วัดถ้ำไชยศรี - Pha Khao District

ว่าจะเดินทางไปทำบุญวันอาทิตย์

I wanted to go to this wat because a farang had added a few photos (thank you Michael Riederer whoever you are) to Google Maps and the views from the rock looked worth seeing for myself. This place ended up being a total surprise and it is that aspect of it that makes this temple worth the visit. We followed in Michael's footsteps and started to head back down the stairs from the rock face with some nice landscape photos that in themselves would have made the visit worthwhile when we were stopped by a monk who seemed to appear from nowhere and he and Gaun my wife got chatting. We were then invited to see the cave (I hadn’t realised that there was one), which is sealed off from the outside by an ugly blue wall of metal sheeting to the left of the stairs. What you will find inside is what makes this place unusual. The main cave is set up as part temple and part living room for the single monk who has lived and worked here for eight years. A lovely and friendly guy. I don’t think he sees too many people so he likes a chat and was very excited to show us around. If you visit this wat the monk will be most likely be working underground so bang those bells in the photo above until he arrives (he told us that). If you thought this was the end of the tour you’d be missing the very best bit of the whole temple. The monk took us on an explore of what he has been working on for the last eight years where he has been opening up passageways and caves deep under this level. It is a magical experience to share his joy in showing you his creation. Coming out of the caves and it still isn’t over. We were taken through to the rear of the top-level cave and then onto the other side of the hill. There’s an opening to a large deep cave here complete with bats that the monk is planning to give access to at some stage. Just beyond that we climbed a steep metal stairway to an area where he wants to build another viewing sala and you can see why. I was full of admiration for this monk. Although the place looks like a mess from the outside once you get beyond that you become involved his world, a space that expresses the passion he must have to be working solo on this enterprise for eight years. The caves are not world beaters but it was the surprise element that made this such a worthwhile experience. That and meeting a man on a mission. What we so often deal with these days is bland and average or less so it was uplifting to see an individual doing something unusual for the love of it.