A Rough Diamond

14 February 2011 - by Carole Devillers

The highlight of our discoveries in 2009: the Cave of The Three Chimneys (Cave Bellony).
Haiti, in all respects, is like a rough diamond that needs to be chiseled to reveal its beauty. It’s not your typical tourist destination, and therein lies its uniqueness.

Drapery in a field of stalagmites

Similarly in our caving explorations, as we crawl our way in, rub our butts on slippery ground, and walk precariously on unstable rocks, cautiously descending into the bowels of the earth, I feel like chiselers at work, discarding the rough parts while hanging on to the hope of a fantastic discovery. When our torches illuminate in all their virginal glory the spectacular formations and draperies of the cave, we know we have reached the core of a magnificent diamond.

Flowstones in the Chamber of the Giant Squid

The awesomeness of it leaves us speechless.

Chimney of Angels

Covered with an array of formations resembling angel wings, a spectacular 36ft tall chimney is quickly named Chimney of Angels.

The giant squid looking straight at us

Suspended from the ceiling, fragile translucent draperies hanging down in wavy sheets of calcite, numerous long stalactites and other strange cream- and peach-colored formations capture our gaze for the longest time. What beauty!

A beautiful drapery

Strangely enough, while underground, I feel close to heaven! Surrounding us is an eerie quality of spirituality as one can sense in a cathedral or other religious building. Hard to describe.
Carole Devillers