Jungle Cave

Wednesday 11/29/06

John and Josh stay at our first boulder area
and Ryan and I head out toward the next set of rocks. Very quickly I
realize that SHORTS were the wrong choice today. Who knows what I am
moving through and what is brushing on my legs. It is blazing hot and
the "short" hike to the next set of rocks turns into a 45 minute slog,bushwacking
through the bushes and prickers. We arrive and take a quick assessment
of where we are, and where we need to go. Ryan and I discuss the
reality of how long it will take to get to the temple, and that reality
is not so pretty.
Soon Josh and John arrive and we decide to
explore a cave nearby. We all cram ourselves into this 6 foot high, 2
foot wide opening and slot ourselves deep into the dark, cool cave. It
feels nice and the features are interesting.

"Hey - check that out - cool geckos on the wall up there."

"Ya - Sweet. Geckos are cool - how they can walk upside down and all."

"And what is that up there - ya - WAY up there?"

"Bats" Josh chimes in calmly.

As if - of course they are bats. We are in a dark cool cave, where bats would live.

"So, why are they moving around then?" I ask.

"Don't bats usually just hang there?"

Slowly my vision begins to focus and I realize that there are many bats. And they are all starting to move around.

"Maybe they are hearing us." John whispers from the front.

We all are staring intently at the motion that is building 35 feet above us.

"Ya - and maybe we should consider leaving their cave." I whisper.

Just as I utter the words an army of furry, fanged creatures
begin crawling - with their freakish faces and teeth - directly down at
us. There are lots of them. And it is weird - they are crawling upside
down with their faces toward us. As they move they begin to let out a
eerie squeak.

We see the movement all at once. The noise gets louder and suddenly I feel panic inside.

Simultaneously, we all let out screams of our own.

"Holy *%#!" "Ahhhh!" "Go, Go!" "What the?"

Four of us frantically push through the squeeze tunnel and head for daylight.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!" Josh lets out a painful scream from behind me.

I have visions of a bat sinking his teeth into his neck. And of Josh turning into a vampire.

We
break out of the cave and I look back to see Josh holding his head as
he emerges. He smashed his head on the rock wall on the way out. Ryan,
our "mini-doctor" has a look and determines that there is a good chance
Josh will live.Although there is significant likelihood of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's okay - we'll have plenty of time to talk as we sweat our way through the Jungle...