Gua Tempurung

23-February-2007

On the way to Ipoh, we saw a big propaganda board set on the roadside introcuding Gua Tempurung. Seems like the the place has become a hot spot for adventure enthusiasts! So, we couldn't resist but to make a detour and check it out.

KS has been talking about this place since the first year I knew him. He used to say this intricate limestone cave is the most exciting and challenging place to explore in his teenage time. See...back to 20 years ago, the cave wasn't developed at all. With the aid of the light from the torchlight, they could only see the fingers in front of them and nothing more that that. You can imagaine how dark it was inside. The juicy part is, some girls did follow them. No need to elaborate, one can imagine how the girls would inevitably feel frighten and helpless in that complete darkness. And how inevitably, the boys can play a hero to protect them...yum yum.

I've never gone there when I was that age. I told KS it's because I was not that 'stupid' to worship those 'silly' boys and let them took advantage of me. He grinned ear to ear. I think he is not gonna believe what I said anyway, hehehe...

There are a few challenging cave exploration packages that are very exciting where you need to climb, crawl, slide or squeeze through a hole in the floor of the cave and splash into an underground river to go back into sunshine...All of this happens under the limestone hills of Gunung Tempurung and Gunung Gajah. And the whole journey is going to take 4-6 hours.

Nowadys, entering the cave is not FOC anymore. We got to buy the entry ticket. Of course, with the kids and my mother-in-law tagging along, we buy the free-and-easy route that cost RM6 per head. While waiting for our tour guide, we walked outside the cave area to kill time.

Almost 20 years later, this man pay a return visit to the caves. Wonder if the caves still remember him?

This small pond is like coming from no where?


See the black pony there? No matter how we called him, he just won't come near to us. Too shy, maybe? Or get too sick to the human boys?

Many mosquitos out there. Vincent was 'kissed' by mosquitos again. Don't know why, he seems to attract those tiny insects a lot. Even his teacher said that they got to spray extra volume of 'mosquito-liquid' when they release the kids to the school garden to play.


William couldn't wait to dash inside the caves. He is an explorer type.


The adventure begins with a concrete walkways and continues into a turnel journey of amazing rock formations that run from east to west for nearly 2km. Soon when I entered the cave, I knew this cave is going to impress me...



That is the only opening when we can still see the sunlight coming in. Then after, the cave is completely seal-up.


The stones have reflected the sunlight and created this beautiful colors. It's sort of like a glacier cave to me.

The interior of the cave is magnificiant huge, like it has no ending...I abosuletly don't know where the path would lead us to.


This free-and-easy route is not that free-and-easy as I thought. We have to climb up many many steep ladders to reach our destination.




The more ladder I climb, the more nervous I became. First, because of its lattitue. Secondly because of the anxious feelings that my boys might slipped down.


There is a plateau at the middle of the journey. We could catch some breathes while the tour guide show us some funny shapes of the limestones. For example, the shape that appears on that wall looks like Malaysian's Mona Lisa.


There are truely many unique and fascinating limestone formations in the cave.

The bulging stone out there is actually a bunch of crystal formation. When I leaned forward the light and see it closely, I did see some sparkling light shining through the unpolished surface.


Forgot what is so special about this hightlighted stone?

I looked down, and asked KS how he felt when he and the rest of the boys were leading the groups to walk /crawl in the cave during his time. He said he never thought the cave is that big and tall. He's kind of shock to see what this place is actually look like. I have the same feeling too.

We have been to many countries and their unique landscapes, and this cave, is no less beautiful and astonishing than any places we go before.

According to the tour guide, this small hole stretches as long as 18m horizontally. Thousands of years ago, this place was flooded in water. The hole is a way out, but the space is merely enough for a medium size people to crawl along it.

This is a very interesting stone. The tour guide particularly urged us not to touch it. This is because even a tiny little heat will stir up the chemical reaction within the stone's composition. And the consequence is the stone will become fragile and eventually collapse. I have no idea if the tour guide was exaggerating or what. Anyway, such a special stone, who would want to destroy it?

Ok, before it's vanished...I want to take a picture with it, as a proof of our co-existance at this time, this place.

We continued our seemingly never ending climbing, and finally reach the destination. This is the highest point in the cave. According to the tour guide, we have climbed as high as half the height of the KLCC. If this is true, I am so proud of what my boys have accomplished. Well, should never underestimate what they can do.

For the rough-and-difficult route, one would need to walk down the steep ladders and then, follow the stream that leads to exit. We met some people who were coincidentally passing through the stream down there (the torch light area). Although we couldn't see the faces, we all were happily waving and cheering for one another.

It's time to descend now...

We have been walking up and down for 1 hour plus at this point of time. William was getting tired, and he begged me to carry him from time to time. So, I have to motivate him to continue his walk. I said I will buy him ice cream and coke when we got out from there later. Mommy's promise had more or less help him to finish up the whole journey all by himself.

On the way out, the boys need more time to catch breathes. So, we spent more time to rest and took photos...




KS's mom didn't make it to the top. She had decided to stop at the middle of the way, at the plateau there. She said she has been waiting 40min for us to return.

Finally we've made our way out. The trip supposed to take around 45 min, but we took double that time.


We all came out 1 piece, no injuries what-so-ever...not bad.

That night, I have 2 little surprise parties to celebrate my birthday. KS had secretly asked his mom to buy me a birthday cake. At the same time, my parents did the same too. I was surprised and touched when I find out the 2 birthday cakes I have this year.


This 2 little boys were very helpful to put the caddles on...


and blew it off with me too...It was indeed a great day.