Caves in Peru

[cavescom]

I received this email today and thought I would pass it on for those
that may be interested. Feel free to post to other groups that may
have cavers interested in following up. Mark Passerby,
Cavediggers.com

Hello Mark,

My name is also Mark and I am an Australian who has lived in Peru for
7-8 years now. I have traveled a LOT in this country and I have
wanted to tell someone about one of the more interesting places I
have been for quite a while now – I think you may be that person.

3 years ago I was traveling in the Department of Amazonas about 4
hours from the city of Chachapoyas (there are many famous ruins/sites
being discovered there every year now). Anyway I was in the region of
Rodriguez de Mendoza – at the town of……. Which is famous/known for
little else than its thermal baths (lukewarm) and organic coffee
producers. A very beautiful sub-tropical region. Whilst there I
had the good fortune to meet a farmer who, upon learning that I was
interested in ruins took me out to see some which he had on his
farm. Many, many times I have heard and seen what followed: over
the years Juan (or was it José) had come across a number of
tunnels/entrances to tunnels on his property – some of which he
showed me had very strong currents of air coming out of them. None
seemed to have a manageable entrance BUT

The interesting thing (at least for me) was that one particular
entrance had been (obviously) filled with tonnes and tonnes of
rubble. It had been blocked up. As Juan/José told me: When the
Spaniards arrived the local people basically upped and left –
breaking any available utensils or implements they couldn`t carry so
that the Spaniards couldn`t use them – eg corn mills, stone utensils
and the like – all cleanly broken into two or three.

Now, for me the question is WHY? Why would the go to the trouble of
blocking up tunnels with TONNES of rubble – knowing that an invader
was coming. For me there had to be a GOOD reason.

That there are tunnels and extensive tunnels in the region is all but
undoubted. Locals often say (according to their traditions) that
many of these extend well into other provinces. Many of the
entrances are clearly visible from the road. Entrances abound but
locals DO NOT enter them – superstition?

For a while now I have wanted to tell of this place to an
archaeologist but the very strong impression that I get of this
discipline is that it (often/frequently) breeds people with their
heads all too firmly fixed up there a***. Maybe cavers would be
interested?

So here I am.

My name is Mark Dikstaal. I live in Lima, Peru and I am fascinated
by the culture and history of this country. If any ¨cavers¨ you know
are coming through the region I would be VERY happy to meet up with
them and share information that I think may interest them –
especially re this.

MAP:
http://www.deperu.com/datos_utiles/amazonas.htm

I had to leave out the name of the town because I DO NOT remember it – it is very small, about 50-100 people Anyway, on this map it is the next town after Omia – which is on a S-E branch from the town of Mendoza – similarly ¨down the road¨ from the city of Chachapoyas


All the best

Mark Dikstaal

langrow@ee-grupoatacocha.com.pe or elhuayruro_sa@yahoo.es is my
other mail.

[Phil Winkler]

Mark, Hmmmmm....a very curiously written letter/email.

(there are many famous ruins/sites being discovered there every year now).

How can they be famous is they are just being discovered? I may be wrong, but this has many characteristics of a Nigerian hoax.

I'll copy this friend to a good friend of mine from Peru and see what he thinks.

here is Miguel's response which is interesting and I was wrong apparently.

Hi Phil,

I don't think this is a hoax. There is thousands of these man made caves all around Peru. I can take you to several of them myself. And it is true... locals do not frequent them.

Miguel

PS
One of my German teachers died from pleurisy a week after going into a bat infested/dung polluted cave.

[Expeditioncave]

On a caving expedition to Peru a few years ago, we explored and mapped caves not far from the Chachapoyas and Mendoza area that is talked about in the above letter. By the way, there is a huge polje near Mendoza... a karst feature that is rare in The Americas.
Regards,
Bonnie Crystal
(now exploring in China)