my hike(s) up and down into the Phraya Nakhon Cave.  Afterwards, I looked in the gift shop to buy a t-shirt that said, “I survived the hike to the Phraya Nakhon Cave.”  Alas, there were none for sale.  But I completed the journey.  It wasn’t to the center of earth but is was pretty cool.

What journeys are you taking?  My only two cents?  Don’t give up.  Keep going, whatever it is. Here are some other words of inspiration to help us all on our ultimate journey of life:

·       Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-15)

·       However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)

·       I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8) 

·       Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Psalm 84:5)