Foto: The Deer Cave in Mulu (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Malaysia - In the afternoon, we visit the caves of the National Park. The caves are located in the 2,376-meter-high Gunung Mulu mountain. The limestone caves of Mulu are among the largest and most beautiful caves in the world. Christopher guides us to the caves as our guide. We follow him along a wooden walkway—a path over a wooden platform through the forest. This way, you don’t have to deal with tree roots or muddy patches. It is a three-kilometer walk to the caves. Along the way, Christopher talks about the insects, shrubs, and trees. He warns us to be careful when holding onto the railing. The railing is covered with many caterpillars. Especially their hairs with barbs can cause a lot of irritation and itching. Soon, I see various creatures sitting on the railing—each more beautiful than the other. When we arrive at the caves, we first enter the Long Cave, a cave system full of stalagmites and stalactites. Then we continue with the Deer Cave. Deer Cave is one of the largest caves in Mulu. It is also home to three million bats. When I enter the cave, I already smell the bats’ droppings. An ammonia scent hits me. I make sure not to touch anything inside the cave. The span of the cave is overwhelming. I estimate the height to be more than a hundred meters and the width to be several hundred meters. Water falls from the ceiling in a thin stream, beautifully illuminated by the incoming light. It is said that St. Paul’s Cathedral in London could easily be rebuilt inside the cave. The bats hang in groups from the ceiling, still calm for now. When dusk falls, they fly out in search of food. To see this spectacle, we take seats on some benches outside the cave. When it gets dark enough, we see the first groups of bats flying up from the cave’s opening. A swarm of thousands of black dots wriggles through the air like a winding ribbon. Slowly, it gets darker.
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