(and Lorry), our North American friends and guests...Again...Oh Lord, how infinite is Your mercy! Seven cavers went in, and seven cavers came out, with just a few scratches, but with a bag load of new experiences. And probably, most of them, if not the whole group, with at least a few extra gray hairs on their heads.

MONDAY, MARCH 24TH, 1997, AROUND 00:00 HRS.

The last man makes it out of Carma Cave's entrance.
Along the way out, on level number one (zero to -57'), we are lucky enough to recuperate, intact but absolutely wet and muddy, Randall's pack-sack and a machete and Gustavo's pack, absolutely dry and unharmed, which he had left hanging from a tiny rock hook, only about five feet above the normal dry-level waters, right at the entrance to the waterfall. As we start our way through the jungle, down to the Alfaro family's home, we noticed that everyone has handled his Petzl carbide lamp so well that we don't need to refill.

MONDAY THE 24TH, AROUND 01:00 HRS.

The last of the stranded Carma cavers makes it to the house, just to find that there is a fiesta everywhere: long loud shouts, embraces, hand shakes, hugging and a lot more handshaking and fooling around, and above all, a very joyful atmosphere, and lots of hot food and drinks.

And then, finally, after all those many hours of uncertainty, the reunion with Bryan and Lorry. There are no words to describe this particular scene, so please just imagine it:.. There were tears in the eyes of practically everyone present, and that is a lot to say, with so many hard-core people involved. The "test", by now, had been nine and half hours long, and all of us had been caving since nine A.M. The previous day; that adds up to a sixteen hour ordeal, something, to my understanding, that you don't go through everyday.

MARCH 24TH, 02:00 HRS: We all leave the Alfaro family home (eight of us).

MARCH 24TH, 02:20 HRS: We all safely made it to our sleeping quarters.

MARCH 24TH, 04:30 HRS: Carlos G. boards the bus, on a nine hour trip back to San José, in for a full day of his regular work.

MARCH 25TH, VERY EARLY!:

Leaving four men along the way, to keep an open eye on the weather, and to be able to transmit news of any threatening change, the "point man" makes it all the way down to the final sump, and manages to recover one very expensive camera, floating in a (wet!) Water-tight container, and a ninety foot rescue rope with it's bag, and one glove and one kneepad. Economic losses are estimated to be around U.S. $3000.00 figure: damage to the rescued camera, lenses,