Plain of Jars new discoveries

The Plain of Jars in Laos has always puzzled scientists as it is not known why there are thousands of jars strewn across the terrain. See my blog from my 2007 visit on the Plain of Jars.

In April 2016 there was some interesting news that scientists have found signs of ancient burial rituals at the Plain of Jars. The jars are thought to be at least 2000 years old. Although human remains have been found in the past, there are now further finds :
"...three different types of burials had now been discovered; bones placed in pits with a large limestone block on top, bones buried in ceramic vessels, and a single body in a grave."
Read more on BBC news from 5 April 2016.

Grotte Crematoire is a small cave, a single chamber, with evidence of smoke, so it may have been a crematorium or even a kiln. Inside the cave -

Research will continue on the site.

See a detailed article on ABC website.

Tin dredge in Selangor

Every time I go to Kuala Lumpur airport, I look out to see if the dredge is still there. And as of March 2016, it is!

See my blog on the Selangor dredge from 2010.

Many press reports write that the dredge at Tanjung Tualang in Perak is the only one in Malaysia. That is wrong. There are still two dredges in Malaysia!

Iron Hill at Gunung Rapat, Perak

Iron Hill is an area of Gunung Rapat that presumably was mined for iron. A trail leads up the hill through 3 wangs. First time I visited in Feb 2010 access to the trail was behind the Poh Yeh Ngam temple (aka Porok Giam in 2015). The path led past a series of shrines built against the cliff, Wat Putabatwanapuparam, Deep Jungle Mountain Buddhist Feet, aka Tokong Siam.

The start of the trail -

On my next visit in Aug 2015 I discovered that the trail has now been incorporated into part of the
Qing Xin Ling complex and there is an entry fee - the above photo is the back lake at Qing Xin Ling.

The first part through a small gorge is lined with displays of old shops and artifacts

 In the first wang are some dinosaurs! -

From here concrete steps lead on up the hill but there is no further developments. You come to the second level as indicated by the red writing

The flora is interesting. There are lots of monophyllaea

 this one I call the jelly plant as the stem is very soft, I don't know its real name -

After climbing up and up you reach this point with a view

Unfortunately the heavens opened and we were unable to go on up to the triangulation point, instead we made a hasty but careful descent as the trail was really slippery.
Old cables left by the miners

We sheltered below one of the old huts used by the miners and watched the rain

Back to the tourist part -

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission

Qing Xin Ling village, Gunung Rapat

Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village

Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village is a newish attraction at Gunung Rapat, near Ipoh, in Perak, Malaysia. The complex consists of a lake surrounded by limestone hills and has been developed into a tourist attraction. It has been described as a mini Guilin although this isn't a very apt description.

There is a path right around the lake. When I visited in Aug 2015 the lake was a dirty green colour and there was quite a bit of rubbish on the water. The front section has chalets built by the water and there are hawker stalls. The chalets are all built in different designs but are a bit gaudy.

There were a couple of goats and they had obviously been drugged so people could touch them, which was really sad to see

The next section, the walk around the back lake was very enjoyable, as there are several types of plants and some interesting rock formations, ducks and geese (and rubbish). 

Murals have been painted on the rocks, depicting tin mining and rubber tapping, pomelos, etc

There is a small museum in a rock shelter, with old photos of Ipoh area, artifacts and rock samples

 Looking down on the complex-

At the car park there are some strange statues

There is a RM4 entry to the place. There are bikes for hire to go around the area.

In the next valley is a trail up to Iron Hill. This used to be free access but now the start of the trail has been taken over by the Qing Xin Ling complex, so you can only get there by paying the entry fee. See next blog on Iron Hill.

Gua Kelam 2 train no longer running

The train in Gua Kelam 2 in Perlis is no longer running. Apparently it ceased operation in 2013. Although I have never been on it, I have been into Gua Kelam 2 many times, before the train project even started. I was with the Malaysian cavers who discovered the cave in 1992. And I was with the team who later surveyed the cave. In 1996 and again 1998 British Cavers also explored the cave, see Axbridge Caving Group report and the 1998 report.

A report about the train was published in Bernama 28 Dec 2015. I will reproduce it here as the Bernama reports don't stay on their www.

Safety Factor Cited For Discontinuation Of Cave Train Service

KANGAR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- Safety of the people has been cited as the primary reason for the discontinuation of the train service in Gua Kelam 2 (Cave of Darkness 2) in Kaki Bukit that ceased operation in 2013 after a three-year run.

Perlis Tourism Committee chairman Abdul Jamil Saad said today a study by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and the Public Works Department found that the cave walls would not be able to withstand the level of the train vibrations.

He also said that the state government could not come up with the millions of ringgit that would be needed to strengthen the cave walls if the train service was to be resumed.

"The state government decided against resuming the train service due to the safety factor although it has helped to draw tourists to the cave," he told Bernama.

The service, then handled by the State Department of Forestry with the collaboration of the Tourism Ministry, involved a two-coach train carrying a maximum of 20 passengers per trip on a 400-metre journey every two hours per day.

Besides Gua Kelam 2, the Gua Kelam (Cave of Darkness) of 370-metre length that stretches into the Nakawan Range from Kaki Bukit town to Kampung Wang Kelian is also a major tourist draw.

It is odd that the train stopped running in 2013 yet this was only in the news at the very end of 2015.
It is also 'interesting' that one excuse/reason is "the cave walls would not be able to withstand the level of the train vibrations". I suspect this is just an excuse as there are trains in other caves around the world that don't affect the cave walls. Probably the oldest and most famous is the train at Postojna Cave in Slovenia. This train has been in operation for more than 140 years and covers 3.7 km.


The Gua Kelam 2 railway in 2010 -

Tung Wah cave temple, Perak

Tung Wah goes digital!

Many cave temples are going digital! First it was flashing LED halos for Buddha. Now it's advertising signage. I saw this display on Tung Wah temple at Gunung Layang Layang near Ipoh, in Perak, Malaysia. The temple is up on the hill but the display is big enough to be seen from ground level.

Gomantong bugs on video

Interesting piece with a video on the cockroaches and other bugs at Gomantong Cave, Sabah, See International Business Times UK, 31 Oct 2015. Donald McFarlane has been doing research there.