Tham Heup cave downstream entrance
Nam Heup stream flows through the cave and enters Hinboun river from opposite side of Ban Na Kok village. In November when we went there the water was low and it was impossible for a boat to enter. So we walked the roughly 800 meters long passage inside the cave. At some points we had to wade waist-deep through the water, at other locations we walked over stones and rocks. There were some rock writing inside.
We came out of Huep cave from upstream entrance
Later we emerged into the day light in the valley from the rocky upstream entrance of Huep cave. While we were in the cave at a point the guide pointed out the location where local people tried to block the passage with rocks and rubbles so as to deny the enemy the access to the valley during the Indochina war in the 1960's and 1070's.
Ruins of so-called Aryan people town in the valley
We walked about 20 minutes to the ruins of so-called Aryan people town. There were brick works looking like walls and columns with overgrown trees and roots. Local people going us were able to tell us only little information.
Ruins of Aryan people town
From the shapes of the ruins it looked like it could not be a small village. But where are other remains? There maybe many more to be discovered if proper extensive study and excavation could be done.
We came out of Huep cave from downstream access
We came back to the cave after a while between the ruins. We walked again the same dark passage over the sand, stones and through the water back to the light of the other side of the world. It was amazing or rather strange to feel the feeling of being back to somewhere after a time in the another side of the mountain through underground tunnel.
Savannakhet town
We continued our boat journey further down the river to a place where we got car transport took us to Savannakhet.
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