4 September 2022 - ENORMOUS SINKHOLE IN ITALY

 

ENORMOUS

 SINKHOLE

 IN ITALY 

G'day folks,

This enormous sinkhole hides a secret world created from divine wrath.  

The mountains and forests surrounding the medieval village of Roccantica are wild and lush. They also hide several beautiful sights, such as hermitages and waterfalls but above all, the enormous and unusual sinkhole locally known as “U’revotano.”

This enormous abyss is a common geological phenomenon in Central Italy, also known as doline, in which karstic processes of erosion cause the collapse of a limestone roof over an underground cavern. This natural occurrence has inspired a local legend in which a village is known as Revotano.

 

According to local tradition, the village was inhabited by blasphemous residents and was swallowed up by divine wrath. As the story goes, the young wife of a local inhabitant who had gone to the stream to wash her laundry with her son suddenly heard a voice. The voice warned that divine punishment was going to befall her village. A great earthquake shook the land and the voice-guided them to safety. Revotano was swallowed into the sinkhole

The abyss is 820 feet (250-meters) wide and 426 feet (130 meters) deep. There are a few viewpoints that provide an understanding of the enormity of the sinkhole. A slippery, unmarked trail leads (with the help of a few ropes) to the bottom of the sinkhole where a fragile world of moss-carpeted trees and boulders resides.

The air is colder and more humid at the bottom of the sinkhole, allowing the moss and ferns to grow lush and in vivid hues. As this is a very fragile and unusual example of nature, take special care not to damage the vegetation when visiting. 

 

2 February 2022 - BEAUTIFUL LAKE SIRINO - ITALY

 

BEAUTIFUL LAKE SIRINO 

- ITALY  - 

 

G'day folks,

 This small but lovely sinkhole lake is the last remnant of a great prehistoric water basin. 

The idyllic-looking Lake Sirino is situated in a karst sinkhole at the foot of Mount Sirino, and it was once part of the Pleistocene-era lake that occupied the entire length of the valley where the River Noce now flows.

The bed and shores of the prehistoric lake are made of Triassic limestone and Jurassic siliceous schists. The lake is fed by perennial springs, though in recent years, the water level has started lowering because of hydrological instabilities, like the opening of chasms that the water flows through and away from the lake.

The lake is surrounded by a street that has a small bridge crossing over a small meander of the water. A few commercial activities have sprung up around this natural attraction in the past few years. For instance, every summer a theatrical representation of some local legends and historical facts takes place on the lake.

 One of these legends provides an alternative history of the lake’s origin. According to this myth, before the lake there was a farmyard, but on a day devoted to the holy Madonna of Sirino, some farmers decided to work instead of dedicating the day to their families and praying. The sky became darker and darker until a strong storm broke out. The rain flooded the farmyard and killed the farmers and the animals. Even today, some say that when the wind is blowing between the mountains, the desperate howls of the oxen and the cries of the farmers can be heard.

 

Clancy's comment: What a magnificent place. 

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29 April 2019 - BEAUTIFUL SINKHOLE IN MEXICO - Cenote Xkeken

BEAUTIFUL SINKHOLE IN MEXICO

 - Cenote Xkeken -

G'day folks,

Welcome to some details about another sinkhole in Mexo, where the azure waters were thought to lead to the Mayan Underworld.

  Instead of accessing the Underworld through a dirty backdoor in a cantina, pre-colonial Mayan tradition believed the gates to the beyond lay in cenotes.

Just a few kilometers from Valladolid in the Yucatan Peninsula, the landscape is dotted with natural sinkholes, leading straight down into the earth. Unlike their unsightly name, the sinkholes are beautiful and filled with crystal clear, blue-green water. They are easily accessible and have become a tourist hot spot due to their proximity to spring break destinations like Cancun.

 Despite their obvious aesthetic attraction, the Cenotes in the region have a fascinating history, dating back to the Mayans who inhabited the Yucatan before colonialism. 

Since the Mayans believed the holes led to the afterlife, they would often drop important objects into the cenotes. Some legends also state they were used in human sacrifice, an oft-debated part of Mayan history.

Since most cenotes in the region were explored and studied by archeologists in the early 20th century, you are unlikely to be swimming with the remains of a Mayan sacrifice. You are more likely to simply enjoy a relaxing dip among the stalactites and radiant beams of sunlight from the outside world.

Clancy's comment: Wow. What a beautiful place, eh?

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12 April 2019 - BEAUTIFUL SINKHOLE IN MEXICO - Cenote Ik-Kil

BEAUTIFUL SINKHOLE IN MEXICO

 - Cenote Ik-Kil -

G'day folks,

Welcome to a beautiful sinkhole on the Yucatan peninsula, adorned with mini waterfalls and hanging vines. 

 Just down the road from the famous pyramids of Chichen Itza lies one of Mexico’s most stunning sinkholes, or “cenotes,” Ik-Kil.

One of the most ethereal qualities of Ik-Kil is the light filtering in from above, illuminating the mini waterfalls, vegetation, and vines that wrap their way around the edges of the cenote and hang directly from overhead like a curtain. The sinkhole clocks in at a depth of over 130 feet, and archaeologists are said to have found bones and jewelry in the watery depths of what was once a sacred Mayan sacrificial site.

Visitors to this magical place descend down 85 feet of winding stone steps. From there it’s either a short jump into the water, or a considerably taller dive off a platform if you feel like joining the daredevils in line. (After rinsing off in outdoor showers so as not to bring unwanted chemicals or debris into the water’s careful ecosystem.) 

 The site boasts a restaurant and overnight accommodations, as well as lockers and life vests for swimmers. The water remains cool throughout the spring months, and black catfish can be spotted swimming about alongside visitors. Ik Kil’s most recent claim to fame is its title as a Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series venue in 2010, 2011, and 2014.

Clancy's comment: Wow. Beautiful place, eh?

I'm ...