@ Balik Pulau

Balik Pulau (literally mean back of the island) is a small laid back town in Southwest Penang. Its a place where time seems to be stuck in the 70's. Do take note that my pictures only represents a facet of Balik Pulau, the part that I like. Read more about Balik Pulau here (wikipedia) and here (official webpage).

Click on images to enlarge

Very little traffic on some roads

In a fruit orchard

Delightful wildflowers

Tiny blue gems

For my older post on Balik Pulau, go to the links below
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/07/sungai-burung.html
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/06/balik-pulau.html
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/05/balik-pulau-titi-teras.html
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/05/balik-pulau-titi-serong.html
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/05/sunset-balik-pulau.html
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/04/balik-pulau.html
http://jasontan0707.blogspot.com/2011/04/evening-balik-pulau.html

Dawn

The sky slowly brightens up from behind the heavily forested hill. Its avian inhabitants stirring, welcoming the new day with melodic tunes. As light furthers its boundaries, darkness receded and the accompanying heavenly lights that dotted the nocturnal skyscape excused themselves, dimmed and faded away all too soon.

Rainy day

It was a heavy downpour yesterday. From the office I was watching the trees swaying wildly in the strong howling winds. How I wished I was all snuggled up in my soft cozy bed then. I really don't mind rainy days as long as I don't have to be out there drenched to the bone. This morning I surveyed my garden to see the extend of the damage and was relieved to see that only my Heliconias were affected.

The damaged Heliconias

Heliconia bloom

Apart from photography, I also like gardening but I am just a casual gardener. By the way, I am working on another blog where I will post stuff on plants, gardening, parks and gardens. I haven't posted anything yet though but if you want to take a peek, click here.

Zen kittens

Adorable fluffy white kittens in a fashion shoot by Amber Gray for Marie Claire China.

Click on images to enlarge.

Look at what kitty is doing..

Video by Amber Gray Production

Its Caturday - Nekoyanagi.

All pictures and video taken from http://nekoyanagi.net/. Head on over to his website now for more pictures of this adorable cat.

Gua Tempurung (Tempurung Caves)

On the Penang bridge, driving from the island to the mainland early
in the morning.

The warm glow of the morning sun.

The North-South Expressway.

Golden Flowstone chamber.

Gua Tempurung is the largest limestone cave in Peninsular Malaysia.It stretches for 1.9 kilometres and is made up of five huge domes. There are 5 massive caverns which are shaped like coconuts, which explains the name ‘Tempurung’ (coconut shell in Malay). They are –

• Golden Flowstone
• Giant (Gergasi)
• Tin Mine
• Universe (Alam)
• Fallen Warrior and Battlefield 


Each dome has different formations of stalagmites and stalactites as well as differing temperatures, water levels, content of limestone and marble. 

Walkways and platforms enable you to get a closer view of the stalactites,
stalagmites and rock formations.

As one of the larger cave systems found in the scenic limestone hills of Perak, Gua Tempurung impresses with the beauty of its majestic columns of marble inside its huge caverns and honeycombed with smaller caves, of different dimensions.

Walkways have been built within some parts of the caves making it easy for visitors to have a leisurely stroll while taking in the sights of the beautiful underground waterfalls and the pendant stalactites hanging from the roof.

Look closely at the rocks and you will find closed communities of microscopic life-forms, many of which depend on food brought in by bats and birds to the cave.

There are scorpions, fish, snakes and small insects hidden in small niches, but are only visible to the more alert visitors.


Each cave carries its own legends, and Gua Tempurung is no exception.  Many believe the cave was used as a hideout for terrorists during World War II and the Emergency.  It is said that Lee Meng, the notorious communist courier, once used the cave as a hideout.  The fact that his name appears on one of the walls deep inside the cave certainly seems to support this story.

Another story speaks of the cave being used by the Japanese as a prison during their occupation of Malaya.  This is made more evident by the existence of a gate-like structure made of horizontal steel bars.

The cave is divided into several sections, with the lower cave passage called the Molesworth Allen Tunnel, named in honour of the botanists, Betty Molesworth Allen.

At the end of this tunnel, the cave opens up to Alam Cavern, the largest of the three major caverns, which is more than 130 metres in width and towers 72 metres high.

In Tin Miners' Cavern, the cave splits into two levels, the upper about eight metres above the stream and bearing the scars of early alluvial activity, while the lower passage follows the stream.

The Gergasi Cavern (Gergasi means giant in the Malay language) is the last of the cave sections.  It is named Gergasi because it holds a huge column, which is some 15 metres in height and 17 metres in length.  The column stands sentinel- like at the end of the chamber, like a giant genie guarding its treasure.


At the end of the trip visitors are rewarded with a rainbow of colour from sunshine reflected off the cave walls.

Click on images to enlarge.

Paparazzilla?

The exit.

A fish pond by the car park.

Text taken from http://www.perak.info/kinta/Gua_Tempurung/
More on Gua Tempurung here and here


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