Many years back when I was a teenager, I used to frequent the cluster of
caves in the vicinity of Ulu Gali. This cluster of limestone outcrop is part of
the Benom Range on the Raub side and at least two hills are currently being
exploited for limestone. Among the most visited cave is the one called Gua
Keling – former guano collecting site now abandoned because the bats do not
roost there anymore – or maybe there just isn’t enough insects to feed the
population of bats now that the surrounding area has been developed into farms
(meaning use of pesticides).
I used to explore the caves with my cousin who seemed to know every
nooks and corners and one day, we even climbed to the top of the hill and
descended from the other end! I remembered that the slopes were
extremely angled and at the top, one had to “jump over” a deep crevice to get
to the other side. Luckily, and out of ignorance of youth, we managed to overcome
the danger and came back in a piece, something which we never should have done.
It reminded me of a scene from Marcel Pagnol’s famous semi-autobiography Château de Ma Mère where he would spend days exploring the hills
on his own or with his friend during his childhood in the region of Provence,
South of France.
One thing that I used to collect was plants that I would grow in my own
garden and among them was an extremely brittle begonia that grows in the shades
of the cave. The begonia used to be very common but helas, I have not seen if
for quite awhile until recently during a visit with a friend:
These photos are as good as a compact pocket camera can manage in deep
shades of the cave. Hope someone will be able to tell what it is (Could be Begonia nurii Irmsch). This begonia
develops a reddish tint on its leaves on exposure to sunlight (very filtered).
Otherwise, strong light and overwatering will definitely kill it – a trait that
most begonias share.
