In Chiapas La Venta is at home. Here was born more than twenty years ago, there returns regularly every year, there will find to wait for us so much nature, so much history and so many friends, all extraordinary.
Making speleology in Chiapas means exploring the history, where every place, every cave speaks of the past, of ancient civilizations. In our case are the Zoque, contemporaries and successors of the Maya, frequenters of the area of the Rio La Venta.
Caves here are related to the cult of the inframundo (the afterlife), and often keep inside them intact, burials and evidence of archaic rituals. It is then that suddenly a caving exploration turns into an archaeological discovery. On entering the darkness we become in the first person witness and guardian of that asset.
Not only the caves but also the dense vegetation has protected for centuries the remains of these ancient peoples. The discoveries take place almost by magic: while opening a picada (a path) with machetes through that wall of green and you are suddenly faced with another wall, this time of stone. Things like that will happen a lot in the forest: you can encounter any large sotanos (collapses), or make a path through the vegetation for hours on sharp blades of rock and emerge in large valleys, and there find pyramids, squares, buildings.
Ruins, city perfectly hidden under a mantle ofgreen, to study, document and deliver the legitimate descendants after exciting expeditions.
Now we return to explore new areas, and we are apart, isolated from the so-called civilized world; immersed in the sights and sounds of nature for more than a month. We cycle through, we will divide into groups, each with its own target, with their hopes, their dreams.
We do not know what's reserve this time the forest, such discoveries, but we are sure that with us who have always loved and respected will always generous with emotions.
Follow us... Francesco (Ciccio) Lo Mastro
Meanwhile, Gianni, Paolo and Lucas have already arrived in Chiapas. And they told us that "Skotol lek oy", all right in Tzotzil language. The Reserva El Ocote has been advised of the work that will be done. And now they are moving to Bochil, in the area of the Highlands in the north to prepare for the arrival of the main group. They start to see green, green and green. The green of the forest that soon will surround them...