There are some parts of the world where people still live in caves. However, they are often far removed from the prehistoric dwellings of our ancestors. Indeed, many of them are in spectacular locations and have all the facilities of any other modern home.
Contrary to what many urbanites in Singapore may think, cavemen and cavewomen don’t just exist in films, books and educational documentaries. Though not exactly like the dwellers who lived in the Paleolithic Era, there are many people around the world who live in caves even in today’s day and age.
Gather five such places for those of you who are intrigued to find out more about these cave cities. You will see things and people in a different light – guaranteed.
China
First things first, there are about 30 million people living in caves in China. Now that we’ve gotten that straightened out, most of these Chinese cave dwellers live in Yan’an in the Shaanxi province and they have no intention of leaving. In fact, more and more people are looking to rent a cave there and live humbly.
Coober Pedy, Australia
Did you know that even in Australia, there are approximately 1500 people living in underground caves? Coober Pedy is a tiny Australian town where temperatures can hit about 40 degrees celsius in summer, and these underground caves protect its dwellers from intense heat. Why aren’t they looking to move? The answer boils down to the fact that there are plenty of pricey, valuable opals to be extracted in Coober Pedy, and many of the residents there toil away in the lucrative industry.
Camsur, Philippines
Some cave dwellers don’t live in caves because they want to, but rather, a cave is their only refuge following natural disasters that snatched their homes away from them. One such example is this cave in the Philippines that two young boys and their father call home after Typhoon Glenda destroyed their homes.
Can you imagine sharing a space with scary bats? That’s what these people have to put up with in the name of having a roof over their head. Now, this is reason enough for all of us to count our blessings.
Kandovan, Iran
Have the feels to escape Singapore’s concrete jungle to live in a giant termite-like cave? The enigmatic 13th century Kandovan village nestled in Iran’s east Azerbaijan province might just be the place you are looking for. This nugget of information might shock you – not only are these house-caves multi-storeyed, some have even crossed the 700-year-old mark! Apparently, these house-caves in Kandovan can keep its inhabitants snuggly and warm in winter while being cooling in summer months.
Gal Oya, Sri Lanka
Hidden away from people deep within the lush forests of Gal Oya in Sri Lanka lives the Vedda community. Although they seek to live traditionally the way they used to and continue hunting wild animals with bows and arrows, more and more younger Veddas live in mud houses just at the fringe of the forest these days. Some of the more senior Veddas still live in their cave homes, though.
Picture credit: Google