That rectangular entrance was formed by non human forces?

I'd rather live in a cave than a mud hut. (and I have lived in a mud hut) If nothing else, you don't have to worry about Chagas in a cave.

I think Charles has been drinking early again...

A cave gives better protection from harsh weather, better regulates temperature during extremes and is more defensible than "the simplest mud hut". All of which would make me sleep peacefully and soundly.

But of course, none of that serves your attempt at depth.

Caves have been working just fine in Cappadocia for 3500 years or more... http://dornob.com/underground-cities-350…

So long as condensation isn't dripping on you all the time, I would imagine caves to be ideal for sleeping: dark, quiet, dry (with the caveat above), protected from the elements and readily defensible. They worked for our ancestors for several tens of thousands of years, and I have no doubt they would work just as well today.

Sure, there's not going to be any Internet, room service, electricity or running water (although with a sufficient amount of ingenuity and initiative, at least some of these obstacles could be overcome), but then as a general rule one doesn't occupy a cave with the intention of turning it into a Michelin 4 star accomodation, either.

Not to deminish in any way the suffering of those in peril of their lives, but to point out certain absurdities of making blanket statements: http://www.hezenhotel.com/?us_c1g1a1&gcl…

You might like the story about the Sassi cave dwellers in this month's Smithsonian. The sad part is these people were forcibly relocated from their caves until artists and outsiders reclaimed them:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mat…

How about nests? No human should have to live in a nest.

I have stayed in caves, and they are far better than mud huts, OR Apodments.
http://www.i-escape.com/le-grotte-della-…

Once again Charles spews nonsense on these pages. This piece is a joke, like the most of his other work. I mean, he actually expects people to believe this shit?

"A human can find no peace or reach the deepest parts of sleep while sheltered by a cave, sheltered by something shaped entirely by natural forces."

Fuck off, Charles. If it wasn't for caves humanity would have been hunted to extinction by wild animals.

The island of Santorini in Greece has some pretty nice cave dwellings. My wife and I spent a very lovely week living in one.

The Mudede anti-Israel article of the month.

Charles, nothing is sadder than a reporter who had to watch Melancholia, probably one of the worst movies ever.

Ah, are you coming around on that movie then, Charles? Whether he intended so or not, Von Trier beautifully illustrated the inescapable depths depression can have on one's world, and the world of those close to that person.

I call bullshit. Caves are nice, naturally insulated places to live. Lots of people in China live in caves. You can make a cave very nice to live in...

Must agree with @4 and others, I spent a lovely time in a cave hotel room in Cappadocia--admiring and touring many other cave dwellings in the vicinity. My room did have plumbing and electricity, however.