This is basically a trek to a bat infested cave (complete with the inevitable poo dropping down) and the more enjoyable canyoning down the river on the return.

The local villagers guided us, all they took with them was a machetti. Food for the guides was gathered from the forest during the trek. Despite tree roots, precipitous drops and slippery conditions that took all our concentration to negociate, a guide managed to do this whilst dehusking a coconut and unbelievably removed the hard shell without breaking the soft inner ediable part.

This ability with the machetti perhaps stems from the very young age that they are given one to play with and the fast growing vines that now cover this island (introduced during WWII for camoflage).

The first part of the route takes us to the village from where the local guides take over. From here the effect of the vines can be best seen. Massive trees were cloaked in the vines, starving them of sunlight. The trees outline distorted into wierd shapes, and cliffs transformed into walls of green.

Numerous ladders made out of the branches aided us over the steep terrain. The route was very beautiful with large red flowers and Jurassic park type scenery.

After the third river crossing we dropped down into a steep heavily vegetated gorge where we got the first sight of the cave. There was something very primeval and intiminating about this cave, if there was anywhere that a cyclops might live it would be here. I knew the others inc Liz were thinking the same.

Torches were handed out and we dropped down into the icy water within the cave. There are some strange things that live down here within the permanent darkness, some we saw and some we felt.

The cave was narrow but very high and 400 m long. When you consider the constant shower of bat s*** onto our hair and and onto the rocks around us this was long enough.

At the end of the cave Liz removed a couple of leaches and we sat down for lunch.

After lunch we followed the river through a vertical gorge. Many sections we could float down. Streams turned into waterfalls as they emptied into the gorge and made for good showers as we floated under. Other sections had boulders as big as cars blocking the route, here we went under, over or around.

This was something you had to have a guide for, it was difficult to see the route when the guide pointed it out.

The next day Liz could hardly walk!