Caving in Parrano

Wednesday the 30th, our class went to Parrano, to the Tane del Diavolo (click on the name to see a Youtube video of a group (not ours) going into the caves) - a set of caves set in cliffs where ancient peoples used to go for shelter, to quarry stone, and to hold religious rituals. It was amazing. We were guided by three guides, Andrea and Francesca (who were on the dig site - it's the same Andrea that was my trench leader) and another guy whose name I can't remember. We harnessed up, and had to clip into steel cables with 2 foot ropes so that if we slipped we wouldn't fall down the cliffs. It was really safe, though. There were metal rods and steps driven into the sides of the cliff on the harder parts, and trails (though narrow) on the easier parts. We went into a small cliff first, then into the actual Tane del Diavolo, which was a long cave with narrow parts where we had to drag ourselves through, and with slippery mud that got all over our clothes. The last thing that we got to do was go through a "birth and rebirth canal", which was a narrow, hairpin curve around some rocks, with slippery mud, a sharp incline, and almost no handholds. Katie and Xenn went before me, and in the end Xenn had to pull me up a few inches because I kept slipping and couldn't find any holds. It was worth it though, just for the feeling of accomplishment. We had lunch outside the caves, and drove back to spend the afternoon at home. Most of us slept or just relaxed after our showers- we were all so dirty and sore and tired, no one wanted to go out. My legs are still sore today - it's been making stairs an admirable feat to overcome. Again, though, completely worth it. Tomorrow we're going to a necropolis nearby - more out-in-the-country time! The weather's been beautiful, so I'm sure it'll be fun.