Journey to the Center of the Earth
Back when I worked as a Millwright in Local #740, I was in some pretty confined spaces. Ninety feet down a well while working at a reservoir. Inside a tank at a water treatment plant. And I saw my share of crawl spaces and attics as a carpenter. I wouldn’t say that I’m claustrophobic, but I wouldn’t say I prefer small enclosed areas either. And the idea of crawling into or through one for fun never really seemed that appealing.
Time to push those limits. Today, I went on a 2 hour cave exploration. I suppose I was expecting to walk into an established cave with lighting and handrails. Pose for a few pictures. Crack a few cave jokes I had prepped and ‘Vaminos!’
What I expected, a big cavern and plenty of Lord of the Rings references.
I got the climb down part right. That’s about it. Within a few minutes, I was on crawling through cold water and mud. Me, a headlamp and my guide. I’m not sure the last time you tried to crawl, but it’s not easy. I suddenly became very aware of my wrists, and my back as my body creaked slowly to life. The guide was very patient as we clearly moved at a snails pace.
At this point, I’m thinking, I could have brought my phone to take pictures. I could have done this without getting it wet. And then I see the ceiling drop even further. There was now about twelve inches of space between the shallow water and the ceiling. At this point, the guide explained (in Spanish) that I have to lay prone and slide through the water for the next 50 feet. As I tried to determine if he was serious, all that went through my head was:
But, I still got down on to my belly and started squirming through. There was just enough room for my head to be above water and breathe. We arrived at a small clearing, and were crouched in the water. The guide pulled a rope up from underneath the murky water. “Hold your breath for 10 seconds and pull your way through the water, then come up and there is a small clearing.” Again, this is me interpreting Spanish. I nodded in consent/terror and then he was gone. Next, I hear him say “Ahora Timoteo!” And I dove under the water. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. And I bumped my head into him as I came out on the other side. That was a rush! After that, the cave began to open up a little.
The guide pointed out bats and showed me how they would fly from their perch when he clapped his hands. Spiders that were the size of my palm. And a few small fish. It was all strangely beautiful. The rock formations, the calcium stalagmites. Eventually we ended up in a big cavern. The white, crystal calcium deposits were stunning. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. (Took this photo of the cave I was in off the internet)
We reached the end. Time to turn back and repeat the same route. No problem, except now the guide was walking twice as fast. I clumsily walked through each of the challenges. Being careful not to fall or hit my back against the rock formations that looked like giant mushrooms coming from the ceiling.
We reached the underwater section again. This time, my overconfidence was my weakness. I attempted to surface too soon. As I attempted to lift up my head, I was pinned under the water by the rock. For some reason, I thought I was bumping into the guide and tried several times to slam my head up. Only, the rock didn’t budge. Terrifying. I corrected myself, and swam the extra few feet and came up for a glorious breath of air. Everything was easy after that.
The greatest moment of the adventure was the first site of natural light. The trees by the entrance were such a vivid green, the dirt, the sky. It was so real. As if I’ve never seen the sky before.
I am glad I pushed my limits and gained new perspective. And, I would do it again. Still, I’ll keep the guide.
#timtears 
One Response to “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
In for everything minus the spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?
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