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Some images from Marakoopa Caves near Mole Creek in Tasmania. Initial I meant to block the audio from the recording and only use Vortex’s music but when I heard it with the voices I decided to leave it in as I liked the way it sounded. Here’s where the caves are: bit.ly My shirts on RedBubble www.redbubble.com There’s areally cheap shirt here that’s still pretty good quality (and you can customise it!) www.zazzle.com And here are the CafePress shops: www.cafepress.com.au This is my BlogTV channel: www.blogtv.com Stalk me on Twitter! twitter.com Read my blog! angryaussie.wordpress.com Send me hate mail! GPO Box 3290 Melbourne 3001 Australia Call the angry phone 0424 05 69 65 in Australia +61 424 05 69 65 outside Australia
Visiting the Camuy Caves, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is known for its stunning beaches, but this tiny Caribbean island is home to many breathtakingly beautiful natural wonders. Figuring prominently among these are the remarkable Camuy Caves, located in the northwestern region of Puerto Rico.
Camuy Caves History
An hour and a half’s drive from San Juan will take you to the largest underground cave system in the Western Hemisphere, and the third largest in the world. The Camuy River created the caves more than a million years ago, carving the caves as it meandered through the countryside. Taino petroglyphs found inside show that members of the tribe, Puerto Rico’s original inhabitants, were familiar with the caves. The caves have been a popular destination for spelunkers since local kids first led professional cave explorers to the entrance in the 1950s. The Puerto Rico Land Administration opened the caves to tourists in 1987, and there has been a steady stream of visitors ever since.
Exploring the Camuy Caves
Visitors to the Rio Camuy Cave Park ride open-air trolleys to the Cueva Clara entrance. Once there, a guide leads them through the 170-foot high cave. Light from the entrance allows them to see rock formations and stalactites that hang down like huge icicles. They are then led to view the Tres Pueblos Sinkhole, measuring 400 feet deep by 65 feet across. On the way out of the cave, visitors can see a section of the Camuy River flowing underground.
The Spiral Sinkhole is also open for viewing, however visitors will need to walk down more than 200 steps to see it. There is no tram into the Spiral Sinkhole.
The more adventurous might opt to take a tour of the Cathedral Cave. Visitors rappel down into the cave, where they can see Taino cave paintings, and hike out through the caves.
Camuy Caves Tips
In addition to the caves, the complex boasts a theater, gift shop, cafeteria and walking trails. To ensure the safety of tourists, the caves are closed in heavy rain. Park operators limit the number of people allowed in the caves at a time, which can lead to long wait times. Try to arrive as early as possible to avoid the long wait.
Camuy Caves Contact Information
Parque de las Cavernas de Rio Camuy (Rio Camuy Cave Park)
Carretera 129 Km. 18.9
Camuy, Puerto Rico
Phone: 787-898-3100
parquesnacionalespr.com/cavernas_acm.asp
For more of L.Rivera’s Latin America traveling tips, please visit the Traveling Latin America website.
Article from articlesbase.com
There’s something instinctual in human beings that causes us to be fascinated by caves and caverns. In the days when being eaten by a bear at 25 was considered having “had a pretty good run”, a good cave was the equivalent of a 3 bedroom in the suburbs with a fenced in yard and a 2-car garage. Perhaps that ancestral memory is what makes Carter Caves State Resort Park so appealing. Or maybe they’re just cool.
Carter Caves is located 30 miles west of Ashland, Kentucky. It is home to more than 20 spectacular caverns. These subterranean wonders sprawl beneath the forested Appalachian hills, and can be explored via a number of lighted and unlighted cave tours. A small fee is charged for tours to aid in the park’s upkeep. Special tours for beginning and experienced spelunkers are also available (schedule ahead).
Among the most impressive caves is Cascade Cave, with its exceptionally beautiful underground waterfall (which towers over 30 feet high), X Cave (named for the shape of its passages), which is noted for its many astounding rock formations, and Saltpeter Cave, a spot rich in early Kentucky history. The largest cave in the park is Bat Cave. This huge cavern is the winter home of thousands of rare bats, and as such is toured only during the summer.
Carter Caves State Resort Park has plenty of fun to offer visitors aboveground as well. Guests can hike along 20 miles of wooded nature trails and enjoy great Kentucky scenery; the trails range from easy to difficult levels, so there’s something for hikers of every age and ability.
Boating enthusiasts can take a relaxing canoe trip down Tygart’s Creek. Anglers will be thrilled by the opportunities at Carter Caves Lake, Kentucky’s only trophy bass lake, which is home to bluegill, catfish, and crappie in addition to largemouth bass.
Golfers are invited to test their skills on the resort’s gorgeous 9-hole regulation golf course, then enjoy a break at its fully-equipped pro shop, where they can get rental riding carts, pull carts, clubs and more (the course is open year-round, weather permitting).
Guests who want to spend more than a few hours at Carter Caves State Resort Park have lots of excellent lodging choices. Lewis Caveland Lodge is an attractive fieldstone lodge that offers 28 rooms with full amenities.
The 10 newly built cottages are beautiful 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom affairs with automatic dishwashers, microwave ovens and covered decks with scenic views of the hills. The tent and sleeping bag crowd can hit one of the campground’s 89 campsites and enjoy the 1st-class utilities, which include a dump station, and two central service buildings with rest rooms and showers.
Whether you’re after outdoor fun, natural splendor or just a few days respite from the rat-race, you just can’t top a trip to the Bluegrass State and Kentucky’s Carter Caves State Resort Park. And while you do that, ensure that you have made prior reservations of the hotel as well as complete travel planning so that you avoid all the hassles.
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Spelunkers won’t get very far into a cave if they can’t see where they’re going. Even if they could have reached their underground objective, it would be nearly impossible finding the way out. There is a total absence of light within a cave and this is why lights are essential caving equipment. Serious cavers choose a good, reliable unit and complements this with at least two backups.
Most societies and organizations recommend that each person must have at least three independent sources of light. The three light source system doesn’t mean you will necessarily use all at the same time or one after another but rather for you to have two backups if the main one fails. Not having a light deep inside a cave could be a matter of life and death so you must choose reliable light sources. These must be water proof and be durable enough to withstand rough use.
There used to be a time when carbide lamps were widely used outdoors and by miners and cavers. Battery powered electric lights have since taken over now that these have become more reliable and economical. LED lamps are particularly getting more popular because of the amount of light it can deliver not to mention its being lightweight and energy efficient.
The main light source must be mounted on the helmet so you can see wherever you turn your head and both hands are free for climbing or crawling.
The second source of light is typically a flashlight though another helmet mountable light is even better. The third source of light is usually another flashlight. Maglites are recommended by most cavers.
There are other sources of light but with LED lamps and flashlights being small, light and inexpensive, these should be considered better than all the others. However, in a real emergency, these alternatives can be life savers.
Candles give out light but are unreliable. Together with matches, these are quite vulnerable to getting wet. While these can be used in a pinch, and can be a heat source, candles shouldn’t be considered among the three light sources.
Glow sticks are another source of light but again, these should only be considered as a backup to your three light source system.
In a really tight situation, don’t forget other items you may have with you that can give out light such as your cellular phone, or the LCD screen of a GPS Device.
Learn about types of bats and gray bat at the About Animals site.
What do you picture in your mind when you think of caves? Spelunking or perhaps crawling on all fours to fit through a small space may come to mind. Perhaps the experience of absolute and complete darkness, the degree of darkness so dark you can’t see your hand in front of you? Maybe you imagine more sinister things such as spiders, cobwebs or other imaginable things in the dark. Caves evoke different ideas and feelings to many people. One idea is that of an ideal environment to age fine wine in oak barrels or age a sparkling wine in a bottle.
Caves have been used for thousands of years for aging wines in different parts of the world. In Wine Trail Traveler’s trip to Sonoma and Napa Valleys in California, we experienced different caves. Chinese workers built some caves in the late 1800’s after their work was completed on the railroads. These workers built miles of caves with the use of picks, axes and shovels. In contrast we also experienced caves built with modern technology such as a Welsh mining machine. The walls were then covered with shotcrete, a mixture of sandy cement and pea gravel.
Some of the caves were very clean and lit by electric fixtures whether they were overhead bulbs or elegant electric wall sconces. Other caves were darker and lit by candles or lanterns giving a romantic glow to the oak barrels lining the sidewalls. Some caves showed lichen growth hanging several feet from the ceiling. One wonders why they were never cleaned with a broom or vacuum. We observed thousands of bottles, showing dust resting quietly for years.
Early winemakers who came to the Napa and Sonoma regions in the 1800′s from Europe were familiar with the use of caves. We trekked through two cave systems dating from the late 1800’s.
One advantage of caves is temperature control. The cave temperature is often constant yearlong and varies very little. It doesn’t matter if the outside temperature is 110 degrees F or 10 degrees F, a cave system can maintain an even temperature often between 57 and 64 degrees F. This cool even temperature provides an ideal aging environment for wine. This constant temperature also provides economic benefits for a winery. Fewer resources are spent on heating or cooling a cave than a building. Often the land above a cave can be planted with grapevines.
A second advantage of caves is darkness. Light can harm wines and caves are dark. This darkness is a particular advantage to sparkling wines undergoing aging in glass bottles.
Humidity control is a third advantage of a cave system. Oak barrels breathe. Some of the wine evaporates. If the humidity is high, less wine will evaporate. In some cases caves have reduced the amount of evaporation from 6% to 1%. This also is an economic bonus for a winery since less wine is needed to top off the barrels.
Although the lichen hanging from the ceiling looked eerie at one winery we visited, it actually helps to filter the air in the cave.
Some wine caves have an area that can be used for special events. The atmosphere can provide a rewarding experience. All of these advantages led to an interest in constructing new caves during the 1980’s. Expect to see more wine caves constructed in the future
Author is an expert writer on travel domain, and have great experience on travel writing. To get more details on Author, visit APSRTC, KSRTC and Air India Express
I’m goin to Florida and I’ve heard things like that you wana look for certain trees and ridges and rock sticking outa the ground. dose anyone else have any ideas on how i would figure out where a cave is? like for cave-crawling, rock climbing or spelunking
i need to know a good cave any ideas?
Cave exploring has become a favorite adventure activity for many Americans. When it comes to spelunking, you don’t need to go far because the United States is home to some of the world’s well-formed caves. No wonder caves all over the country have been transformed into mesmerizing tourist spots.
If you are just starting out with your spelunking pursuit, the central region of the country is the best place to explore caves. Of the top ten caves in the United States, four are located in this region. Exploring these caves is indeed well worth the journey.
You can start from up north in Minnesota. The Niagara Cave found here has a ceiling that is over a hundred feet in height. It is characterized with deep walls and ravines below. It is believed that the cavern has been carved out by subterranean streams; with some still active to this day. The cave is one of the region’s biggest limestone caves.
Inside Niagara Cave you can come across subterranean spectacles like Paul Bunyan’s Bed, an echo hall, a wishing well and the famous Niagara Cave Wedding Chapel in which hundreds of ceremonies have already been held. In a gigantic chamber located in the bottom chambers, a stalactite displays rock formations as if they came straight out of fantasy novels.
Next, go down south to South Dakota where you can find the Jewel Cave. This cave is number three on the list of longest caves in the world! Much of the cave remains unexplored today. But tours inside the cave offer breathtaking walks and intense caving adventure. Aside from stalactites and stalagmites, several varieties of bats reside inside the cave especially during winter.
Further south will lead you to the Meramec Caverns of Missouri. Although Missouri is home to 6,000 caves, Meramec Caverns is the most popular because it is like a theme park with its restaurant, gift shop, and ice cream parlor. Its Stage Curtain is the world’s single biggest cave structure.
Rumor has it that the caverns served as a hideout for Jesse James and that a subterranean railroad was built inside.
On the southernmost tip of your journey, you will find the Caverns Of Sonora in Texas. This cave formation has a complicated combination of passages which are lined with sparkling crystals. Up to this day, the caverns continue to churn out crystals.
With these caves, the central region is truly the best place to explore caves in the United States, if not the whole world. Inside these caverns, you will experience the greatest show on or below earth.
Information on gray bat can be found at the About Animals site.
The perfect destination for those who enjoy spelunking, the recreational sport of exploring caves, or just generally enjoy nature and the outdoors, Branson Missouri has plenty of caves for you to choose from. There are several different ways that you can explore these different caves and caverns in and around Missouri, from guided tours to self exploration, visitors of any age will enjoy experiencing something new.
Caves in and Around Branson
Nearby caves give visitors a chance to explore something new without having to use an entire day of their vacation. For those who are interested in exploring, but don’t want to turn it into an all day event, a stop by the local caves may be just what you are looking for.
• Crystal Cave
Crystal Cave offers low cost walk through tours each day, giving you a glimpse of everything this beautiful cave has to offer. This unique cave has natural waterfalls, multi-colored flowstone formations, Native American cave markings, and other formations that are seldom found anywhere else.
• Marvel Cave
Known as the deepest cave in Missouri, Marvel Cave is located right outside of Silver Dollar City and is included in the admission to the park. This makes it a great choice for those who want to go exploring, but still want time left in the day for other activities. Taking you almost 500 feet down under the Earth’s surface, be prepared for quite a trek back up the nearly 600 steps. Once believed to have treasures of marble and gold, now visitors seek out this cave for its natural beauty.
Caverns in and Around Branson
For those who desire a more in-depth all day excursion, the local caverns in and around Branson Missouri can provide you with an entire day of spelunking fun. Visitors of any age will enjoy exploring these vast caverns and learning exactly what this beautiful vacation destination has to offer.
• Fantastic Caverns
For those who want to experience the local caves and caverns, but have no interest in or can’t exert themselves, then Fantastic Caverns should be your first choice. This highly commercialized location is the nation’s only drive through cavern. Open seven days per week, the guided vehicle tour will take you along a one mile stretch of the cavern for a 50 minute tour to experience the beauty of this location.
• Talking Rocks Cavern
Not just a cave exploration event, Talking Rock Cavern offers so much more. The guided 50 minute tours down into the cave provide a look at early mineral formations and how they form, as well as a look at deeper formations that make strange noises sporadically and give the cavern its name. Once above ground, you can enjoy traversing the 400 acre natural preserve nearby, or activities such as mining for gemstones with your family.
• Cosmic Caverns
Known as one of the top ten must see caverns in the United States, cosmic caverns is a short drive from Branson and offers some truly amazing sites. The underground bottomless lakes that were discovered in 1845 are home to several species of water animals including trout, and are a site to see underground. There are also a wide variety of activities located outside the cavern that the whole family can enjoy.
Branson Missouri’s local caves and caverns offer a unique experience that visitors of any age can enjoy. Whether you are visiting on a family vacation or just a business trip, a day of exploring the local caverns will be sure to impress and captivate you.
Mark Ruda resides in Branson, Missouri. He has very knowledgeable about the tourism industry, thanks to his experience marketing cabins in Missouri. He is currently a marketing director for Thousand Hills Golf Resort, one of the more popular Branson hotels and golf spots offering vacation packages and tickets to Branson shows.