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Thursday, June 25, 2009

PHRA NANG CAVE


Phra Nang cave is on Phra Nang Beach, the most beautiful beach in Railay, it's the kind of beach you see on the cover of travel books. I'd been to Phra Nang Cave before, when you first walk up it's off to your left at the base of a huge cliff that lines the end of the beach, you can't miss it. Inside the cave is a shrine. The first time I walked into into the cave it didn't take me long to notice that there were a few wooden penises propped up on a table in the sand. "That's interesting...", I thought to myself, "I wonder what that's supposed to mean?". Then I looked around and realized that the little wooden wieners on the table weren't alone, and that I was standing in a cave full of wooden cocks. Everywhere. Some even as tall as my shoulders, big wooden cocks in the sand, of all shapes and sizes. There's a little plaque next to the shrine that explains the relevance. Apparently, once upon a time an Indian princess was killed in a ship wreck just off shore, and her ghost ended up occupying the cave. Local fisherman believe that by offering these wooden phallusess it will bring them good luck and keep them safe on their journeys. Am I missing something here? How are these things related? The ghost of an Indian princess, wooden phalluses, and fisherman wishing for good luck? Oh well, it's definitely interesting, and I guess the fact that the shrine is located in a deep cave kind of balances out all the phallic symbolism...

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