Mammoth Caves, KY

A sudden trip to the Mammoth Caves in the neighboring state of Kentucky was planned for the Saturday. It was just the three of us - Harsha, Rajesh and myself. We searched for more company, but couldnt manage any during this part of the year, when everybody leaves Columbus like school kids out of classrooms as the bell is rung. We started at 10.15 am, a full 75 minutes behind the original schedule. The brief stopover at an exit near Cincinnati helped us recharge - the vehicle with fuel and ourselves with some coffee. From then on, it was a race against time. Our cave tour was to start at 2.15 pm CST. Even occasional bursts of 90 mph, which was well above the speed limit of 70 mph, didn't give us the confidence of making it in time.

However, with sustained driving above the legal speed limits, we made it just on time. We reached the Ticketing Office at exactly 2.15 pm and saw a bunch of people coming out of the office and boarding a bus. Without any thought, I rushed into the office, and requested for my tickets. The lady at the counter promptly replied "The bus has already left, Sir". I informed her that the bus is still waiting, and that I have talked to the tour guide, without having any idea as to what was transpiring between Rajesh and the guide. She requested my confirmation numbers and printed 3 tickets. I ran out and as we boarded the bus, a sense of relief ran through our hearts. Yes, we had made it!

Now some background information on the Mammoth Caves. It is the most extensive cave system in the world and includes nearly 367 miles of passageway. The caves are nearly 360 ft deep and in its initial days was advertised as a "bottomless pit". Many of the rocks are made of limestone sedimentation, and stalactite and stalagmite formations are clearly visible. Though the cave was discovered much earlier, it remained under private ownership for a long time till 1930s when it came under the National Park umbrage. It was officially dedicated on July1, 1941, and has remained open to public since then.

The Forest Ranger who was our guide for the tour was an old, but highly energetic man named Joe. He recounted several tales of history, and followed it with his own take-home messages. This was one of the first statements he made before we entered the tour - "Most people, when their head accidentally hits a rock, give it their name. Since we have little kids around, please be creative and think of better names". In short, avoid the F-word. Apparently, one of the entrances of this cave was the first Tuberculosis (TB) Sanatorium in the world, because it was the belief of doctors at that time that fresh water and air surrounding the caves was good for health. It was however, never proved right, as 30 of the around 120 patients died, while others did not show much signs of improvement.

I took a few pictures with my low-resolution mobile phone camera in the dark surroundings. Though the quality of pictures is not something I can be proud of, but I would post them here nevertheless (They should be up in a few days).

We came out of the caves dead hungry. We took the first exit on I-65 and our eyes rolled when we saw a Pizza Hut outlet. Though we had to wait for about 15 minutes, but it was worth the wait as we treated ourselves with Garlic Bread and a Pan Pizza that tasted heavenly. From then on, I drove on the Interstate for about 80 miles, till Rajesh took over just before we entered Columbus. I reached home at 12.30 am, and thought if the 11 hour drive was worth the 2 hrs of stay inside the caves. Thinking back, it probably was.