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Nikki Rowlands, with a glimpse in her eyes, and a sunrise from ear to ear, she shows us her bruises, caving trophies, and tells us that at this very moment she was supposed to be in Kosovo, instead of here in Cuetzalan on her first caving expedition abroad. "It was thanks to Jonathan and Paul Dunkley who invited me, and wrote to my CO, so I could get the opportunity to participate on this expedition. Nikki's life changed radically in June 1998, when she was introduced to the world of cave exploration. "It was during my stay in Ingleton, where I met Kev, who invited me to try caving.
It's her first time on the American continent, and she finds the experience very interesting. "I didn't expect it to be like this. It's raining all the time, and it's really cold! But it is incredibly beautiful here, I have to tell you that." Nikki is currently Stationed in Bielefeld, Germany, about one hour from Hannover, where she spends her time being a mother for little Adrianna, who will be six in June, and who is actively involved in Nikki's activities as a caver.
In respect to what she does on this expedition, we've seen her climbing through windows, washing the clothes of all the members of the expedition, and disappearing into the depths of the Earth. "I didn't know what to expect from all of this; it's my first time on this side of the Atlantic. I've been to an expedition to France, and that lasted for two weeks. I'm happy - I certainly didn't expect that we'd have beds!"
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Nikki
Rowland
Everything
began harmoniously, and at the same time it was very simple: He needed
someone to give him a lift to some nearby caves. I had a car. So, then,
we left one Saturday morning, and the original idea was that I should
stay waiting outside. In the end, Kev convinced me to enter the cave
for a short three-hour walk. And that was it: And now I'm here!" 
Nikki
tells us that it's because of her friend, Rose Dart, that she could
come here in the first place. "She's taking care of Adrianna for me,
so I can jump across the pond and go on this expediton." Adrianna, she
tells us, is a very affectionate young lady. "She'll hug me all the
time, for no reason other than to say 'I love you.' Nikki's eyes light
up with happiness, and we end up promising to include a picture of Adrianna
on the site. Ofcourse we comply with these kinds of requests.
So
what's the attraction to caving? "For a long time I have practised Kung
Fu, and I love basketball, but in Caving I have found something more:
Equilibrium. It's partially the precision of the teamwork, part the
fear involved with facing the unknown; the possibility of getting lost
is in some way very exciting. Another attraction is the beauty of the
wonderful formations underground; it's completely from a different world."