I left the dirt road in the village, following the signs and the clear pathway towards the cave. Before I had gone three hundred meters, I could see the Fergusons heading across the fields, clearly in pursuit of yours truly.
They had seen their mark, and I was it. These were my guides, irrespective of the fact that I needed no guide, they had only one headlamp between them, and I was packing the only water.
But guide me they must, as Phang (Fergie V) made clear. Across the field and through the forest we went, sometimes with their guidance, sometimes with mine.
We climbed to the first stopping point, a former Pathet Lao hidden checkpoint. The huge stone overhang protected us from the sun, and the villagers from bombs. The Fergusons were winded from the climb, so I waited for them until they were able to resume .
We scaled the rest of the steep climb and then entered the cave. I was now guiding the Fergies, showing them stalactites and stalagmites. I explained what silica was and how the water deposited it to creat formations. The lesson was in Lao and English and lots of pantomime. They had "silica" down pat.
Great story. You're now immortal. They'll tell this story to their grandchidren. And next time, I'm going with you. Getting tired of making fun of you at a distance.
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