Batu Niah - Not Just a Mountain of Bat Shit
It's funny the things that stick in your mind from a journey. Batu Niah is one of the most spectacular of Sarawak's national parks. It comprises a vast cave network full of bats and swallows in a setting of jungle and limestone cliffs straight out of "Jurassic Park". There are mysterious wall paintings, mountains of acrid bat shit and a profound sense of darkness and silence as you grope your way along a two kilometre subterranean boardwalk. And what do I remember best? The National Park canteen. From the second you walk in the door there is the smell of desperation. The National Park is three kilometres from the town of Batu Niah, so the canteen has a captive market of tourists. It's located in a brand new building with new steel and formica tables and chairs and yet the place is empty. In one corner there are a few lonely boxes of potato crisps under a notice warning that "thieves will be prosecuted". There is also a set of swing...