Today's stories: · Weather Prediction · Shopping in Cuetzalan

Security expert deciding important matters.

Shopping in Cuetzalan.
Today, Nikki and Charlie leave main camp for Alpazat, where Tony, Aitch and John are waiting axiously. Their mission is not only to continue exploring the unknown zones of this, seemingly never-ending cave system; they are also taking food and supplies up to the cavers already there.

As we know, Jonathan has maintained a camp-site at Alpazat ever since the rains flooded the cave. Every other day someone has gone to relieve the campers, and have brought food and supplies, also replacing an exhausted caver or two while at it.

This is important not only for the supplies, but the fresh caver comes with a fresh look at the situation, often providing the edge that lets them squeeze past. The first place that our brave cavers go is the hardware store at the lower part of town. There, Charlie, who is in charge of safety on this expedition analyses the quality of various electric cables destined for the telephone system he will be extending together with Toni.

	The food brave men eat.

The system is already installed at the entrance of the cave, with a setup in the first camp inside. The main purpose for the system is prevention: If there is rain again, the cavers inside can be warned about this, and have time to get out of the system. This is also why the quality of the cable is utmost importantly: It must be light enough to be transported, but of good quality. They need roughly 500m of cable, as well as several 9v batteries.

They then pick up some pasta and tuna at the local grocery store. This is a classic combination for British explorers. Also on the list are wheat tortillas, tomato pure, canned soup, strawberry jam, sausages, oats and powdered milk. The menu becomes quite apparent with this list.

Cavers shopping arround in Cuetzalan.

Merchants in Cuetzalan are very friendly, and do their utmost in order to communicate with the cavers, who speak hardly any Spanish, and offer their support whenver possible: "Could you take a picture of the pollution in the caves, so people stop throwin garbage everywhere?" "You need to tell us if the caves have become weak after the earthquake, so we know if the towns are safe." "May God be with you!"

After double-checking their supplies, everything is duly packed into backs, and they leave Cuetzalan on the colectivo heading for San Miguel, where there's about an hour's walk left until they descend towards Alpazat.