Bat exodus

We visited several caves during our recent holidays in Mulu National Park (Borneo) . Each cave has its own unique features. One of the famous cave that we visited was Deer Cave. Deer Cave is the largest cave passage in the world (it is said that it can fit 5 cathedrals the size of Saint Paul in London). This cave is also known for bats watching. Between 5 to 7 pm the spectacular sight of a black cloud of free-tailed bats emerging from the entrance of Deer Cave. The swarm of bats do not fly helter skelter. Rather, they seem to follow an aerial path that make them look like some celestial serpent in the sky.

When it's time to come out, the bats can be seen at the mouth of Deer Cave.
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Part of the theater where people waiting to see the bats .
 
Deer Cave is also known for famous profile of Abraham Lincoln guarding the southern entrance of the cave.
The cave from far.
 
  In the cave
 
  It feels like being in a big stadium :). Take note of how small my group members look on right side of this photo :)
 

Back to the Cave!

H was on holiday in Malaysia recently and one of our holiday destinations this year was Sarwak (East Malaysia, located in Borneo Island). Mulu National Park is Sarawak's biggest national park and is known for it huge and impressive caves.Wind Cave and Clearwater Cave were two of the famous caves that we visited while at Mulu National Park. Each cave has its own unique features. Wind Cave was so named because of the cool breeze that can be felt at the narrow parts of the cave. It also has many impresive stalactites, stalagmites, flowrocks, helitites and rock cords. While the Clearwater Cave is Asia's longest cave, i.e. 107 km.

Beauty is in the eye of beholder

Beautiful 'passiflora foetida' or wild maracuja flower (in my language we called it 'bunga letup' or 'leletup') that I came accross during my morning walk today. This vine bear edible orange color fruit/berry that I used to eat when I was small :) 

Before the flower open:

 

Slightly open:

 

Fully open!! :)

 

And these tendrils of passiflora foetida have also caught my eyes:

 

 

Are you out there ...?

 

I want your sun to reach my rain drops,

so your heat can raise my soul upward like a cloud.

[Rumi]

 

Side Farm camping site

I can't decide which one I like best between Side Farm, Patterdale or Syke Farm, Buttermere campsite. Side Farm campsite located on the higher area gave better view of the surrounding especially Ullswater.

Side Farm Camping is situated in Patterdale at the southern end of Ullswater and provides an excellent base for fell walking, watersports and mountain biking. Overlooked by the Place Fell and with stunning views towards the Helvellyn range, this site is a spectacular location for exploring this beautiful area of the Lake District.

1. The location of this camp site was a bonus :)

 

2. A short walk after we put up the tent

  

3. A cold morning that made you feel like not leaving the tent :)

Our first visitor on a cold wet morning

Nature presents its best!

It's fun watching this guy!! :)

4. While waiting for breakfast at glenridding we played .....

5. Aira Force, one of the most famous waterfalls in the Lake District.  Aira Force drops an impressive 65 feet and is surrounded by pretty woodland.

 

6. Ullswater at night

7. Our next destintion was Hartsop Valley and it was a wet and cloudy morning

Met fellows walkers and H help them checking their route on his GPS

We walked until Hayeswater, but the weather getting worst and we decided to leave.

8. One of the things that I like about this camp site is that there's a yellow field :) - a field of buttercup - that we have to pass through each time we drive in/out the camp site.

Not just Buttercup, there're also Forget-me-Not

9. But what I don't enjoy is having to open/close the gate especially when it's raining :) (there are 2 gates to get to our camp site!) . But I do feel honored when I can open the gate for other cars behind us to pass through :D

10. We caught the one who steal our bread on our last day.

 

11. It's sunny and blue sky on the the we're leaving Ullswater!!!

But we have to be fast and beat the rush hour in the Lake District so that we can reach our next camp site, Syke Farm at Buttermere on time ;)