The physical experience of visiting a cave is remarkable.  The caves are often quite cool and moist.  There is a distinct (but not unpleasant) smell which seems common from cave to cave.  The experience of total darkness (usually provided by the guide at some point in the tour) is fairly unique (except for those of us who actually did darkroom work without a safe light).  Sometimes you have to bend, crouch, twist, and otherwise contort to wend your way through the cave.  The variety of structures that you see — sometimes defying gravity — is amazing.

 

Water is the driving force in the creation of these formations.  The water contains dissolved minerals which recrystalize as they drip, forming stalactites (hanging down), stalagmites (piling up), columns (where stalactites and stalagmites meet), and other structures which are not yet as well understood.  The structures in this photo were said to take thousands of years to form.    

 

For me, the mental and emotional experience of visiting a cave surpasses the physical experience.  I am reminded of my relatively small place on this scale of time.  My life time will be measured in millimeters on these structures, with several meters coming before and several more meters following thereafter.  Renewed in me is a great sense of urgency; I have a lot left to do in the next few millimeters!

 

This image was created with an EOS-5D camera, 50mm f/1.4 lens, and Speedlite 580 EX flash.  The exposure was 1/60s at f/2.8 (with flash).