Isimo saseChiapas siveza amathuba angenamkhawulo kubahloli bamazwe: imihosha, imifula ehlokoma, izimpophoma nezimfihlakalo zehlathi. Sekuyiminyaka ethile manje, inkampani enginayo ibilokhu yehlela phansi emifuleni enamandla kakhulu futhi efihliwe kulesi sifundazwe futhi ivule nemizila yezethameli okuthi, yize ingumbhali, imagange ukubonga ubuhle bemvelo.
Ngemuva kokuhlola ezinye izithombe zasemoyeni zale ndawo futhi ngicabange ngayo isikhashana, nginqume ukuqoqa iqembu lokutadisha ukuze ngehle emfuleni iLa Venta, onombhede onqamula emhosheni onobude obungamakhilomitha angama-80 onqamula esiqiwini semvelo i-El Ocote. Lesi sikhala sinomthambeka osuka ku-620m uye ku-170m asl; Izindonga zayo zifinyelela ku-400m ukuphakama nobubanzi bomfula ohamba ngapansi kwawo uyashintshashintsha phakathi kuka-50 no-100m, kuze kufike ku-6m ezingxenyeni ezincane kakhulu.
Ekugcineni, leli qembu lakhiwa uMaurizio Ballabio, uMario Colombo noGiann Maria Annoni, ochwepheshe bezintaba; UPier Luigi Cammarano, isazi sezinto eziphilayo; Mina noNéstor Bailleza no-Ernesto López, sinamava okwehla komfula nasemahlathini.
Sasiphethe isihlenga esincane, esilula nesikebhe esifuthayo, imishini eminingi yezobuchwepheshe eyenza ubhaka ubesinda, nokudla okwanele izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
Indawo engxenyeni engenhla yomhosha isomile. Sahamba ngefayela elilodwa phansi ezitebhisini ezinde ezasiholela endaweni yokugibela, ezansi kwe-crevasse enkulu. Umfula wawungenamanzi amaningi, ngakho izinsuku ezimbili zokuqala kwakudingeka sidonsele isikebhe kodwa, naphezu komzamo omkhulu, sonke sasijabulela wonke umzuzu walolu hambo oluthakazelisayo.
Umoya weqembu wawuphezulu futhi konke kwakubonakala kusebenza kahle kakhulu; Ngokuphazima kweso uLuigi wazulazula eqoqa amasampula ezitshalo nezinambuzane, kwathi uMario, esaba izinyoka, wagxuma esuka etsheni kuya ematsheni eshaya umlozi futhi emshaya ngenduku. Ngokushintshana, sonke sadonsa futhi saphusha isikebhe esasilayishwe imithwalo.
Isimo somhosha siwubukhazikhazi, ukuhlunga kwamanzi ngezindonga kwakha ama-stalactites amnandi wemiklamo ehlekisayo nezakhiwo ezinamakhanda ezaziwa njengezihlahla zikaKhisimusi, futhi yize kubonakala kungakholeki ukuthi icacti ithole indlela yokuhlala ezindongeni ezinamadwala amile futhi ikhule ngokufana kubo. Ngokungazelelwe, saqala ukubona eminye imigede ebekwe odongeni lwesokudla lomhosha, kepha ayephakeme kancane futhi sabona ukuthi akukho sizathu sokusondela kuwo ngoba ukuma kodonga akusivumeli ukuba sikhuphuke nemishini ebesiyiphethe. Sincamela ukubekezela futhi sithathe “ingcindezi yokugeza” ngaphansi kweJet de Leche, ukugxuma kogwebu olumhlophe olungu-30m oluwela phansi odongeni olubushelelezi olunombala osawolintshi, bese lutshibilika kahle ematsheni.
Ekugcineni, ukudlula kancane, safika emhumeni wokuqala esasizowuhlola futhi lapho sesilungisile sangena kuwo.
Izindwangu zamatshe amhlophe zazikhanyisa izibani zokuqala; Izinyathelo zecaver zaziyizithulu engxenyeni yokuqala yegrotto futhi ngenkathi singena ezikhaleni zashintsha ngokushesha ngosayizi. Kwakungekho ukushoda kwamalulwane, izakhamuzi ezijwayelekile zalezi zindawo, lapho konke ukuthola i-toxoplasmosis kuphezulu ngenxa yokuvutshelwa kwendle yawo.
Kungathatha iminyaka ukuhlola ngokuphelele yonke imigede. Amagatsha amaningi aphuma; ukuhamba kuzo kunzima nokuphatha imithwalo kunzima. Sazama ukungena kuzo ngangokunokwenzeka, kodwa ngokushesha sathola amagatsha neziqu, mhlawumbe umphumela wemifula ekhulayo noma imisinga engaphansi komhlaba eyasivimba. Angazi ngempela ukuthi siyini isizathu, kepha iqiniso ukuthi endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angama-30, izingodo zivame ukutholakala zibhajwe emifantwini yodonga lomhosha.
Ngosuku lwesithathu lohambo sathola ingozi yokuqala: umbhede womfula wavalwa ngenxa yokudilika komhlaba okuncane, futhi ngokushesha okukhulu isikebhe saphenduka yonke imithwalo yaqala ukuntanta. Ngokushesha sigxume sisuka kwelinye itshe liya kwelinye, sabuyisa konke. Okuthile kwaba manzi, kepha ngenxa yezikhwama ezingangeni manzi, konke kwatholwa futhi ukwethuka akwenzekanga.
Ngenkathi sizulazula phakathi kolunye olusheshayo nolunye, udonga olukhulu olungaphezulu kwamamitha angama-300 ukuphakama, ngakwesokudla sethu, lwaheha ukunakwa kwethu, cishe ngamamitha angama-30 ukuphakama ithala elinesakhiwo esenziwe ngesandla somuntu lingahlukaniswa. Simangele, sakhuphuka odongeni sisebenzisa imifantu nezinyathelo zemvelo kungekudala safika ealtare langaphambi kweSpanishi elihlotshiswe ngamanani asalondoloza upende obomvu. Phansi sithola izingcezu eziningana zemikhumbi yasendulo ehlotshisiwe, nasezindongeni usengabona imikhondo yemidwebo. Lesi sakhiwo, okuvela kuso ijika elide lomfula, sibonakala siyisiko lendabuko yamaMaya yangaphambi kwesikhathi.
Lokhu okutholakele kwaphakamisa umbuzo omkhulu kithina: Bavelaphi ngasemfuleni, kungenzeka ukuthi babevela ethafeni elalingaphezu kwamakhanda ethu, lapho mhlawumbe kunesikhungo sasendulo semikhosi esingaziwa namanje. Indawo nokuzungezile kuyimilingo.
Engxenyeni yayo emaphakathi, umhosha uqala ukuvala kuze kube yilapho cishe ungamamitha ayisithupha ububanzi. Amagatsha nemizila esiyibonile ngenhla kombhede kuyisibonakaliso esingangabazi sokuthi ngenkathi yezimvula lo mfula uvuvukale ngokweqile futhi uthatha lokho okutholile endleleni yawo.
Imvelo iklomelise umzamo wethu ngendledlana ephoqelelwe ngaphansi kwempophoma ehlanganisa konke okungumbhede womfula futhi evimba indlela efana nekhethini elimhlophe elibonakala lihlukanisa imihlaba emibili. Sasisezinhliziyweni ezimanzi, ezimnyama zomhosha. Emthunzini, umoya wasenza saqhaqhazela kancane futhi uhlaza, manje olusehlathini elishisayo, lwasijabulisa ngezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zamafern, amasundu nama-orchid. Ngaphezu kwalokho, sinikeza injabulo yohambo lwethu, izinkulungwane zopholi basiphelezela ngengxoxo yabo enkulu.
Ngobusuku balolo suku lwesithathu ukukhwehlela kwamasele kukhombise ukuma kwethu, ngoba amajika abengenamkhawulo futhi evaliwe. Ngokwesibalo sethu, usuku olulandelayo bekungukufaka isihlenga, ngoba njengoba izinga lokugeleza likhuphuka kuzofanele sisebenzise izigwedlo. Ubusuku babumnyama futhi izinkanyezi zazikhanya kubo bonke ubukhazikhazi bazo.
Ekuseni kosuku lwesihlanu, isikebhe sahamba phambi kwethu, simaka indlela futhi ngaqopha konke engihlangane nakho endleleni ngisuka esihlahleni. Ngokushesha ngabona ukuthi umfula ubheke odongeni olumnyama ngaphandle kwezimila. Bakhala ngesikebhe bethi singena emhubheni. Izindonga zavalwa zaze zathinta. Simangele, sabuka umhosha uphenduka indawo enkulu. Amanzi ayehamba kancane futhi lokhu kwasivumela ukuthi sithathe ifilimu ngomoya ophansi. Ngezikhathi ezithile kwakuyovela izimbobo ophahleni ezazisinika ukukhanya okwanele kwemvelo. Ukuphakama kophahla kule ndawo cishe kungu-100m kanti ama-stalactites awe kuwo ahluka ngemibala ngokomswakama nombala wengemuva (okumpunga okukhanyayo). I-grotto yaqhubeka ijika ngakwesokunene. Imizuzwana embalwa, ukukhanya kwancipha kwathi ekukhanyeni kwezibani kwavela itshe elalinjengelathi le-Gothic. Ekugcineni, ngemuva kwemizuzu embalwa, sibona ophumayo. Lapho sesingaphandle, sama olwandle oluhle olunesihlabathi ukuze sijabulele lesi simangaliso semvelo isikhashana.
I-altimeter isitshele ukuthi sise-450 m asl, futhi njengoba iMalpaso Lake iku-170, lokhu kusho ukuthi kusamele sehle kakhulu, kepha besingazi ukuthi lo mehluko sizobhekana nawo nini futhi kuphi.
Sibuyele ekuhlolweni kwemikhumbi, futhi besingakahlanganisi ngaphezu kwamamitha ayi-100 lapho umsindo omkhulu wokuduma okukhulu uvusa ukunakwa kwethu. Amanzi anyamalala phakathi kwamatshe amakhulu. UMauricio, indoda ende kunazo zonke, wagibela komunye wabo ukuze abuke. Kube ukuwa, ukuphela akubonwanga kwathiwa kumthambeka. Amanzi ayegeleza futhi egeleza. Yize ntambama yayisondela, sanquma ukusigcina isithiyo, esasilungiselela ngaso izindophi nama-carabiners uma kungenzeka sidinge ukuzisebenzisa.
Ngamunye wethu wayephethe ubhaka futhi izihlenga ezincishisiwe emhlane zazinesisindo impela. Umjuluko wehla ebusweni bethu njengoba sasifuna indlela ephephe kunazo zonke yokufinyelela ekugcineni. Kwakudingeka siqaphele kakhulu ukwehla nokwehla amatshe ashelelayo ukuze sigweme ukuwela emanzini. Ngesinye isikhathi, bekufanele ngidlulise ubhaka wami ku-Ernesto ukuze ngigxume nge-2m. Ukuhamba okukodwa okungalungile nokuqhekeka kungadala ukubambezeleka nezinkinga eqenjini.
Cishe lapho kuhwalala, safika ekugcineni kwethambeka. Umhosha wawusalokhu umncane, futhi njengoba yayingekho indawo yokukhempa, ngokushesha sagcwala izihlenga sifuna indawo efanelekayo yokuphumula. Ngokushesha ngemuva kwalokho, salungisa ikamu ngokukhanya kwezibani zethu.
Ngesikhathi sokuphumula okufanelekile, sigcwalise ilogi yethu yokuhambela ngolwazi oluthakazelisayo namazwana. Sasimangele umbukwane owawusengaphambi kwethu. Lezo zindonga ezinkulu zazisenza sizizwe sincane kakhulu, singabalulekile futhi siqhelelene nezwe. Kepha ebusuku, ogwini olunesihlabathi, phakathi kwamajika amancane omfula, ngaphansi kwenyanga okwakubonakala ezindongeni zesiliva zomhosha naphambi komlilo, wawuzwa umsindo wokuhleka kwethu ngenkathi sinambitha isidlo esimnandi yespaghetti.
