Dec 2013: When I went spelunking in the most complete and utter darkness I have ever experienced

So moved down from the Batu temple caves to the Dark Cave

Well, ive been warned off now

its an interesting place, off the highly trafficked area

spitting, the bloody desi trait!

hello?

 

Its dark and in the shadow of the cliff

Pollution is a bit bad…but the skyline is great

I head inside

 

Wow, its a very complex cave system. 

 

I am waiting for my guide, so sit there and take photos of this amazing cave

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s the entrance

how water flowed

and water pools

How the water and air has carved the limestone into fantastic shapes

multi coloured stones

 

I head in. its pitch black and because of the special animal life in here, you cannot use light easily…

 

Tiny areas of light from small openings in the cliff face

 

I look back at the cave entrance.

this isnt for the faint hearted, that’s bat guano down there

 

and some kind of insect life, a cave cricket

a dog???

With some cave snails

the guide pointed out some centipedes

Stalagmites

amazing formations due to water flow

 

absolutely fantastic

how the caves have been carved

how the water flowed into the caves

In this pitch darkness, a spider.

damp and moist walls

another species of spider

Heading deeper into the cave

it was pitch black, seriously pitch black

Its like a glacier

This is limestone, almost cloth like

Amazing shapes and colours

 

You can see how the various minerals flow

 

the water flows into this crystal clear water but not for drinking, this is very poisonous because of the dissolved minerals and animal droppings.

amazing pool

More amazing shapes

And then, of all the things, a bloody bench! who sits here????

Stone flowers

 

flowing stone

bloody vandals

Somebody made a meal here…can you see the bones.

Im surprised they havent made a lingam out of this.

we are this far into the caves.

one of the deeper caves have been chained off…

A giant centipede, you don't believe me?

you dont want this to be crawling over you

 

reach the end of cave 3

 

Here’s fatface dasgupta

 

absolutely drenched in the very hot humid conditions. we turn back

 

Glad to see the exit

I head out, this lady in the full niquab was hoping to go inside, you got to be kidding me.

 

walk down the stairs

holy cow

very nice

 

this chap is practising for some kind of trekking

nice

Wut?

 

Amazing, very nice

I want some liquids inside me

 

and had some durian :)

 

final views of the temple

back at the train station

fanning myself

from argentina, a political leader…

 

cleared out one side of the motorway

very disciplined

and on the plane…back to London