Cave. Saw, Conquered.

they asked us to wear leech socks and shoes. cover up, head and hands. there will be guano everywhere, you need to protect yourself, they said. i wore the leech socks, but had no shoes. sandals would have to do. no full-sleeves, hands would have to be exposed. ditto for the head. no hat. how bad can it be? just a little bat poop on me. OK. nothing a nice shower cannot take care of. right?

an innocuous huge entrance hid behind it the huger Gomantong cave. extending upwards to some 90m, it was high and wide. the cave we accessed was the black cave (home to the black saliva swiftlet nests). the white saliva swiftlet nests are more valuable and that sits in the white cave, high above the black cave and needs special permission to go to.

limestone caves, like the ones we were in, in Palawan, i thought to myself. wrong again. as soon as we entered, it was as though someone suddenly switched off the lights. the cave was pitch dark. there was a shaft of light in the distance, extending to a roof opening there. we could see and hear the rain pattering down. the wooden walkway was slippery and wet. a gutter ran along one side and guano was piled high on the other. crabs, cockroaches, everywhere there. flashlights were swinging this way and that, catching nesting swiftlets in small holes and nooks all along the walls.

large, really large cockroach-eating centipedes sat still on the cave walls. if nudged, they could move extremely fast. somewhere close to them but out of reach were the cockroaches. winged, non-winged, albino, colored, big, small. we cut across and stepped on to the guano. soft, softer than sand, dark brown and piled high, our feet sank in with each step. stop, and your feet sink deeper. keep shuffling, i told myself. and then i shone the torch on my leech-socked feet. cockroaches were all over the guano -- they eat it, some crossing over my feet on their way someplace. swiftlet eggs were fallen and falling on the guano -- food for the creatures living in it.

back on the wooden plankway, the railing was covered with cockroaches as were the planks. i was probably crunching a few as i walked. no tripod, no light, cockroaches everywhere -- couldn't put my camera on a surface,  my hands shaking as i tried to click, the photographic endeavor was a disaster. the rain was making the planks so slippery and nothing to hold on to, i was half afraid i would end up with a thud, giving the cockroaches company on the ground.

45 minutes of this later, i wondered why i suddenly felt tired. ha! i had held my breath the whole time. exhaling slowly, i found myself walking out on to terra firma and into the sunset-kissed air. my numb brain willed a weak smile as i took in a deep, fresh non-guano lungful.

the only living being i actively stay away from is a cockroach. that cave, for me, was fear factor on steroids. i'd survived. no screams, no squeals.

nothing a good shower could not take care of, right? you bet.    

Poster Series, Borneo

On your bark, get set, grow!

Borneo barks were a treat. i spent so many trail-moments getting down on my knees "eye-level, eye-level!" :) and marveling at the fungi, mosses, ferns, climbers, creepers, and lianas. this post is devoted to all of the above, but the last. that one deserves a post by itself. As does the life supported by leaf litter. 


what's captured here pales in comparison to the fragile beauty of the real thing -- or even the memory of it. the wetness of the rainforest and the freshness of it was the essence that a bark absorbed and reflected in supporting so many different life-forms. 

Lovely interplay of green and sun. BRL, Danum Valley, Borneo

I just wanted to lean against these buttresses and hear the tree's heart beat. A little climber took that opportunity

Orchid on a tree branch. Taken from the canopy walk, BRL. Danum Valley, Borneo

Rainforest Chiaroscuro. A pepper vine growing on a branch. Coffin trail, Danum Valley primary forest. 

Pretty tutus? One of myriad fungii -- on a fallen log, West Trail, Danum Valley, Borneo.

Life finds a way... even on a stump. 

Just outside the Field Center, Danum Valley, Borneo

What a pretty pattern the ivy made on the variegated bark. Danum Valley, Borneo

I could spend all day with these fungii. Apparently 600,000 species in Borneo alone.

This reminded me of ballet dancers. Pink and dainty, on a fallen log.

Can you smell the wetness?

No, not coral. fungi on bark. Fallen logs were one of the richest sources of life on the forest floor.

The textures, the patterns, the wetness -- bliss.

A fern is one of the most beautiful creatures on earth, according to me. And this one, wet, green and defying gravity captivated me.

two lantern bugs, a gecko, lichen and a lovely tree bark.

This fallen log was on the Argus chase. I could have spent much longer soaking in its richness.

The rainforest. pinnacle of beauty. once lost, it takes a patch of moss on a canopy tree, for example, decades and decades to regenerate. imagine bringing back a forest ecosystem with all its players.

another mist, another magical moment

Imagine this. A narrow ledge of a walkway. A drop of some 300ft to your left and a rock face equally sheer jostling for elbow room on your right. Walking non-stop for a few hours and the knees were slightly wobbly -- or was that a result of the exquisite beauty all around? And then from way below came the mist to accompany the slowly gathering cold darkness. Camera clutched in one hand, steadying myself with the other, i tried to hurry. Until i looked up.

Like two ghosts out of the mist came these soaring black eagles. Unhurried and graceful they circled around each other and disapparated just as suddenly as they'd apparated. The imminent darkness became irrelevant. the ledge was wide enough now for an elephant to dance on. i stood transfixed. leaning against the rock face i wished them back so i could enjoy the symphony a little longer. 

Just as i was about to move on, one appeared again. i raised my camera. a few frames later, i simply stood there letting it all soak in. then bowed my head in reverence and walked on.