UMLAWAN 1: Cinema Cave (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 02/07/2016

»The opening of Krem Kotsati - Umlawan is a small, un-welcoming horizontal gap between two, seemingly precariously perched huge slabs of rocks. One has to crawl and squeeze one's way in. What waits inside is hidden in an immense, overpowering darkness. It may take a while to get accustomed to the darkness inside but as you do you are in for a surprise beyond imagination. The darkness thins out to show a huge hall with a high ceiling adorned with thousands of icicle-like formations [speleothems], like one gigantic chandelier. The floor too has many rectangular rocks with smooth surfaces. Nicknamed the "cinema hall" it can easily seat more than 200. Imagine sitting there and watching Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. What an ambience! You move ahead through one of the many mazes of passages and halls with the distant sound of underground stream constantly in your ears. At times, the passage is strewn with rocks and you have to dodge your way through them. At times it narrows to such an extent that you can feel the cold dampness of the walls against your skin. Then there are also some stiff, steep climbs. Arduous they may be but often they lead towards the better but lesser known part of the cave« (TIRKEY, A 2002).