“Ummandla Ongaziwayo” WaseBolivia

NGOWE-1906 umongameli weBritain’s Royal Geographical Society wancokola noMhlekazi uPercy Harrison Fawcett ngamathuba amahle oMzantsi Merika okuhambela phambili kwezoqoqosho. Ebeka itshathi phambi koFawcett, wathi: “Jonga nje lo mmandla! Awunanto kuba awaziwa.” Wandula ke, wanika umhlekazi umsebenzi wokuhlola loo mmandla. Lo kaFawcett wavuma.

Kwingxelo awayinikelayo, uFawcett lo wathetha ngamahlathi ashinyeneyo asemagedukeni ngoku abizwa ngokuba yiHuanchaca Plateau eBolivia. Wayibiza loo ndawo ngokuba ‘ngummandla ongaziwayo.’a Abanye bacinga ukuba iingxelo neefoto zikaFawcett zaphembelela umbhali odumileyo waseBritani uMhlekazi uArthur Conan Doyle ukuba abhale inoveli enomxholo othi The Lost World, ethetha ngehlabathi lasentsomini “elinomntu oyinkawu” needinosaur ezoyikekayo ekukrokrelwa ukuba zaphila de kwaleli xesha. Namhlanje, le ndawo intle yaseAmazonia iquka iNoel Kempff Mercado National Park egqwesileyo yaseBolivia, eyagqalwa njengeNdawo Ebalulekileyo eHlabathini ngonyaka wama-2000.b

Le ndawo ikumntla-mpuma weBolivia kufutshane nomda waseBrazil, iyintlango engazange ihlalwe egubungela ummandla ozizikwekhilomitha ezili-15 000. Ineendidi ezintlanu zemihlaba: inehlathi elisemagedukeni elihlala liluhlaza yaka, ihlathi elinamagqabi avuthulukayo, ithafa elithambekileyo nelomileyo, amathafa anemigxobhozo namahlathi afumileyo. IThafa iHuanchaca lizizikwemitha ezingama-5 180, linomnqantsa onamatye nonomphakamo oziimitha ezingama-550 ngaphezu kwalo yaye linobude obuziikhilomitha ezili-150 kufutshane nomda osempuma wale paki. Amanzi emilambo ekweli thafa aya kwiingxangxasi ezingama-20, eziquka iiNgxangxasi iSalto Susana, iArco Iris, iFederico Ahlfeld, iGemelas, ne-El Encanto.

Iphulo Lethu Liyaqala

Ekubeni isemagqagaleni, le paki inomtsalane kubakhenkethi abathanda indalo, uninzi lwabo oluza ngeenqwelo-moya lusuka eSanta Cruz, kumbindi weBolivia. Sagqiba kwelokuba sizihambe ngenqwelo-mafutha iikhilomitha ezingama-700, nto leyo eyasinceda sawabona kakuhle amaphandle aseBolivia. Kwenye indawo, sabona ngaphambili kukho into eyayibonakala ngathi lilifu lamagqabi amibalabala liphaphazela linqumla indlela. Noko ke, sabona ukuba la “magqabi” ngamabhabhathane, ibe yayingesithi sedwa ababewabukele. Ugxuba lwamacikilishe alambileyo, ayelapho, esitya lawo ayenokuwabamba.

Ukufika kwethu kwipaki yalapho, sadibana nomntu owayesikhenkethisa uGuido, kwilali yaseLa Florida, egudle uMlambo iParagua. UGuido wasithatha nemoto yethu wasichankcathisa esiweza umlambo, yaye ukusuka apho sahamba ngemoto umganyana saya kufika kwinkampu iLos Fierros. Endleleni sadibana nempungutye nenightjar enomsila omile okweskere—intaka entle eyanqumla phambi kwethu.

Kwakusa, savuswa yingxolo yeentaka—izikhwenene ezine ezinombala oluhlaza notyheli, zithe ngcu kumthi ongakwindlu esasilele kuyo. Zazingathi zithi, “Siyanamkela kwikhaya lethu!” Indlela entle esaluqala ngayo usuku lwethu kule paki yasenza saqonda ukuba kuza kuba mnand’ apha.

Izele Zizidalwa

INoel Kempff Mercado National Park, ineendidi zeentaka ezingaphezu kwama-600, izilwanyana ezincancisayo ezahlukahlukeneyo ezili-139 (zingaphezu kwezo zikuwo wonke uMntla Merika), izirhubuluzi ezahlukahlukeneyo ezingama-74, namabhabhathane azindidi ezimalunga nama-3 000—singasathethi ke ngentaphane yezinambuzane. Iintaka zalapho ziquka iindidi ezingama-20 zezikhwenene, iinkozi ekuthiwa ziiharpy eagle, iihoatzin, kwakunye nemanakin. UNick Acheson, owayesibonisa iintaka apho nokwangumlondolozi wendalo wasixelela ukuba “iintaka ezinqabileyo ezifana nepygmy-tyrant eneentsiba ezininzi, intaka etya imbewu emnyama bungqoqo, ziyabatsala abathandi beentaka ehlabathini lonke.”

Phakathi kwezilwanyana ezincancisayo kukho ezinkulu ezitya iimbovane okanye iintubi, iingcuka, ingwe, iihagu zasendle, iitapir, neepampas deer. Imilambo emininzi ekule paki inezilwanyana ezininzi eziquka iindidi ezingama-62 eziphila emhlabeni, iindidi ezingama-254 zeentlanzi kwakunye neengwenya, iintini namahlengesi amahle anombala opinki. Le paki ifana neparadesi kubantu abathanda ukubukela indalo!

Ngenxa yokuba kukho iikati ezinkulu ezininzi eAmazonia, abakhenkethi abaninzi baxhalabela ukhuseleko—nathi sasiluxhalabele. Umphathi wenkampu iLos Fierros wasixelela ngobusuku bakhe bokuqala kule paki. Wabalisa wathi: “Ndavuka ezinzulwini zobusuku ndisiva ngathi kukho umntu ondijongileyo. Ndajonga efestileni kanti kukho ingwe endijongileyo. Ndisoyika, ndazitshixela kwigumbi lokuhlambela.” Sasingafuni ukuyiva ke leyo!

Kodwa lo mphathi waqhubeka wathi: “Ndafumanisa ukuba le ngwe iyimazi isoloko isiza ebusuku yaye ayinabungozi. Kanti ke, ngeemini ezitshisayo izingwe zingena kule nkampu zize zingqengqe kumatye apholileyo aphambi kwendlu. Unokuyicinga indlela okoyikisa ngayo oko kubantu abaqalayo ukuza apho! Ngaphambili sasiphatha imipu, ingakumbi xa sikhenkethisa abantu ebusuku, kodwa ngoku asisayiphathi. Izilwanyana zona azitshintshanga, kodwa yimbono yethu etshintshileyo.” Sekunjalo, uye wathi simele sizihlonele zonke izilwanyana zasendle.

Sinqumla Ehlathini Xa Sisiya Kwiingxangxasi Zase-El Encanto

Iingxangxasi ezininzi ezikule paki zithi ndijonge. Saqalisa ekuseni kuhambo lwethu noGuido, umkhenkethisi wethu, sisiya kwiingxangxasi zase-El Encanto eziphakame kangangeemitha ezingama-80 kwiThafa iHuanchaca. Njengoko sasisele sihambe umgama oziikhilomitha ezintandathu kumahlathi ashinyeneyo, samkelwa ziinkawu ezifana nesigcawu nolunye udidi lwenkawu ezingxolayo ezazijinga kumasebe aphezulu. Zombini ezi ndidi zichazwe kakuhle—ezi zifana nesigcawu zineengalo nemilenze emide zize zona ezi zingxolayo zenze isandi onokusiva ukumgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezintathu! Ngaphambi kwethu kwakukho uhlobo lwekarikuni enentamo ebomvu eyayifuna ukutya. UGuido wasibonisa ummandla ongaphesheya komlambo okufutshane. Iliso lakhe elibukhali labona apho iindidi ezimbini zamaxhama zazinyathele khona kwakunye netapir, ingwe necougar, uhlobo oluthile lwengwe. Sayiqonda into yokuba zazizininzi izilwanyana ezazisijongile zizimele kwiindawo ezininzi, kuba ebusuku nasemini le ndawo iba nezilwanyana ezininzi.

Ezi zilwanyana zinamagqabi amaninzi ezinokuzimela kuwo, kuba imimandla emininzi nendawo zokuhlala ezikule paki zenza ukuba kubekho iindidi ezininzi zezityalo. Enyanisweni, kukho malunga neendidi ezingama-4 000 zezityalo kulo mmandla eziquka iindidi ezili-100 zeeorchid, iindidi ezahlukahlukeneyo zemithi, iifern, iibromeliads nemidiliya. Kwakuyolisa ukubona imibala emininzi, nokusezela umoya njengoko sasisitya iziqhamo ezininzi ezikhula apho. Ezi ziqhamo zaziquka imangaba ekhula emthini neziqhamo esikhula kumdiliya.

Kwathi xa sinqumla umlambo seva isandi sokuhla kwamanzi esaya sivakala kakhulu njengoko sasisondela. Sangena kwindawo ecwengileyo, phambi kwethu kukho iiNgxangxasi i-El Encanto, emazantsi amanzi ayefana nenkungu. Iifern neebromeliads zazihombise amatye awayengqonge amanzi acwengileyo. UGuido wathi: “Ngeemini ezishushu iinkawu ziza kula manzi ukuze zizipholise.” Senza kanye loo nto nathi, sazipholisa, ngoxa sasibukele ukuzola nobuhle baloo ndawo njengoko sasiphulaphule isandi sokuhla kwamanzi.

Ukulondoloza Indalo—Ilifa Elashiywa NguNoel Kempff Mercado

Umlondolozi wendalo uNoel Kempff Mercado wasweleka ngowe-1986. Nakuba kwenzeka oko, umsebenzi wokukhusela lo mmandla weBolivia owaqalwa nguye usaqhubeka nangoku. Ngowe-1996 urhulumente waseBolivia nowaseUnited States bavuma ukukhusela iihektare ezingama-880 000 zamahlathi ashinyeneyo kuba befuna umoya ophuma kuwo uphumele nakwezinye iindawo ehlabathini. Kunyaka olandelayo urhulumente waseBolivia neenkampani ezintathu wasungula iNoel Kempff Climate Action Project, eyathi phakathi kwezinto ezininzi eyazenzayo yaphelisa into yokuhlala kwabantu kulo mmandla uzihektare ezingama-880 000 weli hlathi lishinyeneyo. Lo mmandla waba yinxalenye yale paki ngenxa yoko yayiphindaphindeka kabini ngobukhulu.

Ukutyelela kwethu kule paki kwasenza samxabisa nangakumbi uMdali ngobuhle neendidi ezininzi zezilwanyana awazidala zaphila kwisijikelezi-langa esinguMhlaba. INdumiso 104:24 ithi: “Hayi indlela emininzi ngayo imisebenzi yakho, Yehova! Yonke uyenze ngobulumko. Uzele umhlaba yimveliso yakho.” Enyanisweni, njengoko sasihamba kulo ‘mmandla ungaziwayo’ nomhle gqitha, savakalelwa ukuba simele singawonakalisi, kunoko simele sibukele ubuhle bawo ngokuhamba neefoto esasizifotile size sihlale siwukhumbula.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Iorchid emfusa nabomvu

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

Iingxangxasi iAhlfeld ezikule paki

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Isikhwenene imacaws

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Ingxangxasi iEl Encanto

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Aerial: ® 2004 Hermes Justiniano/BoliviaNature.com

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Orchid, Ahlfeld waterfall, and macaws: ® 2004 Hermes Justiniano/BoliviaNature.com