FRONTIER WARRANTS EXPLORATION
BY ARMAND RODRIGUES
What
does the earth have in common with Swiss cheese? Answer: Both are full of holes. We have only
scratched the surface when it comes to delving into the caves that exist
everywhere on earth. The ones that have
been found, explored and documented are only a fraction of what exists in
reality. As we run out of options for
sightseeing on the surface of the earth, it may be time to divert our attention
to greater exploration of what may be within it.
With
mystery surrounding caves in general, vertigo does not make things easier for
some. Then one has to contend with the dank, wet, slippery, rocky, dark and
smelly conditions in many a cave. Bats and their malodorous accumulated
droppings do not make things any more inviting in other caves. To learn that some were used as burial sites
and that human and animal bones are found in many only heightens the haunting
and creepy fear factor. In some caves
the silence is deafening. In others, you
hear gurgling sounds and crashing waterfalls.
On the obverse side of the coin, it is reassuring to know that many
caves provided shelter for our ancestors and their domesticated animals and
still do. Man has also left enduring
rock carvings and paintings in many caves.
To
whet one’s appetite, it seems apropos to mention the feature of some
caves. In Barbados, they have the interesting Hamilton caves with impressive
stalactites and stalagmites. The Three
Eyes cave in the Dominican Republic
has three large openings where its roof caved in. The top ended at the bottom with mature trees
still standing. It is eerie to look up at the sky from below. In Belize,
you can glide through the cave on an inner tube. This is an under-world of 1000-year-old
pottery and Mayan footprints, replete with tales of the mysterious customs and
rituals of their shamans. If you fancy
bats, a visit to Deer Cave in Sarawak will
reward you with three million. Italy has Polignano a Mare, a
restaurant in a cave overlooking the Adriatic.
They also have the Mutiara caves used by poor people and their animals
in days gone by but transformed into an idyllic resort destination today. Vietnam
has one of the largest caves in the world.
It has its own trees and clouds inside.
Gibraltar has its whole army
and artillery in a cave strategically facing the Mediterranean—a distinct
vantage point.
At
Waitomo in New Zealand, a barge full
of people can float down a river that runs within. Its roof has millions of
glow-worms that resemble the starry skies.
But, do not open your mouth or make any noise—the disturbed moths may
land in your mouth! Majorca (Las
Palmas) has a stage for spectators to sit and appreciate a lit barge full of
musicians, gently gliding down in the darkness and playing nostalgic
music. Guilin in China has a huge cave with a stream running through. During WWll upwards of 5,000 Chinese hid in
the cave to escape Japanese brutality.
They had to make sure that smoke from their cooking did not escape
through vents in the roof and reveal their secret hideout to the enemy. In Grenada, Spain gypsies and their animals still live in caves. The Elephanta cave in India has statues carved out of rock hundreds of years back. When the Portuguese ruled the area, their
soldiers used some of the statues for target practice and defaced many. And,
the Ajanta caves – also in India—are some 2,200 years old. There are prayer halls. chiselled Roman
columns and arches, intricate carvings and paintings, within.
The
Carter caves in Kentucky lie winding
under forested hills. But the Mammoth cave—also in Kentucky—is the longest in
the world with more than 360 miles of connected tunnels. It is the second-oldest tourist attraction in
the U.S.A. after Niagara Falls and has offered guided tours since 1816. Mummies were found in the cave and ancient
Native American petroglyphs (cave paintings) are everywhere. Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos has lava tunnels and deep-pit craters called Los Gemelos. An interesting variation on all this is man-made
tunnels at the Kooberpedie opal mines in Australia. Abandoned mine shafts at a surface level
have been converted into comfortable “permanent” homes, where people are not
susceptible to fluctuations in the weather.
Tourists
only go to caves that are safe to visit.
Most are off the beaten path. The above is only a sampling. If speleology(cave exploration) is your cup
of tea, that is a totally different proposition that calls for intestinal
fortitude and is not for the faint of heart. Needless to say, there is an
endless number of caves all over the world waiting to be discovered.
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