Otra Cueva
After sleeping somewhat restlessly in the jungle, Jon and I ate a small breakfast and prepared for a day of adventures. The first, a cave exploration (apparently, I did not get enough last time) and canopying, or zip lining.
We prepared to set out with a group of 7 other guys and a Spanish speaking guide. I think it’s important I reiterate my unfortunate choice in swimwear. As previously mentioned, I was under the belief that everyone in Colombia wore Speedos. I also decided that I wanted to bring a pair of shorts, so to save space I opted to bring boy short speedos as my bathing suit. Well, now I’m faced with a conundrum. The majority of the cave exploration would be hiking, not swimming. I couldn’t wear my jean shorts, because they would never dry in the jungle. So, I opted to wear my speedo and my underwear over the speedo to suppress any awkward bulges. Just throw on a pair of hiking shoes, a very snug, corset like life jacket and a bright yellow hard hat.
My bathing suit problem has since been solved. But, it was a slightly uncomfortable couple of hours. The hike started off easy enough. Walking along a well carved path of jungle at a quick pace. After about twenty minutes, we had to cross the river to begin the challenging part of the hike. We all pulled ourselves along a rope to avoid being swept away by the current. It was quick and easy, and we were all on the other side in a few minutes.
As we began to walk through the jungle, I was made painfully aware of my lack of clothing by the swarms of mosquitoes that were floating around. Not to be deterred, we pressed forward. I’ve never been in such a dense jungle before. The trees, the plants, the sounds, it’s overwhelming and truthfully a little claustrophobic. As we climb higher into the jungle, we began to rock scramble up large marble boulders. The marble was so smooth, the shapes so varied and the surface slipperier than you can imagine. I was definitely the slowest. And the most clumsy. Each time my feet slipped, I wondered how the fuck it wasn’t happening to everyone else. After a few scary sections we were past what I dubbed ‘marble madness.’
Next, our guide warned us of the fire ants. Which, could be seen marching in long, single file lines, carrying leaves to another destination. The warning was ‘move quickly, they will bite you, and it will hurt.’ I maybe felt extra susceptible, given a week ago, I was eating baked ants. And, when the guide would stop to tell us about a type of tree or plant, all I could see was the ants streaming by my feet.
Fun Fact: The ants do not eat the leaves, they bring the leaves back to their lair, or whatever they call their home, and let the leaves decompose so that mushrooms will grow out of the decomposition. And they eat the mushrooms.
We continue to walk through the jungle, gingerly watching our step when suddenly it began to rain. At first, we heard but did not feel it. That did not last. Before we knew it, we were in a torrential downpour. I had mixed feelings about the rain. On the plus side, it was keeping the mosquitoes at bay. On the down side, the ground was much more slippery and the ants were now everywhere, seemingly rushing back to their ‘lair.’
Overall, it was really cool to see and to be a part of the pouring rain in the jungle. I wish I could have captured the moment somehow, but no picture could capture the smell and the sound of the rain pelting the giant green leaves.
We arrived at the cave entrance. Our guide had to make a phone call to see if it was safe to pass through the cave given the rain. The answer: ‘Yes, we just have to move quickly.’ (by the way, how crazy is it that there is cell phone service in the middle of dense jungle in Colombia)
The cave itself started out easy enough. Plenty of head room and walking through a rather large corridor. It wasn’t walking down a nice hallway, but with careful steps, it was fairly easy to navigate. The cave walls were all marble and the rock formations were each so unique. After about 30 minutes, we stopped in a very large cavern. I would say it was at least 75′ high. We all sat, and the guide explained how caves form, and about this particular cavern. This was also the first sighting we had of the nocturnal birds that reside in the cave. The guide warned us of a few things:
- Don’t shine the light on them, they hate that
- They are ‘shitty’ birds so don’t look up if you hear them
- They like to eat white skin (this was a joke, they are actually vegetarian)
- They are incredibly noisy.
He wasn’t lying about that 4th one. The shriek of these birds in the dark cave was borderline terrifying. And, he wasn’t lying about the second point, as Jon and I both were shit on simultaneously. And, sure as shit, they were extra noisy when you flashed the light on them.
Ornithological interests aside, the cavern was beautiful. The guide asked us all to turn off our lights and to sit in total darkness for one minute of silent meditation. “This is Mother Earth and you are in her womb.” During the silence, he reminded us to listen to the sounds of the cavern. That was my favorite part, and I greatly appreciated the queue. Sitting in total darkness, listening to the sound of dripping water in this expansive, echoing cavern was an amazing experience. Namaste.
‘Time to climb down’ our guide prompted. The next 300 meters would be climbing through various rock formations, sliding down natural marble slides and jumping into pools of water. One last jump, and we turned the corner and saw the exit. The feeling of seeing natural light and the colors of Earth was still shocking. It’s definitely my favorite part of cave exploration.
Jon and I walked towards lunch and I explained abrubtly ‘I am not going zip lining.’ I had enough adventure for one day. I sat down and began to plan my next move.
Speaking with some other travelers, I decided on either Jardin or Bahia Solano. The problem is, they are both towards Medillin and Jon and I were supposed to hop on a bus to Bogata for his last day in Colombia. Well, it turns out there was a group of 4 driving in a car (not a bus) to Medillin and could give me a ride. An opportunity not to be missed. I said goodbye to Jon and headed to Medillin. It was a great journey with Jon. We saw and did so much. I think Rio Claro was the highlight. The jungle was an amazing and unique place. If you are visiting Colombia, I would recommend you spend at least one night in an open air cabin, with no mosquito nets or bedding or towels, but with a perfect cloudy sunrise.
#timtears 
One Response to “Otra Cueva”
“Marble Madness” is a the new Mario level.
No to any kind of ants. Would die.
I just imagine the cave guide carrying those giant, shoulder-slung satellite phones you see in movies like “Jurassic Park 2” that never work.
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