What's a Glow Worm Cave?

Waitomo, New Zealand - October 7, 2012

Today I woke up at an early rising.  Well, I woke up with an early headache.  My mom told me we were going to go in glow worm caves.  Thinking about the word glow ... is it a glowing cave?  Or a toy that glows?

I learned that photoluminescence is the chemicals they mix to make things glow.  For example - glow sticks.  Or on the other hand ... the word worms?

My mom had to be thinking I was going in a cave full of worms.  I still decided I would go but I probably know that I'd regret it.  We went to the caves.  It was quite ancient looking.  It had many stalagmites and stalactites.  Stalactites and stalagmites are like icicles that are made out of stone.

Then we walked in the cave.  It was dark.  It made me shiver, but when I looked up there were beautiful lights.  They looked like stars.  Next we hopped on a raft and went through a stroll in the dark.  I was still thinking what could those lights be?  It was like pixie dust.  Could they be electric lights?  Or ... no ... they could not be glow worms?  "Yes, they are" said the guide.

The guide started to tell us the life cycle of a glow worm.  A mom glow worm mates and then has 180 eggs, two days later the mom dies.  The dad leaves the children eggs and marries another glow worm.  The egg is left to grow up on its own.

I also noticed that some are brighter than the others. The guide said the older and hungrier they are the brighter.  He also told me they don't have photoluminescence they have bioluminescence which is what makes nature shine like a fire fly.

The next cave was very old and even more ancient.  I even found some very ancient bones like dinosour bones, ostrich bones, and cow bones.  Let me tell you how they got there ... well, at the top of the cave there's a whole and the animals did not see it and they fell and died.  Now that gives me the creeps!

Wow.  Caves can be pretty amazing.  I can't wait for tomorrow but I doubt anything can top this!!!!!!!!