Entering the Tunnel of Love
I really enjoy crawling around underground and sliding through small holes surrounded by mother earth. Call me crazy. And yea, I know caving isn’t for everybody, especially claustrophobics. Not my problem. Just don’t take me to a crowded shopping mall.
After a great night’s rest at The Red House B&B in George I headed inland towards Oudtshoorn, destination Cango Cave.
The drive over the Outeniqua Mountains was fabulous (see previous post).
And the Klein Karoo is rich in vineyards and ostriches (another story).
Cango Cave offers two tours, Standard and Adventure.
Not too hard to figure out which tour I went for.
I joined my tour group of about 20 people plus a very competent guide and we entered the 67F/18C degree cave for a 1 1/2 hour tour.
The cave formed in limestone deposited by an ancient sea about 800 million years ago followed by uplift 100s of millions years later.
Artifacts like pot fragments, bone and stone points and ostrich shell beads, pictographs and hearths found at the cave opening indicate early hunter/gatherers used the cave up to 80,000 years ago followed by more modern herders.
Walking over 200 steps on Jacob’s Ladder led us deeper into the cave beyond the typical “Standard” tour route and past some exquisite cave formations. Then the Tunnel of Love starts the challenge of squeeze as seen in the first photo.
But the Devil’s Chimney proved to be the trickiest. And some people didn’t do it and where fortunate that there as a loop back.
After squirming through the chimney into a larger chamber I confronted an even smaller opening at the Devil’s Postbox where I crawled on my belly a couple body lengths and finally slid on my butt…
…returning to The Coffin, which is the beginning and end of the final circular route.
This was an awesome cave and I saw a lot of places I wanted to crawl into, if it had been allowed. Yet the road called so I backtracked to the Cango Ostrich Farm where you’ll see me tangle with one of those bad boys in a future post.
12 comments:
Wow! Amazing photos of the caves! We didn't have time to go there, but we did go to Cango Wildlife Park, which was cute in its own way. People were cage diving with alligators there!
I am loving all these posts on SA, I feel like I am back there visiting again - if only the weather was warmer I may be totally convinced :) Your picture of the throne room does not appear to be showing, or not on my computer! Diane
Amazing, Gaelyn;) I've never been inside these caves and if Grant saw your photos, he'd never take me now! Great tour! (((hugs))) Jo
Gaelyn, you are a kick. I don't mind well-lighted caves but I don't think I would be crawling through those tight openings! It looks like you are crawling through a stone birth canal! Do you feel born again? :)
You are fearless! It is gorgeous inside there, but it's hard for me to even think about crawling through tight spaces. Amazing photos!
That's kinda neat. I think I would enjoy something like that.
Gaelyn - I would have had to wait outside for you!
That looks awesome, although I'm not sure I'd be able to go through the small squeezes as I'm not a small guy!
Wow the cave looks amazing. I would love to go underground. It is starkly beautiful and such finds. amazing to being used 80,000+ years ago. I would do the squeeze though--well maybe. MB
Hi again GL,
About the new ferryboat. Actually that is one of the smaller ferries but still amazing. I think all the ferryboats are named after the first people or their tribal names. I like that too.
The ferryboats on the Edmonds Vashon run look really huge to me and the San Juan ones are!! MB
Beautiful pictures. If I tried those openings I would be stuck for life. Good thing you are so slim and agile!
This is a great post on the Cango Caves. When I was guiding I visited the caves very often, but I haven't been on the adventure tour in about... I can't even remember how long. I just know the last time I did it I cramped going up the Tunnel of Love and needed to be nudged and pulled to get my leg straight again. LOL>
Just for interest sake. Those fields you drove past as you went over the mountain (those with the poles and wires on the thrid photo), were hops. The climate in that valley before you hit the drier area is ideal for growing hops.
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