The Niah caves are where British archeologists found a 40'000 year old skull amoung a veritable graveyard of ancient bones, where still today local tribesmen risk their lives to collect nests made from swiflet spit, its one of the only places in the world you can see pre-historic cave paintings and the remains of boat shaped coffins or 'death ships'. Niah caves may not be as well known as the bigger more publicised 'Mulu' but it does have an air of mysticism that made Jez and I want to investigate.

Our surprise tour group

The night before our trip, who should walk into our hostel but 'Maghnus the man'. Six months earlier we spent a drunken and lazy time with him in Koh Chang, Thailand, tried to get historical in Cambodia and now here he was looking much more wordly wise and confidently traveller-like, even if he did still insisit on pulling his ladies trolly of a suitcase behind him. New woman in tow, he waltzed into the hostel like Borneo was his old friend and was as shocked to see us as we were to see him. This part of Asia is like South America in terms of the traveller circuit. There aren't that many of us, the hostels have common rooms and kitchens, ultimately people get to meet, socialise, meet up again and drink... heaven forbid! For this we are glad and even if Magnhus and his lady Corrine had not surprised us, maybe we would have taken the Highland Hostel up on their offer of a tour. Why not, we do seem to be doing things the relaxed and easy way more and more.

Borneo is humid and the smallest walk leaves you uncomfortably sweaty. Trekking through primary forest leaves you absolutley sopping after the first 500m. You just have to get used to it, make sure you have your 'wet ones' and respect each others space. Thankfully there were no leeches on the walk to the caves and the mozzies were'nt out. After taking a small boat across the river from the Park HQ we made a quick stop in the museum and began our hour long walk to the caves. Jeremy and I have been on so many jungle trecks that we were able to bore Maghnus and Corrine rigid with real life facts on the difference between centipeeds and millipeds. Mmmmmmmm. Are you sure you don't want to change your phone numbers in time for our next visit home!

No loving in the National Park!

The first cave we got to was the Traders Cave, a place were the tribesmen used to sell the swiflet spit nests they had risked life and limb to collect. Vital ingredients of the delicacy 'birds nest soup' this has been in demand for oodles of years especially by the Chinese. These nests are supposed to promote cell growth and tissue repair, heal respitory type diseases and rheumatism. Apparently swiflet bird nests were first reserved for the Tang Emperors starting from about 700 AD. And if its good enough for them.................

It was the smell that first anounced our arrival at the Great Cave. The guano or bird and bat poo does whiff, but I quite like the smell. Its ceratinly distinctive. It covers the entire floor in parts and has its own little eco-system going on. It also has its uses as this too is collected and sold or used by the locals as fertilizer.

Walking past the rather abandoned looking but guarded archeological site you can clearly see that this cave was used as a burial ground. Jagged stalagtities hang over the entrance and the backdrop of the forest against these shapes is quite something. We got our first glimpse of the bamboo poles that reach from the floor to the roof apparently used by the nest collectors when climbing to search for the nests. There was absolutely no way I could see that these could support a grown man and it made me more determined to see this skill in action.

The Great Cave

While we were resting we caught the odd glimpse of torch lights high up in the deepest darkest heights of the cave roof. We really did need our torches as the higher we climbed on the boardwalk and the further we got into the cave, the darker it became. It started to rain and in some parts this made the passage very slippery. When Maghnus eventually shut up and stopped shouting "My name is Bob!"?? throughout the whole cave system it was actually a very spooky and magical experience. As soon as you thought you had come to the end, a new chamber opened up. It was in these central chambers that the men really had their bamboo set up for collecting those nests. They were everywhere but I just couldn't see anyone at work. We knew it was one of two times a year that the nests are allowed to be harvested but maybe they did it in secret?

The Painted Cave was the best. Little dancing people drawn in faded red haematite cover almost a whole wall. They are hard to see and you have to be patient as there were no tourist signs. The fenced off area did kind of lead us to it though! Supposedly they are depicting the journey of the dead into the afterlife. Human remains were found among the remnants of the death ships alonside ancient chinese gravegoods like ceramics and beads etc said to be useful in the other world. We had a good scramble around this relaitvely small cave and there are passageways leading down down down with verrrrry old man made stairs. They were just too dangerous to take though. Shame! But it did give us both a flash back to a certain Syrian castle.

What all the fuss is about

On the way back we struck lucky. It was about 4 oclock and the nest collectors had manifested. We could see them given away by their torch lights way up high in the most secret recesses of the caves most hidden crevises. Their bamboo ladders, simply one single length of bamboo made up of multiple parts was indeed the tried and tested method they relied upon. Many die each harvest and you can see why! We watched and saw some of the nest collectors shimmy down their bamboo ladders using them like firemans poles. Another world.

On the way back we stopped at the beach. The lads went body surfing to the amusment of the locals who just don't do the sea. I could'nt imagine covering my sweat with salt and opted to wait the extra five minutes until we got back to Highlands. Shower, delivery Pizza, a few beers and some DVD's later we nearly felt at home.