It was a wet Sunday morningwhen we assembled at a restaurant for breakfast at Medan Taiping. Mention 'jalan-jalan' or 'makan', come what may, you can trust the Hashers not
to fail you. All in, there were 26 adults and 6 kiddos in a convoy of 8 vehicles.
We left the makan place at 9 am amidst a heavy downpour but our spirits were soaring high. Everyone was geared up for an exciting day ahead.
Celaka was most upset when he saw a little 'Kancil' effortlessly overtaking his macho 'Wira' on the wet and slippery 'hai-way'. After the Gopeng Interchange, we had to drive
through some kampong lane to reach Gua Tempurung. The 4 km of kampong lane
was scenic enough and with nothing else to do besides admiring the attap
houses, coconut trees and runaway chickens, Celaka made those 'unfortunate'
enough to 'tumpang' his car, count the number of humps along the route
together with the sighs of estacy let loose by Baby, each time the car
went over them. Final count, 13 - call it lucky or what!
We reached the site at around11 am and possibly because of the gloomy weather, there were not many visitors
yet eventhough it was on a weekend. Anyway, our arrival generated a buzz
and a hive of activities around there. After some smart haggling by Jim
Senapang, tickets were purchased at RM20 per adult and kids at RM10 with
discount offered for group fare. Unanimously, we opted for the "Top of
the World' and 'River Adventure' tour.
The moment we stepped into
the limestone tower, we could feel excitement and adventure brewing inside
all of us. The natural formations were awesome and spellbinding. The pleasant
and young Malay tour guide took us across the breathtaking galleries of
stalagmites and stalactites and we could not hold back our amazement at
the rock formation of differing shapes and sizes. The air of mystery and
the ambiance transported us back to the era of Lee Ming, the communist
who bravely invaded and made the cave his fort with his 'kuncu-kuncu'.
We tried to imagine what
it was like without the cleverly and well placed spot lights which managed
to bring out the beauty and magnificence of the interiors and its 'inhabitants.'
Along the concrete walkways and raised platforms, we were directed to view
the untouched original pure state of exhibits on the walls of the caves,
some as tall as a five storey building.
There were groan and moan
of delight (young and old alike!!) upon discovery of formations resembling
goats, bears, dragons, elephants, dolphins, monkeys and spaceships. We
were also introduced to the most happily married couple exchanging the
wedding vows in the cave atop one of the stalagmite some thirty feet tall
(can you beat that!).
Tales of the notorious Lee
Ming and his 'kuncu-kuncu' and how the British army tried to flush them
out of the cave were never ending, all this very well narrated by our guide.
Our guide should be commended for providing us with such an entertaining
and enlightening tour. All this while, the passage has been clear and comfortable
with an unobstructive view of the surroundings - minus the reek of batshits,
that is!!
Most parts of the passage
have been a breeze until we reach the peak in the cave, dubbed 'Top of
the World'. According to our guide, this is the only cave in the world
where one is able to reach so close to its ceiling. One cannot deny that
this is 'top of the world' as the riverbed lie some at least ten storeys
below.
The gangway abruptly ended
3/4 of the way. The remaining journey allowed us to feel the natural and
mysterious state of the cave by walking along the stony path with a stream
passing by. Now everyone had to switch on their torches because there was
no more lighting henceforth. Everywhere was total darkness. It was great
to splish-splash along the stream. The current was quite strong because
of the heavy rain the night before. Some spots were more than knee deep.
After several minutes of walking, the guide told everyone to switch off
their torchlights to allow us to feel of the quietness and pitch darkness
of the cave. Suddenly, the tranquillity of the cave was broken by Celaka's
scream. He alleged that someone had molested him!
The rest of the journey to
the other side of the cave was smooth. Everyone by then (it was past 2
pm) was tired and hungry plus plus. Trust our Ninja Turtle to come to the
rescue with his well stocked ration. All of us were falling head over heel
for him - his food, that is. Sarawak Queen was a pathetic sight to behold.
She was ravenous, bone tired and drenched. We headed back after a short
break.
For the return trip, most
of us were gamed to walk all the way downstream except for a handful who
did not have the energy left and preferred to take the platform route halfway
through. Thus the remaining of us who were still filled to the rim with
adrenaline proceeded on.
The return journey was full
of surprises. We had to descend from the top of the cave to the bottom
which looked way, way down! After the 'oohs' and 'aahs' have died down,
the guide showed us the easy and safe way to descend. He got some of our
abled Harriers and positioned them at strategic spots on the descend. The
rest of us, one by one, (ladies and children first) got down on our posteriors
and slid towards each guy along the downward track with their outstretched
hands and legs guiding us to safety. My stomach was a little queasy when
my turn came. I made it!, Whew!! There was a small hole right in front
where we landed.
Celaka was one of the last
few to do the descent. When he came down, Baby Wong suggested that we pushed
him into the hole. He gave her a smirk saying the hole was too small to
contain him. No sooner had he finished his sentence, the guide came down
and told everyone to go through the hole! We all thought he was pulling
a fast one on us! Not quite so, we found out later. Celaka, wipe the smirk
off your face!
Quickly, Jim Senapang decided
that Dolly Button, Baby Wong and Pregnant Tiger be the last to get into
the hole because they were highly suspected to be too large for the small
cavity. Everyone thought it was a pretty smart decision except of course
for the 3 mentioned above. Immediately, they protested and cried foul!
Finally, all's well that ends well. Everybody managed to squeeze through
the hole in one whole piece.
The excitement did not end
there. As we went further downstream, the roof come down lower and lower
and you name the positions, we have done it: missionary, hands-knee, squat,
knee-chest, rear entry. All these maneuvers left us giggling and exhausted.
At one point, the cave roof
was so low with about a foot of water gushing through and just a few inches
of breathing space. There was just enough room to pass through if one was
to lie on the back with legs in first into the tunnel-like passage which
was about 10 feet long. Someone got stuck halfway and had to desperately
change to a commando crawl to get out. This was the part I enjoyed most.
There were screams of excitement from all who came through and the feeling
was real 'shiokalingam'. We were awed by our own courageous feat!
It was fun, fun, fun all
the way out. We even encountered some natural waterfalls and like little
kids, we rushed to lean against the stone to bathe in the cool and refreshing
clear water and at the same time washed off the sand stuck to our bodies.
Oh, no, Celaka was overdoing it - he had his hands inside his pants and
was vigorously rubbing away, oblivious to those around him. Really!! I
am not joking.
Alas, we were all out in
the broad daylight!! The withdrawal from the dark hole was greeted with
a sigh of relief and mmmm........, so satisfying. It was like we have just
ran a marathon. 4 solid hours in the interiors!
After a quick bath and change
of dry clothes, it was already 4 pm and we were dying for food. We headed
to the Hong Kong Restaurant in Ipoh for its famous roasted duck.
All in all, it was exactly
what we opted for at the beginning - Top of the World experience.
Till our next outing, bye..
Scribe by: Sister Hyde