Hōʻike ka mokuʻāina ʻo Chiapas i nā hiki palena ʻole no ka poʻe ʻimi: nā awawa, nā kahawai kūpikipiki, nā wailele a me nā mea pohihihi o ka ululāʻau. No kekahi mau makahiki i kēia manawa, ʻo ka ʻoihana aʻu e hana nei i ka iho ʻana i lalo i nā kahawai ʻoi loa a hūnā ʻia hoʻi ma kēia mokuʻāina a ua wehe ʻia nā ala no ka poʻe e hoʻolohe ana, ʻoiai he novice, makemake nui e mahalo i ka nani maoli.
Ma hope o ka nānā ʻana i kekahi mau kiʻi lewa o ka wahi a noʻonoʻo e pili ana no kekahi manawa, ua hoʻoholo wau e ʻākoakoa i kahi pūʻulu noiʻi e iho i lalo i ka muliwai ʻo La Venta, nona ka moena e holo i loko o kahi canyon ma kahi o 80 km ka lōʻihi e kahe ana ma loko o ka ʻāpana kūlohelohe ʻo El Ocote. He pali kahi o kēia māwae e hele ana mai 620m a i 170m asl; Hiki i kona mau paia a 400m i ke kiʻekiʻe a me ka laulā o ka muliwai e kahe ana ma waena o ka fluctuates ma waena o 50 a me 100m, a i 6m i nā ʻāiki loa.
ʻO ka mea hope loa, ua hoʻokumu ʻia ka hui e Maurizio Ballabio, Mario Colombo a me Giann Maria Annoni, he mau kuahiwi akamai; ʻO Pier Luigi Cammarano, biologist; ʻO Néstor Bailleza lāua ʻo Ernesto López, cavers, a he ʻike wau i ka iho muliwai a ma ka ululāʻau.
Lawe mākou i kahi waʻa liʻiliʻi, māmā a me kahi waʻa inflatable, ka nui o nā pono hana loea i kaumaha ai kā mākou mau ʻūlū, a lawa ka meaʻai no nā lā ʻehiku.
Ua maloʻo ka ʻāina ma ka ʻaoʻao kiʻekiʻe o ke kahawai. Ua hele mākou i kahi faila ma lalo o kahi alapiʻi lōʻihi i alakaʻi iā mākou i kahi e kau ai, ma ka lalo o ke kahawai nui. ʻAʻohe nui ka wai o ka muliwai, no laila i nā lā ʻelua mua pono mākou e huki i ka waʻa i lalo akā, me ka nui o ka hana nui, hauʻoli mākou āpau i kēlā me kēia manawa o kēia huakaʻi hoihoi.
Kiʻekiʻena ka ʻuhane pūʻulu a me he mea lā ke hana maikaʻi nei nā mea āpau; Ua hele a hele hewa ʻo Luigi e ʻohiʻohi i nā mea kanu a me nā mea kolo, ʻoiai ʻo Mario, makaʻu i ka nahesa, lele ʻo ia mai ka pōhaku a ka pōhaku e kuʻi ana a kuʻi iā ia me kahi kō. Ma ka huli ʻana, huki mākou a pau a pahu i ka waʻa i ukana me nā ukana.
He hanohano ka ʻāina o ke kahawai, nā kānana wai ma o nā paia e hana ana i nā stalactite kupaianaha o nā hoʻolālā whimsical a me nā form calcareous i kapa ʻia he mau lāʻau Kalikimaka, a ʻoiai he mea kupaianaha loa ia i ka cacti e loaʻa kahi ala e noho ai i nā paia pōhaku a ulu like iā lākou. Ma ka manawa koke, ua hoʻomaka mākou e ʻike i kekahi ana e waiho ana ma ka paia ʻākau o ka canyon, akā ua kiʻekiʻe iki lākou a ua manaʻo mākou ʻaʻohe kiko e hoʻokokoke aku iā lākou no ka mea ʻaʻole i ʻae ka piko o ka paia iā mākou e piʻi me nā lako a mākou e hali nei. Makemake mākou e hoʻomanawanui a lawe i ka "shower pressure" ma lalo o ka Jet de Leche, he lele he 30m, i hana ʻia i ka hua keʻokeʻo e hāʻule i lalo i kahi paia ʻalani ʻalani a paheʻe mālie ma nā pōhaku.
ʻO ka hope loa, ua hele iki aku, hiki mākou i ke ana mua a mākou e mākaʻikaʻi ai a hoʻomākaukau mua ua hele mākou i loko.
Hōʻike nā waihona pōhaku keʻokeʻo i nā kukui mua; Ua kuli ka wāwae o ka caver i ka ʻāpana mua o ke ana a i ko mākou komo ʻana i nā wahi ua hoʻololi koke lākou i ka nui. ʻAʻole ka nui o nā ʻōpeʻapeʻa, nā kamaʻāina maʻamau o kēia mau wahi, kahi kiʻekiʻe o ke koena o ka loaʻa ʻana o ka toxoplasmosis ma muli o ka fermentation o kā lākou lepo.
He mau makahiki ka lōʻihi o ka mākaʻikaʻi ʻana i nā ana āpau. Nui nā lālā i waho; he paʻakikī ka hele ʻana ma waena o lākou a kaumaha hoʻi i ka hāpai ʻana i nā ukana. Ua hoʻāʻo mākou e komo i loko o lākou i ka mea hiki, akā ʻaʻole i liʻuliʻu ua loaʻa iā mākou nā lālā a me nā kumu, ʻo ia paha ka hopena o ka pehu o ka muliwai a i ʻole nā kahawai lalo i ālai i ko mākou ala. ʻAʻole maopopo iaʻu ke kumu, akā ʻo ka ʻoiaʻiʻo ma ke kiʻekiʻe o 30 m, ʻike pinepine ʻia nā paukū e paʻa i nā ana o ka paia o ke kahawai.
I ke kolu o ka lā o ka huakaʻi, ua loaʻa iā mākou ka ulia mua: ua pani ʻia ka muliwai ma muli o ka hāʻule ʻana o ka ʻāina, a i ka wikiwiki, huli aʻe ka waʻa a hoʻomaka ka lana o nā ukana a pau. Lele wikiwiki mai kekahi pōhaku ai kahi pōhaku, ua hoʻōla mākou i nā mea āpau. Ua pulu kekahi mea, akā mahalo i nā ʻeke wai ʻole i hoʻi nā mea āpau āpau akā ʻaʻole i kū ka makaʻu.
Ke hoʻokele nei mākou ma waena o kekahi wikiwiki a me kekahi, ʻo ka paia nui o 300 m ke kiʻekiʻe, i ko mākou ʻākau, ua ʻumeʻume ko mākou nānā, ma kahi o 30 m ke kiʻekiʻe o kahi hale me kahi ʻano i hana ʻia e ka lima o ke kanaka. Mahalo nui, piʻi mākou i ka paia e hoʻohana pono ana i nā māwae a me nā ʻanuʻu kūlohelohe hiki koke mākou i kahi kuahu Hispanic mua i hoʻonani ʻia me nā kiʻi e mālama mau i ka pena ʻulaʻula. Ma ka papahele ʻike mākou i mau ʻāpana o nā moku i kāhiko ʻia i ka wā kahiko, a ma nā paia e ʻike mau ʻia nā kaha kiʻi. ʻO kēia ʻōnaehana, kahi e ʻike maka ʻia ai kahi kūlou lōʻihi i ka muliwai, kahi pūnaewele o ka moʻomeheu Maya ma mua.
Ua hāpai aʻe kahi mea i loaʻa i kahi nīnau nui na mākou: No hea lākou i hele mai ai ma ka muliwai, ʻo ka nui loa paha lākou i hele mai ai mai ka pāpū ma luna o ko mākou mau poʻo, kahi paha kahi kikowaena o ka wā kahiko i ʻike ʻole ʻia. Kupanaha kahi a me nā wahi a puni.
Ma kāna ʻāpana waena, hoʻomaka ke awāwa e pani a kokoke i 6 m ākea. ʻO nā lālā a me nā ʻāpana a mākou i ʻike ai ma luna aʻe o kahi moe kahi hōʻailona kolohe ʻole i ke kau ua ua kiʻekiʻe loa kēia kahawai a huki i nā mea i loaʻa ma kāna ala.
Ua uku ke kūlohelohe i kā mākou hana me kahi ala i koi ʻia ma lalo o kahi wailele e uhi ana i nā moena o ka muliwai a keakea i ke ala e like me ka pale keʻokeʻo e like me ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻana i ʻelua mau honua. Aia mākou i ka puʻuwai, puʻuwai pouli o ka canyon. I ka malu, haʻalulu iki ka makani iā mākou a me nā mea kanu, i kēia manawa he ululāʻau tropical, ʻoluʻolu iā mākou me nā ʻano ferns, nā pāma a me nā orchids. Eia hou, ke hāʻawi nei i kahi leʻaleʻa o ka hauʻoli i kā mākou huakaʻi, he mau tausani o nā ʻoka i hele pū me mākou me kā lākou kamaʻilio hekili.
I loko o ka pō o kēlā kolu o ka lā ke kuhi ʻana o nā toads i hōʻike i ko mākou kūlana, ʻoiai nā palena ʻole i paʻa a paʻa. Wahi a kā mākou helu ʻana, i ka lā aʻe e hoʻoulu i ka raft, ʻoiai ke piʻi nei ka pae o ke kahe e hoʻohana mākou i nā hoe. Ua ʻeleʻele ka pō a ʻōlinolino nā hōkū i ko lākou nani a pau.
I ke kakahiaka o ka lima o ka lā, ua holo mua ka waʻa ma mua o mākou, e kaha ana i ke ala a paʻi kiʻi wau i nā mea āpau aʻu e ʻike ai ma ke ala mai ka waʻa. ʻIke koke wau e hele ana ka muliwai i kahi paia pouli me ka ʻole o nā mea kanu. ʻUā lākou mai ka waʻa ke komo nei mākou i kahi tunnel. Pani nā paia a pā lākou. Pīhoihoi, nānā mākou i ka huli ʻana o ka canyon i kahi grotto nunui. E holo mālie ana ka wai a ʻae kēia iā mākou e kiʻi mālie i ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni. Mai kēlā manawa i kēia manawa, ʻike ʻia nā puka i ke kaupaku i hāʻawi iā mākou i ka mālamalama maoli. ʻO ke kiʻekiʻe o ke kaupaku ma kēia wahi ma kahi o 100m a hāʻule nā stalactite mai ia mea, i ʻano like ʻole i ke kala e pili ana i ka haʻahaʻa a me ke kala o ke kua (hina hina). Ua hoʻomau ka piʻo ʻana o ka grotto i ka ʻākau. No kekahi mau kekona, ua emi ka mālamalama a i ka mālamalama o nā kukui i ʻike ʻia kahi pōhaku i ke ʻano o ke kuahu Gothic. ʻO ka hope, ma hope o kekahi mau minuke, ʻike mākou i ka puka. I ka manawa ma waho, ua kū mākou ma kahi kahakai one maikaʻi e leʻaleʻa ai i kēia ʻano kamahaʻo o ke kūlohelohe no kekahi manawa.
Ua haʻi mai ka altimeter iā mākou aia mākou ma 450 m ma luna o ka ʻilikai, a ʻoiai aia ʻo Malpaso Lake ma 170 m, ʻo ia hoʻi he mea nui mākou e iho i lalo, akā ʻaʻole mākou i ʻike i ka wā a me kahi e kū ai mākou i kēia kaulike ʻole.
Ua hoʻi mākou i ka hoʻokele, a ʻaʻole mākou i huakaʻi ma mua o 100 m i ka wā o ka halulu nui o kahi wikiwiki e ala ala i kā mākou nānā. Ua nalo ka wai ma waena o nā pōhaku gigantic. ʻO Mauricio, ke kāne kiʻekiʻe loa, piʻi i luna o kekahi o lākou e nānā. He hoʻokahuli ʻāina ia, ʻaʻole hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻike i ka hopena a piʻi ke kiʻekiʻe. E kuʻi ana ka wai a kahe ana. ʻOiai ua kokoke mai ke awakea, ua hoʻoholo mākou e hoʻopakele i ka pale, no ka mea hoʻomākaukau mākou i nā kaula a me nā carabiners inā pono mākou e hoʻohana.
Hāpai kēlā me kēia o mākou i kahi ʻūlū a kaumaha nui nā rafl deflated ma ko mākou kua. Holo ka hou i ka helehelena i ko mākou ʻimi ʻana i ke ala palekana loa e hiki ai i ka hopena. Pono mākou e akahele loa i ka piʻi a i lalo o nā pōhaku paheʻe e hōʻole i ka hāʻule ʻana i loko o ka wai. I hoʻokahi manawa, pono wau e hāʻawi i kaʻu ʻeke i Ernesto e lele i kahi lele 2m. Hoʻokahi hewa neʻe a me ka haki e hoʻolohi a pilikia hoʻi i ka hui.
ʻAneʻane i ka pō ahiahi, ua hōʻea mākou i ka wēlau o ka pali. He ʻololī nō naʻe ke kahawai, a ʻoiai ʻaʻohe wahi e hoʻomoana ai, hoʻoheheʻe koke mākou i nā kaupena e ʻimi i kahi kūpono e hoʻomaha ai. ʻAʻole i liʻuliʻu, hoʻomākaukau mākou i kahi hoʻomoana ma ka kukui o kā mākou mau kukui.
I ko mākou wā kūpono kūpono, ua hoʻopihapiha mākou i kā mākou log expedition me nā ʻike hoihoi a me nā ʻōlelo. Ua hoʻopiha ʻia mākou e ka hiʻona i mua o mākou. ʻO kēlā mau paia nui mākou i mea liʻiliʻi loa, mea ʻole a hoʻokaʻawale ʻia mai ka honua. Akā i ka pō, ma ke kahakai one, ma waena o nā kaha hāiki o ka muliwai, ma lalo o ka mahina i ʻike ʻia i loko o nā paia kala o ka canyon a ma ke alo o kahi ahi ahi, ua hiki iā ʻoe ke lohe i ke kani o kā mākou ʻakaʻaka ʻoiai mākou e ʻono nei i kahi meaʻai maikaʻi o spaghetti.
