Feeling Brave at Shonyudo Cave

When offered a free trip to a hill region famous for its limestone, as a foreign traveller, it is one's duty to accept the offer - no matter how disinterested one might be in geology.  One must absolutely say "yes" no matter how difficult it is to deliver - with any measurable amount of sincerity - the line, "Did you say limestone?!?!  Oh yes, limestone is my very favorite of all of the stones.  Let us away!"

After all, one never knows what is lurking beneath the monolith-littered hillsides.

Had the verdure of the hills and the impressive concentration of limestone been the highlight of this Japanese mini-adventure, as a nature lover, I would have been satisfied.  What?!  I do love nature - looking at it, reading about it, hearing other people's stories.  Yes, I love nature as long as there is a hospital and a clean restroom within twenty-five miles.

We went on a beautiful nature walk as the afternoon sun did its best to
break through the clouds and the leafy canopy of the subtropical forest.

We stopped for a breather when Nami asked us if we were interested in exploring a cave.  I honestly think she waited to reveal the surprise cave as a test of our loyalty...apparently we passed the test with our utterly-convincing portrayal of limestone enthusiasts.

Mary, Masa, and Mr. Tiny at the Shonyudo Cave marker.
I asked Nami what the rock said and her reply was, "It's too hard."
What else would a rock say?

After my intrepid exploits in The Lost World Caverns of West Virginia, I have come to fancy myself quite the spelunker.  My second cave on my second continent - I think it's time to start writing that cave-safety book!

The entrance to the cave has all of the Japanese character for which
a tourist could ask - waterfall, trickling stream, and arch bridge.

A cadre of religious icons flank the mouth of Shonyudo Cave.
I was hoping that it was more a testament to the sacredness of the
ground and less a last-ditch prayer to avoid a calamitous cave-in.

More disconcerting than the thought of being trapped in a cave was
the communal sandals which we were forced to don in order to enter.
Fortunately, the largest pair fit.

The cave was welcoming in its beauty;
It all started out so dry and so level...

We were so taken by the stalactites, rock formations, and underground gardens,
that we almost missed the cave river.  As soon as we saw it, Nami let us in on the
second surprise of the day - the rest of the cave adventure would be done in the river!  

Mary maneuvers the shallowest part of the ice-cold water and the
narrowest parts of the rocky outcroppings.  Keep in mind that I was
doing the same whilst trying to snap photos in a Texas (Canadian)
tuxedo with jeans that wouldn't roll past my cankles.

I don't look like I'm having as much fun as Mary, but really, I am.
Visiting Shonyudo Cave was a unanimous favorite of our trip to Japan.

Sometimes I exaggerate the truth for the purposes of exciting storytelling;
I exaggerate not when I tell you that we celebrated reaching the end of the
trail by sharing the contraband, strawberry KitKat that I managed to
keep in my pocket!  We sang a song and toasted with the smuggled sweets.

Then we retraced our steps and celebrated that we made it out alive - drenched to the knee but very much alive.

We had a few slips, slides, and two-broken sandals (me) along the way but never once thought about the traveler's insurance we did not get until we had made it out unscathed.

Successful spelunkers!

We even made cave friends!
Mary and Nami said they saw a bat fly inches over my head; it was a good
thing I didn't see it because the echo of my girlish screams would have
reverberated through the cave indefinitely.  And this five-inch slug, whom we
lovingly called "poop," wished us good luck and welcomed our safe return.

Feeling lucky to have made it out without incident or
accident, we added a few coins to the pile - a small
price to pay for so many great cave memories!

Have you ever been exploring in a cave?  Do you think head-to-toe denim is appropriate cave exploring attire?

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

The Lost World Caverns: Going to The Land of The Lost

wacky tacky isn't always manmade; nature often reveals proof of a wacky tacky power of infinitely superior skill and imagination than even Sid & Marty Krofft!

Would you believe that this rustic mill setting held the secrets to
 thousands of years of the Earth's most fascinating creations?

I probably would not have believed it had I not followed this sign.
A full-and-complete stop and then right to LOST WORLD CAVERNS!

The modern story of The Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, West Virginia begins on a farm in the early 20th Century.  Surveying his land, a local farmer found a hole in the ground; while this appears to be a less-than-Salk-worthy discovery, it proved a valuable commodity to a man who had little resources when it came to waste disposal.  Examining the hole, he realized that it was the perfect size for eliminating farm refuse - including bovine carcasses.  Where did it all go once down the hole?  The farmer didn't care; he just knew that it took a long time for anything to hit the bottom and that his trash troubles were over.  For years this practice continued until other caves and underground water supplies were being discovered in the surrounding area.  In 1942, two college students were lowered on ropes into the mysterious darkness of the hole and what they saw (once they finished removing the filth of 1,000 rotting cows from their shoes) was another world - The Lost World!

The startling discoveries did not end there.  The Lost World Caverns was
revealed to be the official home of that darling of the Weekly World News,
BAT BOY!

Intent on making some discoveries of my own, I too braved the abyss.

Lucky for me, the entrance to the caverns was well lit and
 accessible by railed staircase rather than harness and rope. 

Armed with naught but a trusty flashlight and a laminated guide,
I made my way into the depths of the Lost World.

Coming into the main room of the caverns was incredible!
A large group of people had just exited upon my arrival (purely coincidental I assure you)
 so I had the whole thing entirely to myself; it was like being Indiana Jones, if only for a minute.

You can bet a lot of yodeling/echoing took place...
until I realized that I might be attracting a Sleestak!!

The real discovery in this adventure is that my resolute dispassion for the study of geology was abandoned for a genuine excitement over rock formations.  I hope that it carries over into the reading of this post because there are plenty of geological wonders ahead!

This particular area of West Virginia is conspicuous for its
lack of above ground water sources; it seems almost everywhere
 one goes in West Virginia that there is a creek, a river, a waterfall
but in Lewisburg, it is all underground, thus creating the magic
 of The Lost World.

Doesn't it kind of look like a forest of Art Nouveau trees?

Stalactite?  Stalagmite?  This cave is always happy to see you.

This makes the sad, seaside, drip castles of my youth look positively pathetic.

It was at this precise moment when I realized that I was
 spelunking.  I'm a spelunker!!!

It's like gazing into the past...and maybe the future.

One of the largest rock formations of its type on record, the "Snowy Chandelier" weighs roughly thirty tons!

Definitely one of the best parts of the cavern expedition was the threat of an ancient cave bear...

and a curious cave bug??? 

From thirteen stories below, one can see the original hole in the ground
from which the farmer fashioned a primitive garbage disposal.

I can't be the only one who sees the giant tiki head, right?

The photos just don't do justice to nature's mineral rainbow - coral, aqua, and robin's egg blue.

According to Lost World Cavern history, the "War Club" stalagmite helped win
 a Guinness World Record for a dedicated stalagmite sitter.  Although, I wonder how
much competition there is for the title of "World's Longest Stalagmite Sitter?"

Under most circumstances, an invitation to trek down into a dank, musty hole in the ground would have me in a light jog toward the nearest Cinnabon.  For some reason, however, The Lost World Caverns made me feel like I had finally come home...

I guess I no longer have to wonder about my genealogy...

If you love nature and weird roadside attractions, then the Lost World Caverns might just be right up your alley...or down your hole.

"The Land of The Lost"

Lost World Caverns
Lewisburg, WV
(304)645-6677

www.lostworldcaverns.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny