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Tourist Attraction: Local kids keep vigil outside Porky Pit
"Here, we're getting ready to go into Porky Pit, a cave we knew had the blind fish Richard Borowsky came to Thailand to study. Will Gadd was rigging the rappel because this cave has a vertical drop right beyond the entrance, which is right behind Maria.
"When we passed through a village on the way to the cave, a bunch of kids followed us. The caves simply aren't explored very much, so it's a big event for foreigners to come explore the area.
"These kids didn't speak any English and we didn't speak very much Thai, which limited our interaction, but they were fascinated by us, as if we were the tourist attraction.
"When we came out eight hours later, we couldn't believe it when we saw the kids still there waiting for us—even though it was well after dark. We shared some food with them, and then we went our separate ways."
—Photographer Mark Cosslett
Photography Notes
- Camera: Canon EOS-3
- Film: Kodak 100 VS
- Lens: 14 mm
- Shutter speed: 1/15th
- Aperture: f/4
- Time of day: 10:30 a.m.
"Maria and Tim ended up staying top side because there are stories about kids getting a little bit bored and mischievous, and cutting the rope to people who had rappelled into caves.
"I'm sure it was a very unlikely scenario. Even if it did happen, it wouldn't be an enormous deal, because someone would come for us sooner or later or we'd have to find a way to climb out. They were wonderful kids and I don't think they would have done that. Still, it's in the back of your mind."
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