Trekking to Kudung Guha

 

It was Dr Reza Khan, the zoologist, who once told us about a mysterious cave somewhere in Teknaf. He enchanted us with the description and photographs. A elongated gap in the hills through which you can see the green vegetation outside. The cave floor filled with water. The picture remained with us as we dreamt of stepping into that cave one day.
That one day came on a sun-baked afternoon. The Naf river was dappled with sunlight as our car rolled by. Half an hour later we lost touch with the river as the car swerved to a narrow lane. The car bumped dangerously on the pitted road and we swayed from side to side. We were now passing through a beautiful village. Against the distant blue hills, the green village looked like an emerald piece, glowing in the sun. The wooden huts peeked through what looked like jungles. Sprawling ponds full of pink lilies reflected the blue post-winter sky. The water in the ponds were higher than the road and the edges had been built high to stop spillover.
We crossed a small village centre. Just a few benches by the road and a few sheds for people to loiter around. A few indigenous people were sitting there. They looked quite different to us, not like the Chakmas or Marmas. Not the usual wide face we see, but something very supple and sleek. They were Tongchangya, a small indigenous group. Some say they belong to the Chakma community, but the Tongchangyas would claim their independent identity. We tried to start a conservation with them, but they seemed too shy. Or may be too wary of the city-sleeks.The beams shifted to the wall of the cave and our eyes caught the strange contours and cavities set deep into the sides. Lime seeped by water had created strange and crooked patterns on the wall. Then we saw something sliding across the ledge of a cavity. Something long and slithery. A snake. The reptile was skimming the wall of the cave, it must not have any shortage of food with all these bats around. Then we froze with fear as something was swimming towards us. We could only see the trail left by the moving object on shiny blackish water and a small object keeping above water. Is that another snake? Should we try to go back and risk being stung? Or should we stay calm and let it pass by? It was now only a few feet away and we recognized it now -- a turtle, slowly flapping its legs lazily. Phew! We suddenly felt life back into us and we turned around. Outside it was getting dark fast and we had a long way to go back.