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Published: April 5th 2015
Ipoh is a cute little town in Perak... that I didn't really visit. I admit it. I'd come for some nature and didn't feel like dealing with roundabouts and narrow streets for a few days. Right outside Ipoh are caves. Lots of caves. Some are huge, like Gua Tempurung, one of the largest limestone caves in Malaysia.
The cave tours have four options:
• The short, dry tour
• The long, dry tour
• The short, wet tour (which is still longer than the long, dry tour)
• The long, wet tour (yep, the longest of the four)
I opted for #2, since I like to take photos and my camera can't swim. One tour guide takes all four groups at once, and then lets everyone know when their portion of the tour is up. You're then free to head back out at your own pace. This is my kind of tour!
My guide didn't see me at first and started the tour in Malay. By stop #2 he had spotted me and immediately switched to English, apologizing to everyone else there. I sheepishly smiled at everyone and everyone had a good laugh. The rest of the
tour continued in two languages.
The cave was larger than I'd expected, and it impressed me more than the ones I'd seen in Miri a few years ago. At times I felt like I was in a movie (like Star Wars) because of the lighting and the eeriness of the space.
On my way back to the entrance, I meandered along, taking way too many photos. I remembered my trip to the Miri caves and started using a flash--not because I thought I'd get better shots, but because it's really the only way to see the colors in the limestone. The results were amazing. The eerie space came to life and I realized I was surrounded by deep reds, purples, and gold streaks that looked like lightning. The cave was transformed and it felt like a completely new experience every few meters.
When I reached the entrance, I heard the rain. Heavy rain. Inside the cave it had been quiet and I was taken by surprise. I dashed to my car, getting completely soaked on the way. That's twice, now, that nature's given me two different experiences in the same place.
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