Cool, humid silence enveloped us. Unseen immensity weighed down by the tons of earth above. Voices echoed distantly and lights twinkled out of the gloom. Somewhere I heard the resounding drip of water.

Deep within the bowels of the earth, the Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico unlock their majesty and beauty in awesome display. Truly one of the wonders of the World, their passages and story bear witness to the brevity of man's existence and the never ending magnificence of nature's artistry.

Twenty miles south of Carlsbad, on US 62/180, lies the arid foothills of the Guadulupe Mountains and the gapping mouth of the great limestone chambers. Housed within Carlsbad Caverns National Park, these enormous rooms form one of the World's largest caves; 2 to 4 million years in the making and still forming.

The journey begins at the Visitors Centre where a $6, three day, pass is a bargain for what lies ahead. Another $3 for a CD-ROM guide enhances the journey.

The visitor can choose the steep, natural entrance or the ear popping elevator that drops 750 feet to a fantasy land, seemingly frozen in time.

The natural entrance beckoned hauntingly from the amphitheatre above, developed specifically for visitors to watch the phenomena of a million Mexican free tail bats emerging at the rate of 5000 per minute, on their nightly hunt for food. Once numbering six million, their daytime summer home lies a half mile below the yawning cave entrance. Their evening display washes over enthralled onlookers in a spiralling mass of fluttering wings and captivating aroma.

Daylight was eaten by darkness as we stared down the steep, switchback entrance trail. A mile long winding descent into the heart of the earth, called eerily. Our eyes adjusted quickly to the dimming light and began to drink in vistas that sprung into view as we wound around corners and through tunnels. Rest spots and viewpoints were strategically located in the first great cavern. Spotlights highlighted features, both distant and near.

A twist here and we came upon the Whale's Mouth, a deep throated hollow whose opening yawned like the baleen covered mouth of a whale. A turn there and we found a shallow pool, rippling to the slow drip of water off a knife edged stalactite. The dark, cool humidity sealed in year round 56 degrees, proving comfortable as our knees strained with the steep drop. Past the "Boneyard", whose hollowed walls suited the name, we finally reached the Big Room. With elevator access to this vast chamber we were joined by more visitors, including wheel chaired adventurers taking advantage of the accessibility of this underground cathedral.

Almost 3000 feet long and reaching ceiling heights of 225 feet, the room more than justified its name. The artistry of the underworld alive with winding paths swinging snakelike through a sculptured forest. A distant tunnel ended with the glowing stance of a meditating Buddha, smiling upon a forest of frozen stalagmites. An alcove, capturing a limestone flow, draped like ice cream around a still pool. Hanging "Lion's Tails" and folded "Draperies" strung beneath thousands of "spaghetti" strands clinging to the high ceiling. The "Bottomless Pit" dropping away in endless darkness, a stark contrast to the "Chandelier", radiant in its spotlighted golden glow. Giant "trees" covered forever in winter's snow, standing mute by a mirror lake.

Panoramas opened up suddenly and at times the camera struggled to discern up from down, as we were suspended, directionless, in a world without reference points. Tunnels led off endlessly to unreachable chambers and pathways journeyed through fantasy lands where the Snow Queen could easily have set her throne. Flashbulbs twinkled like stars.

Sprinkled liberally throughout the walk, park rangers offered advice and direction to visitors, often hushed in silent awe at what surrounded them. Their pride and obvious contentment in their job made apparent by their manner.

In a land where a stalactite may grow one inch during the life of civilizations, we were less than a grain of sand in the dunes of the Sahara. Our passing and awe too quick for the living earth to notice.

Time did not permit the exploration of other grottos and chambers, all of which required guides and some of which tested the staying power of the visitors. The King's Palace, Left Hand Tunnel, Lower Cave, Hall of the White Giant and Queen's Chamber all have their own wonders to captivate the eye. Three days could easily pass in ceaseless exploration.

Before the rapid rise to the world above the visitor can enjoy a meal at the modern lunchroom, seemingly out of place so deep within the earth's crust. Like some star trek galley, it's cafeteria style arrangement bordered by novelty kiosks clashes with the surrounding darkness.

The brightness of the outside world stung our eyes as we emerged from four hours underground. Four hours and we had barely scratched the surface of what there was to see.

Words and photos cannot begin to capture the immensity of the caverns, their cool echoing aura of timelessness or their "Otherworldlyness". To every visitor the place taps into the mind and conjures the imaginings of a storybook land.

The caverns continue their slow motion, artistic, Tai Chi, while throngs of humanity pass unnoticed at their feet. A clock to remind man of his brief spark of life and the timelessness of this world we have inherited.

About the photos:
Top: The yawning mouth of Carlsbad Caverns opens below the "bat
viewing"amphitheatre.
Middle: Cavern tunnels stretch forever, cutting the light.
Bottom: Still pool, reflecting the mirror image of its underground gallery.

Glen Cowley is a Canadian freelance travel writer, an author of two books on hockey and a recent book of fiction to be published.

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