Umkhankaso wethu, owenziwe ngabalingani abayisishiyagalombili, uqale ngoMgqibelo. Ngosizo lweTarahumara ezine, salayisha izihlenga ezimbili nemishini edingekayo, futhi sehla ngezindlela ezincane ukuze sifinyelele edolobheni elilandelayo, indawo lapho abangane bethu besibhakela babezohamba nathi, ngoba lapho sasingathola khona izilwane nabantu abaningi ababengasisiza qhubeka nokuzijabulisa kwethu.
Umkhankaso wethu, owenziwe ngabalingani abayisishiyagalombili, uqale ngoMgqibelo. Ngosizo lwe-tarahumara ezine, salayisha izihlenga ezimbili nemishini edingekayo, sehla ngezindlela ezincane ukuze sifinyelele edolobheni elilandelayo, indawo lapho abangane bethu besibhakela babezohamba nathi, ngoba lapho sasingathola khona izilwane nabantu abaningi ababengasisiza qhubeka nokuzijabulisa kwethu.
Umgwaqo wawumuhle; ekuqaleni izimila zazinamahlathi kodwa njengoba sasihamba phansi i-landscape yoma kakhulu. Ngemuva kokuhamba amahora ambalwa futhi sibabaza imihosha engapheli esasihamba ngayo, safika edolobheni okwaphenduka kwaba yindlu eyodwa. Lapho, indoda enobungane egama layo linguGrutencio yasinikeza amawolintshi anamanzi futhi aqabulayo, futhi yathola amashaja amabili nama-burrito amabili ukusisiza ukuba siqhubeke nokwehla kwethu. Saqhubeka senyuka senyuka izindlela eziqopha izintaba, salahlekelwa umkhondo wesikhathi nobusuku. Inyanga egcwele yaqhamuka phakathi kwamagquma, yasikhanyisa ngamandla amakhulu kangangokuthi izithunzi zethu zazinde, zidweba ibala elikhulu emgwaqweni esasilishiya ngemuva. Lapho sesizodela futhi sizimisele ukuchitha ubusuku emgwaqweni omangele, samangazwa umsindo omkhulu womfula owamemezela ukusondela kwawo. Kodwa-ke, sahamba isikhathi esingaphezu kwehora saze safika ekugcineni kwamabhange e-Urique. Lapho sifika, sikhumula amabhuzu ethu ukuze sicwilise izinyawo zethu esihlabathini esipholile, silungiselele isidlo sakusihlwa esihle, futhi silale kahle.
Usuku lwafika kithi ngemisebe efudumele yelanga lasekuseni, eyayiveza ukucaca kwamanzi omfula esizohamba ngawo ngomkhumbi izinsuku ezinhlanu ezizayo. Sivuka ngesidlo sasekuseni esimnandi, sikhiphe izimpahla bese sifaka izinhlamvu ezimbili, bese silungela ukuhamba. Injabulo yeqembu ibithelelwana. Nganginovalo oluncane ngoba kwakuwukwehla kwami kokuqala, kodwa isifiso sokuthola ukuthi yini esasilindile sehlula ukwesaba kwami.
Umfula wawungenawo amanzi amaningi ngakho kwezinye izingxenye kwakudingeka sehle sihudule izihlenga, kodwa naphezu komzamo omkhulu, sonke sasijabulela wonke umzuzu wale ndawo ethakazelisayo. Amanzi aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nezindonga ezinkulu ezibomvu ezigcwele umfula, ziqhathaniswa nombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ngangizizwa ngincane ngempela eduze kwaleyo mvelo enhle futhi enamandla.
Lapho sisondela kwenye ye-rapids yokuqala, izinkomba zokuhlola. UWaldemar Franco no-Alfonso de la Parrra, basinike izinkomba zokuqondisa izihlenga. Umsindo omkhulu wamanzi awela emthambekeni wangenza ngaqhaqhazela, kodwa sasikwazi ukuqhubeka nokugwedla kuphela. Ngaphandle kokunaka lokhu, isihlenga sashayisana netshe futhi saqala ukujika njengoba umsinga wasithwala sawisa ekwindla. Singene ngokushesha emhlane wethu, kuzwakala ukukhala futhi iqembu lonke lawela emanzini. Lapho siphuma ediphini saphenduka sabonana futhi sahluleka ukulawula uhleko lwethu lokwesaba. Sigibele isihlenga futhi asizange siyeke ukuxoxa ngalokho okusanda kwenzeka kuze kube yilapho i-adrenaline yethu yehla kancane.
Ngemuva kokuhamba ngomkhumbi amahora amahlanu lapho besihlala khona izikhathi ezinhle zomzwelo, sima osebeni lomfula ukuze sibulale indlala yethu. Sikhiphe idili lethu "elikhulu": idlanzana lezithelo ezomisiwe nengxenye yebha yamandla (uma kwenzeka sishiywa sinesifiso), futhi saphumula ihora ukuqhubeka nokuhamba emanzini angalindelekile oMfula i-Urique. Ngehora lesithupha ntambama, saqala ukufuna indawo entofontofo yokukhempa, ukwenza isidlo esihle sakusihlwa nokulala ngaphansi kwesibhakabhaka esigcwele izinkanyezi.
Kuze kwaba wusuku lwesithathu lohambo lapho izintaba zaqala ukuvuleka khona futhi sabona umuntu wokuqala owayengekho kulo mkhankaso: uTarahumara ogama lakhe linguDon Jaspiano owasazisa ukuthi kwakusasele izinsuku ezimbili ukufika edolobheni lase-Urique, lapho Besihlela ukuqeda uhambo lwethu. UDon Jaspiano ngomusa wasimemela endlini yakhe ukuyodla ubhontshisi nama-tortilla asanda kwenziwa, futhi-ke, ngemuva kwaso sonke leso sikhathi sizama kuphela ukudla kwethu okuphelelwe amanzi (isobho kanye ne-oatmeal), sangena kubhontshisi omnandi ngenjabulo eyodwa, yize sizisola kangakanani! sancama ebusuku!
Ngosuku lwesihlanu lohambo safika edolobheni laseGuadalupe Coronado, lapho sama khona olwandle. Amamitha ambalwa ukusuka lapho sifake khona ikamu, umndeni kaDon Roberto Portillo Gamboa wawuhlala. Ngenhlanhla yethu kwakunguLwesine oNgcwele, usuku okuqala ngalo imikhosi yeSonto Elingcwele futhi idolobha lonke lihlangana ukuthandaza nokukhombisa ukukholwa kwabo ngokudansa nangokucula. UDoña Julia de Portillo Gamboa nezingane zakhe basimemele emcimbini futhi, yize besikhathele, saya ngoba besingaphuthelwa yilo mcimbi othakazelisayo. Lapho sifika, iqembu lase liqalile. Ngokubuka zonke lezozithunzi zabantu ezazisuka kolunye uhlangothi ziye kolunye zithwele abangcwele emahlombe abo, ngizwa ukumemeza okungazelelwe nokusakazekile, ukushaya isigubhu njalo nokububula kwemikhuleko, ngayiswa kwesinye isikhathi. Kwakumangalisa futhi kungumlingo ukukwazi ukubona umkhosi walobu bukhulu kangaka, walesi sikhathi sakudala. Ukuba phakathi kwabesifazane baseTarahumara begqoke iziketi ezinde zemibala eyinkulungwane, amadoda amhlophe aboshwe ubhande lwawo okhalweni lwawo, athuthelwa kwesinye isikhathi nendawo abantu baseGuadalupe Coronado ababa nathi.
Ekuseni saqoqa imishini yethu ngenkathi amadoda efuna izinto zokuhamba zangaphansi eziya e-Urique, mina no-Elisa savakashela umndeni wasePortillo Gamboa. Sibe nokudla kwasekuseni nabo ikhofi elinobisi olusha, isinkwa esenziwe ekhaya esifudumele, futhi-ke, bebengeke baphuthelwe ubhontshisi omnandi onama-tortilla. UDoña Julia usinikeze i-capirotada encane, i-dessert emnandi enezithako ezahlukahlukene ezifana noshukela onsundu, ujamu we-apula, amakinati, ukhova, ama-walnuts, omisiwe nesinkwa, okulungiselelwe imikhosi yePhasika; Sithathe izithombe zomndeni wonke savalelisana.
Sishiye umfula, salayisha imishini elolini saze safika eUrique kungaphansi kweqhude. Sihamba emgwaqweni okuwukuphela kwawo edolobheni futhi sibheke indawo yokudlela nokuhlala. Ngokumangazayo, yayingekho indawo, mhlawumbe ngenxa yemikhosi eyayibanjelwe emadolobheni angomakhelwane kanye "nomdanso" omkhulu owawenziwa ePlaza de Urique. Ngemuva kwesidlo sasemini basazisa ukuthi "u-El Gringo" uqashe ingadi yakhe kulabo abasenkampini, ngakho-ke saya ukuyombona futhi ngama-peso amathathu samisa amatende phakathi kwamadlelo amade nezinye izinhlobo zezitshalo. Ukukhathala kusenze sathatha isihlwathi eside, futhi lapho sivuka kwakumnyama. Siyehla "emgwaqweni" kanti u-Urique ubesegcwele abantu. Izitebele zommbila, amazambane ane-valentina sauce, u-ayisikhilimu owenziwe ekhaya, izingane yonke indawo namaloli awela umgwaqo omncane ukusuka kolunye uhlangothi kuya kolunye, ukukhulisa nokwehlisa abantu bayo yonke iminyaka abanikeze "indima". Sahlala phansi ngokushesha, sahlangana nabantu abanobungane kakhulu, sadansa ama-norteñas futhi saphuza i-tesgüino, utshwala bommbila obumuncu obujwayelekile esifundeni.
Ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo, kwadlula iveni eyayizosiyisa eBahuichivo, lapho sasizogibela khona isitimela saseChihuahua-Pacific.
Sishiya inhliziyo yezintaba sifinyelele eCreel emuva kwemini. Siphumule ehhotela, lapho ngemuva kwezinsuku eziyisithupha besikwazi ukugeza ngamanzi ashisayo, siphume sayodla isidlo sakusihlwa futhi usuku lwethu luphela kumatilasi athambile. Ekuseni salungiselela ukushiya uCreel elolini elifanayo lenkampani iRío y Montaña Expediciones elizosiyisa eMexico. Endleleni ebuyayo ngaba nesikhathi esiningi sokuqoqa imicabango yami futhi ngabona ukuthi konke lokho okuhlangenwe nakho kwashintsha okuthile kimi; Ngihlangane nabantu nezindawo ezingifundisa ukubaluleka nobukhulu bezinto zansuku zonke, nakho konke okusizungezile, futhi akuvamile ukuthi sibe nesikhathi sokubabaza.
Umthombo: IMexico engaziwa engu-219 / Meyi 1995
