Gomantong Caves

Sandakan, March 31st 2011

Our first destination in Sandakan: Gomantong Caves. It was for me a challenging experience of photographing. However, making my way through the cave itself was a challenge not to be underestimated at all. Why? You'd better find out in the internet. I'm not going to tell you. You just enjoy my pics ;-)

 The flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan only took 30 minutes. I booked a car-rent to fetch us at 9:00 AM and it wasn't eight yet. So we took our time having breakfast on the 2nd floor which was the only option for food. But the menu wasn't bad at all.

By five to nine we were back downstairs. It was very quiet.

At approximately eight past nine, Dicky, our driver, came with his car. I think this is my first time in Malaysia having a non-Indian driver. Hahaha. Dicky had an oriental look. He asked us where we came from.

"Indonesia," we answered.

"Oh, jadi bisa Bahasa Melayu?" (= So you can speak Malayan?)

"Ya, sedikit-sedikit bisalah." (= Yes, a bit.)

"Ah, untunglah." (= Ah, luckily.)

So off we go to Gomantong Caves. Thanks to Dina for finding this car rent.

The journey to the cave started with crossing this bridge. The next days, I and Dina, came to realize that the people here are expert on building bridges like this. We found it everywhere. Bridges like these do help tourists explore the jungle conveniently and safely. Even though during rainy season, you don't need to worry about dipping your feet into mud. In other words, you don't need to be a Nat Geo Adventure Explorer to venture the jungles of Sabah.

You see that bridge? Although inside there to some people might turned out to be an unexpected adventure, this bridge really, really, helps a lot.

The people living on this long house on the right were Indonesians of the Bugis ethnic group in Makassar, Sulawesi. Later on we learnt that there are plenty of Bugis people on this part of country.

 Please take a close look on the lower part of this picture. Do you see a horizontal bridge lying there? There are 2 people standing on that bridge. Really, really, tiny. I guarantee you, I'm not playing any photography trick. This cave is really, really, huge and tall. One human being inside this cave is just like an ant inside a loaf of bread.

I'm starting to play with light and dark.

Conquering Gomantong Caves... :P

High up above there, outside the cave, I can see a hut. Ah... this looks like an entrance to paradise, doesn't it?

 This photo deserves a little more appreciation for the effort. 0.8 sec of speed while balancing myself as not to touch anything (yes, anything!) except my camera, keeping myself steady as not to slip down the bridge, then not to let my hands shake the lens, and hold my breath. Pheww...! A tripod is absolutely out of question unless I would just leave it inside the cave after using it. Why? Just find out yourself. I won't tell you, I said.

Nothing. It's just a turtle crossing our path on the way back from Gomantong Caves.