This time, our destination was in Khon Kaen Province, just over the line from Kalasin. Ba Luang Waterfall Forest Park is located in some sandstone hills. The main waterfall is adjacent to the parking lot. The sandstone has both hard and soft layers. Here, the water flows over some hard layers, and as it falls, it undercuts into the soft layers below.
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| Ba Luang Waterfall |
Above the water fall is a smaller cascade as the water passes over the unevenly worn rock.
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| Small Cascade Above the Waterfall |
There is a 1 kilometer long nature trail that includes two smaller cascades. It was a quiet day at the park, and we were the only ones on the trail. After climbing a bit, we came to this pond. Water oozed out of the soil above and poured down off the cliff into the pond. A sign posted said that the waterfall is strongest in the early morning and gets weaker as the day goes on.
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| Small Waterfall Along the Nature Trail |
There was a small cave behind the waterfall, and there were a few clumps of these things that reminded me of sea anemones, except that we were nowhere near the sea and these were on land. We assume they are some kind of plant, but they are nothing like what we have ever seen before.
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| Land Anemones |
As we were exploring by the pool, some creature flew by Ingrid then landed in a small tree. Turned out to be some kind of walking stick.
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| Walking Stick |
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| Walking Stick Trying to Hide |
Leaving that pool of water, we continued up the hill, then the trail dropped steeply down to an area where there was only a thin layer of soil over the sandstone. There were no trees in this area, only shrubs and grasses adapted to the harsh environment.
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| Shrubs of the Shallow Soils |
We heard the sounds of children talking and yelling nearby, and eventually we found the source of the clamor. A small creek had eaten its way into the rock below, and there was an old whirlpool etched into the creek bed. A group of boys was taking turns jumping off the two meter deep chasm into the pool below.
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| Diving Pool |
Just above this, we spotted a tiny waterfall flowing into a shallow pool.
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| Small Waterfall |
It was after 1 pm when we left the park, so we were ready for some lunch. The first village came to with a restaurant was Non Somboon. Khrua Yai Puy restaurant was marked by a colorful sign. There was a menu on the wall, and we were happy to see that they served Pad Thai, something we have not eaten in a long time. The couple that ran the place were friendly, though somewhat intimidated by having foreigners as guests. But they relaxed a bit when we spoke Thai to them and behaved as though we understood how these kinds of restaurants function.
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| Khrua Yai Puy Restaurant |
After confirming that they had the dish, we ordered two plates of Pad Thai. We were eager to have this noodle dish, and the 10-minute wait seemed like a long time. Finally it came.
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| Pad Thai or Omelette |
What an awesome looking omelette. If I had ordered an omelette, this would have been a great one. But why did they bring us Khai Jiao instead of Pad Thai? The names of the two items don't sound anything like each other, other than the vowel sound ai that occurs in each name. Did they really misunderstand us? Is our Thai that bad? Or maybe they didn't have Pad Thai noodles but they didn't want to say "no," so as to save face. I'm not sure the reason. But we didn't want to shame them, so we ate our omelettes and went on our way. They good thing is that the omelettes did not have cilantro, which they usually do, so I was able to eat it.
Later it dawned on me that Non Somboon is the same name as the village where we ate lunch on a waterfall trip in Mukdahan back in August, which I wrote about here. The name of the village translates as "Bountiful Hill." I think there are a lot of villages with that name in the Isaan region, but what a coincidence that we happen to find roadside restaurants to eat lunch at in a village of the same name after leaving a waterfall park on two occasions in two different provinces.
I like the name Bountiful Hill. It sounds like an inviting place to live. It also expresses hope for abundant harvests. And the name often seems appropriate, being that the villages are surrounded by lush rice paddies and forests in which to gather wild food. (This is unlike how we name things in California. When we lived in Bakersfield, California, we lived on River Mist Avenue. That was in a desert with no river to be seen. The name of the subdivision was Silver Creek. The only Silver Creek I ever saw in that area was a mirage.)
Bountiful Hill reminds me of the Biblical promises to the nation of Israel. They were going to a land "flowing with milk and honey." This phrase is used to describe the promised land twenty times in the Old Testament, beginning with Exodus 3:8. It as a poetic way of saying that it will be a bountiful land. It is a reminder that God loves us and cares for our needs.
Bountiful Hill reminds me of the words Jesus uses to describe the life that we can have when we believe in Him. He said The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV) I don't have to travel to some small village in another province to experience God's bounty. An abundant life is available to all who put their faith in Jesus, wherever they are.
An abundant life does not necessarily mean that I will be rich in the stuff of this world. Jesus said, Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. (Luke 12:15ESV) An abundant life means that I can have peace and satisfaction that comes from God's presence in my life no matter what storms may come my way. Jesus wants us to trust Him, to be satisfied with Him. This is often easier said than done, however. It is something I am slowly learning to do.
Thank you, God, for being our bountiful hill. Thank you for your promises of an abundant life in Jesus. Thank you for the peace that comes from the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our lives.
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