Just a few months ago, social media went viral after the invention of an enormous rock that appears exactly like an enormous snake.
The rock is so massive that it resembles a tall, scaly wall, making it closely resemble a snake. It is definitely situated in Naka Cave in Thailand. This is a reasonably recent find, situated in Bueng Khong Long District, Bueng Kan Province, Thailand.
Honestly, the cave is stunning. The very first thing that catches your attention is certainly this rock that literally looks like an enormous coiled wall, covered in scales like a snake. The shape of the rock mimics a snake from head to tail, and whenever you look closely, the “snake skin” pattern is incredibly realistic.
Logically, it’s quite crazy to think that a rock could naturally form this manner, even when someone tried to carve it, it could be difficult to make it so perfect.
A mix of nature and myth
Naka Cave will not be only a reasonably place, it is filled with myths and legends. Locals say that a few of the stone slabs appear like python heads, and these massive, scaly rocks completely resemble the body of a snake.
In the Buddhist tradition, these giant, snake-like stones are believed to represent mythological snakes called “Naga”. The Naga is alleged to be half-human, half-snake creatures that supposedly live within the underworld and might even transform into humans.
One famous legend says that the Mekong River itself, which flows through parts of Thailand and Laos, was actually created by two Naga kings crawling through what’s now Phu Langka National Park.
Some tourists even speculate that these giant stones could also be Titanoboa, the biggest snake to ever exist, which petrified after being spooked by a volcanic eruption. Either way, this scaly, snakeskin-like surface of the rocks has convinced loads of those that they’re seeing real giant snakes turned to stone.
The ancient belief also that the snake-shaped stones within the Naka Cave were giant snakes that died but didn’t decompose and eventually became trapped within the rocky soil for hundreds of thousands of years
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Despite all of the rumors and crazy theories, in accordance with Phu Langka National Park officials, the large snake rock is definitely a formation of sun-cracked rocks which are over 100,000 years old.
The huge temperature fluctuations between day and night cause the rock to continuously expand and contract, which eventually causes it to crack. This, combined with air erosion, slowly created the scaly, snakeskin-like pattern we see today.
How to get to Naka Cave
Even though Naka Cave is situated in a national park, many individuals still don’t find out about it. Because most tourists stick with the favored route that leads on to the height of Pha Ngoi. This peak is legendary for its beautiful views of the Bhan Phaeng district and the gorgeous Mekong River.
The thing is, Naka Cave is about two kilometers below this peak. Most tourists, even locals, rarely come down from the hill, so the cave stays a hidden gem that only a lucky few get to see.
To get to Naka Cave, tourists start their trek from Chai Mong Kon Temple. From the bottom of the temple they immediately got here to stone steps with statues of Nagas (these mythical five-headed snakes).
The top of the steps results in the cave entrance, however the hiker still has to climb over a kilometer to succeed in it.
Naka Cave is open each day unless heavy rains make it too dangerous. The entire journey from the start line to the cave is roughly 1,400 meters along a natural path of stairs and dirt roads. Some difficult sections even require the assistance of ropes to navigate.
The entire round trip takes roughly 4-5 hours and is beneficial for people in good physical condition.
Reference:
Archaeologist. (2023). This giant snake rock in Thailand has fascinated many – is it an actual fossil? https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/this-giant-snake-rock-in-thailand-is-a-fascination-of-many-is-it-an-actual-fossil
Indiekraf. (2021). Viral! Naka Cave, a cave with partitions resembling snake scales. https://indiekraf.com/viral-naka-cave-gua-yang-miliki-dinding-mirip-cepat-sisik-ular/
