I-Mammoth Cave eKentucky yabiza ngokuvakashela kwayo ngendlela efanele. Okunye okukhethwa kukho kungenzeka ukuthi kufaka phakathi, "I-Wicked Awesome Cave Tour", "Iningi Lokuzijabulisa-I-Ever Cave Tour", noma "I-Best Cave Tour of Mammoth Cave National Park ." "Uhambo lwe-Wild Cave Tour" luyisikhathi eside kunazo zonke ukunikezwa kwepaki futhi kuthatha izivakashi ekujuleni komhume ongaboni nakwezinye izindawo. Ngamahora angaphezu kwesithupha, ngabona ukubunjwa kwemvelo, amagumbi amakhulu edwaleni, futhi ngihlangana nabanye abantu abapholile kakhulu abavakashela ipaki.
Kwakuyingxenye engiyintandokazi yohambo lwami ukuya e- Mammoth Cave National Park futhi ngithemba ukuthi ngingabakhuthaza abanye ukuyihlola.
Ngisazi Lungiselela
Ngaphambi kokuba kuqale ukuvakasha, sihlangene ku-Visitor Centre. Ukuvakasha kukhishwa abantu abangu-14 (bheka okungaphezulu ngaphansi kwezivimbelo zoVikele ngezansi) okulungile ngezizathu zokuphepha nokusiza ukudala ukusebenzisana phakathi kweqembu. Kwakujabulisa ukumhlangabeza lawo maMammoth Umhume wokuvakasha okokuqala ngqa kanye nalabo abambalwa abaye bahlala e-Wild Cave Tour ngaphambili. Izivakashi zibuya ngokuphindaphindiwe ngoba uhambo lukuyisa ezindaweni ezahlukene emaphandleni isikhathi ngasinye. Qinisekisa ukuthi utshela umhlahlandlela wakho lapho uhambe khona ngesikhathi sokugcina futhi ngeke nje ukucabangele, bazoqiniseka ukuthi uzokuzisa engxenyeni yomhume ongazange uwuhlole!
Umhlahlandlela wethu wosuku kwakunguGabe Esters, oyintandokazi enhle, enokuhleka nokuhleka kwepaki. UGabe wakhulela kule ndawo waba ngumqondisi eminyakeni engama-7 ngaphambi kokuba afunde ukuthi ukufundisa esikoleni esiphakeme kwakungeyona eyakhe.
Ngemuva kwesethulo esifushane, saxhunyelwa kwesinye isakhiwo ukuze sithole. Sanikwa ama-overalls, izigqoko ezinezibani, ama-kneepads, ama-bandannas nama-glove. Ngemva kwemizamo emibili nje kuphela, ngathola ama-overalls amabili angifanele kahle futhi anikezela amabhuzu ami ukuba angenwe yi-disinfected. Ngomzamo wokuvimbela i- White Nose Syndrome , akukho gear yangaphandle evunyelwe ngaphakathi emaphandleni futhi wonke amabhuzu kumele aphucwe ngaphambi nangemva kokuvakasha.
Isifo sithinta amalulwane ahlala emaphandleni futhi aqala ukukhuphuka ngo-2009. Eqinisweni, i-Indiana yavala imihume yayo kubakhenkethi eHoosier National Forest ukunciphisa ukusakazeka kwesifo.
Lapho amabhuzu ami ehlanjululwa futhi ehlushwa, ngase ngikulungele ukuzamazama. Futhi kwakuyi-10 kuphela! Sabuyela emuva e-shuttle futhi sakhuphukela emnyango weCarmichael ukuze siqale usuku lwethu.
"Ngifuna Idwala!"
Umcabango wami wokuqala njengoba sasihamba phansi ezitebhisini waya emhumeni wawuthi, "Muntu, kuyabanda." Imihume ibamba izinga lokushisa maphakathi no-50 - ukuphunyuka okuphelele ngosuku oluhle olusihlwa. Sasihamba kancane futhi sathola indawo enhle ukuhlala futhi sizethule komunye nomunye. Kwakuyindlela enhle yokuqala uhambo, ngoba usebenza ndawonye phakathi nosuku. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi udinga isandla phezulu edwaleni noma elula, "Ungakwenza!" leli qembu lisebenza ngempela eduze nosuku lonke. Empeleni, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyazi abanye noma cha, unesibopho somgibeli ngemuva kwakho ngaso sonke isikhathi. Uma ungaboni, kufanele ukhale, "Bamba!" ngakho-ke leli qembu lingama futhi liqinisekise ukuthi bonke abagibeli babanjwa bese behamba ndawonye emaphandleni.
Ngemuva kwezethulo zethu ezimfushane, sasihamba ngezigaba ezihlukahlukene futhi ngokushesha safika enselele yethu yokuqala yomzimba.
UGabe wasiyeka futhi wachaza ukuthi benzeni lapho ekhwela isikhala esiqinile. Satshelwa ukuba siphumule, siphefumule kancane kancane, noma yikuphi ukuqondisa ikhanda lethu elingase lizwe likhululekile kakhulu. Nganginezinzwa zami kodwa ngangizimisele ukukhahlela. Ngabe ngibona lapho ekhomba khona. Akuzange kubonakale sengathi kuyindlela! Wanikeza i-demo emfushane eyayibukeka njengendoda yokudonsa kuqala engena emgodini emhlabeni ngezinyawo zakhe ziphazamisa ekubunjweni kwesandla. Kodwa ngaphandle kokucatshangelwa okuningi, kwakuyithuba lethu. Omunye wami sasiqhaqhazela, futhi ngifuna ukuhamba, ngendleleni. Futhi uyazi ngani? Kwakumangalisa! Ngokuqinisekile akuwona wonke umuntu. Eqinisweni, abanye abantu empeleni bangase bangahambisani, kodwa kwakumnandi kakhulu. Ngangizizwa njengomhloli weqiniso, ngifinyelela ezingxenyeni zomhlaba okungekho omunye owake wabona.
Wonke umuntu wakwenza lokho futhi lokho engakubona ngakolunye uhlangothi kwakungomunye wamamatheka kakhulu kunayo yonke.
Sonke sizizwa siziqhenya ngokwethu. Nganginomuzwa wokuthi ngikufezile, njengokuthi, "Kulungile, lokho kwakulula. Ngithole lokhu!" Futhi lonke lolo suku lalifana nokujabulisa. Ngezinye izikhathi sasihamba, ngezinye izikhathi sasihamba, futhi ngezinye izikhathi sasizulazula indlela yethu emigwaqweni futhi sabona iMammoth Umcenge njengabanye ngeke sibone. Ngemuva kwamahora ambalwa, amandla ethu aqala ukugcoba kodwa ngenhlanhla kwakuyisikhathi sokuphumula kwasemini.
Sifikile egumbini le-Snowball elinesigcwele ngokugcwele amatafula wepikiniki, izindlu zokugeza, kanye nokukhethwa kwamaswidi, isobho, iziphuzo kanye namaswidi. Futhi umfana sasidinga lokho. Okunye kwalolu hambo kwakugcwele ukuhamba okulula kanye neminye imisebenzi eqinile njengokufana nokweqa izindonga nokuhamba. Kodwa wonke umzila esiwashayayo, yonke indlela esiyifundile, futhi yonke indawo esiyibonayo yayifanele ngempela. Lolu hambo lwaluyinkimbinkimbi futhi luhlinzeka kakhulu kubahlanganyeli balo.
Kwenze nje
Ngesikhathi ipaki ijwayele ukuchaza uhambo ngokuthi "lukhuni kakhulu" hhayi kulabo "besaba izindawo eziphakeme noma izindawo eziqinile," ngicabanga ukuthi abantu abaningi bangakwazi ukubhekana nalolu hambo kunokuba bacabanga. Eqinisweni, ngicabanga ukuthi leli paki lingase lisabe abantu. Lapho ngifunda izixwayiso, ngazizwa ngithukile kakhulu. Ngingayisingatha lokhu? Ngenzani? Kuthiwani uma ngiphuma phansi lapho? Kodwa kungakapheli imizuzu engu-15 ngisemhumeni, ngangihleka futhi ngijabule kakhulu. Okuwukuphela kwento yokukhuluma izivakashi eziphuma kwi-Wild Cave Tour ngokwazo.
Manje ungangitholi ngiphutha. Angisho ukuthi lolu hambo luzo wonke umuntu. Uma uhamba nomhlanga, ungahambi kulolu hambo. Uma ukhuluphele kakhulu noma unempilo kakhulu, lolu hambo alukho kuwe. Kodwa-ke, uma unempilo futhi uhlangabezana nezinye izici zesisindo nobudala, hamba! Ungase wesabe ekuqaleni, kodwa ngithembele, ekupheleni kosuku, uzoziqhayisa ngokwakho futhi ujabule ukuthi wakwenza.