IPuerto Rico—Ingcebo Elangeni

NGO-NOVEMBER 19, 1493, uChristopher Columbus wafika echwebeni lesiqhingi esithile saseCaribbean esivundile, nohele lwemikhumbi yaseSpain. Ngesikhathi elapho, wetha lesi siqhingi ngokuthi iSan Juan Bautista (uSanta Johane uMbhapathizi). Ngemva kokuthola izinto ayezidinga, waqhubeka nohambo lwakhe lwesibili lokuhlola amazwe.

Lo mhloli wamazwe wayengenandaba nogu olunesihlabathi esisagolide nezihlahla zesundu kanye nohlaza oluhle. UColumbus wayefuna iziqhingi ezinkudlwana nengcebo ayezimisele ukuyithola.

UPonce de León, indoda yaseSpain abanye abathi yayihamba noColumbus, wanquma ukubuyela kulesi siqhingi, abantu bendabuko ababesibiza ngokuthi iBoriquén. Njengoba ayezwe imibiko yokuthi abomdabu babenemihlobiso yegolide, wayekholelwa ukuthi kunenqwaba yegolide emagqumeni alesi siqhingi. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-15 wabuya ezofuna impango. Ngo-1521 abantu baseSpain bamisa ikamu labo eliyinhloko ogwini olusenyakatho lwalesi siqhingi. UPonce de León wabiza leli dolobhana elisha ngokuthi iPuerto Rico, okusho ukuthi “iChweba Elicebile,” enethemba lokuthola ingcebo enkulu.a

Ithemba likaPonce de León ngalokho ayethi uzokuthola lalingenasisekelo. Ingcosana yegolide elalitholakala ePuerto Rico yasheshe yaphela, futhi kwanda izinkinga zezombangazwe. Ekugcineni, uPonce de León waya endaweni namuhla eyaziwa njengesifundazwe saseFlorida, e-U.S.A.

Nakuba lesi siqhingi ngokwaso sasingenazo izinto eziningi eziyigugu ezimbiwa phansi, abaseSpain basheshe babona ukuthi ichweba eliyinhloko lasePuerto Rico lalibalulekile. Ekhulwini le-16, baguqula inhloko-dolobha yesiqhingi bayenza inqaba yokuvikela imikhumbi eyayithwala igolide eliya eSpain lisuka emazweni aseMelika. Kungakadluli isikhathi eside, iSan Juan yase yaziwa ngokuthi “isikaniso saseSpain esivikeleke kunazo zonke eMelika.”

Izindonga ezinkulu, ezingamamitha angu-13 ukuphakama nayisithupha ububanzi—kanye nezinqaba ezimbili ezinkulu—kusafakazela umzamo ongavamile owenziwa abantu baseSan Juan ukuze bavikele idolobha labo. Namuhla, iSan Juan isengelinye lamachweba akhanga izivakashi kakhulu eCaribbean. Izivakashi ziyakwazi ukubona okwakwenzeka ngesikhathi samakoloni lapho zibuka izindonga zedolobha nezakhiwo zasendulo.

Ukuvakashela ESan Juan Endala

Leli dolobha elibiyelwe libizwa ngokuthi iSan Juan Endala, uma liqhathaniswa nedolobha elikhulukazi lanamuhla elilizungezile. ISan Juan Endala ifana nomkhumbi ontanta olwandle. Njengoba izungezwe ulwandle, inhlonhlo yayo, noma “idlevu,” ingena phakathi olwandle i-Atlantic. Kule nhlonhlo kukhona i-El Morro, inqaba yabaseSpain eyayivikele umzila ongena echwebeni. Ngemva kwe-El Morro kunezinqaba ezinezindonga eziphahle ugu lwale nhlonhlo, emise okwekhala lomkhumbi. Ibanga elingangekhilomitha nesigamu ukuya ngasempumalanga kunenye inqaba enkulu okuthiwa iSan Cristóbal, eyayisetshenziselwa ukuvikela “idlevu” kunoma obani abahlasela bevela ngaphakathi ezweni. Phakathi kwalezi zinqaba ezimbili kuneSan Juan Endala, i-UNESCO eyayibiza ngokuthi iGugu Lomhlaba ngo-1983.

Idolobha elidala liye lavuselelwa ngokucophelela. Izakhamuzi zipenda imizi yazo ngemibala egqamile, zihlobise ovulandi bazo abanemigoqo yensimbi ngezimbali ezimibalabala nezitshalo. Amatshe ampunga okwenziwe ngawo imigwaqo emncane yaseSan Juan áthathwa ezimayini zensimbi zaseSpain. Amanyela asezimayini kwenziwa ngawo amatshe abaseSpain ababewasebenzisa njengezinto zokulinganisa isisindo semikhumbi eya ePuerto Rico.

Ezindongeni zaseSan Cristóbal, kusenezinganono zasendulo zabaseSpain ezibheke echwebeni. Esikhundleni semikhumbi emikhulu yabaseSpain ethwele igolide, leli chweba seligcwala imikhumbi emikhulu yezivakashi. Isimo esikhululekile nobungane bezakhamuzi zakulesi siqhingi kunezela ekuthandweni kwaleli dolobha njengendawo yezivakashi. Abahamba ngezinyawo basenelungelo lokuba izimoto zime zibalinde lapho bewela umgwaqo edolobheni elidala, ngakho abashayeli abanesineke balinda ngokubekezela kuyilapho izivakashi zithwebula izithombe emgwaqweni.

Izimiso Zemvelo Ezine Eziyigugu Okufanele Zivikelwe

Nakuba ingxenye yesithathu yezakhamuzi zakulesi siqhingi ihlala eSan Juan, iPuerto Rico inezinye izinto eziningi ezikhangayo. Lesi siqhingi kungenzeka sincane, kodwa isimo saso sezulu esiguquguqukayo kanye nesimo sendawo kusenza sibe indawo yezimila nezilwane ezihlukahlukene. Izimiso zemvelo ezilandelayo ezine zingezinye zezimiso eziyingqayizivele iziphathimandla zasePuerto Rico ezilwela ukuzilondoloza.

I-El Yunque National Forest iyindawo yokulondoloza imvelo evikele elinye lamahlathi ambalwa emvula asatholakala eCaribbean. Amagquma alo ahlotshiswe yizimpophoma. Izimbali ezisawolintshi ze-bromeliad zigqamisa uhlaza olusehlathini lalo elimbozwe amafu, kanti ulwelwe olukhulu lwezihlahla lubanga indawo nama-liana nezihlahla zesundu. Nakuba usengcupheni, upholi wasePuerto Rico usatholakala kule ndawo, kanti i-coquí—ixoxo elincane eliwuphawu lwasePuerto Rico—inezela isigqi sayo sengoma esibeleselayo kuleli hlathi.

Uma ukude, amagquma ase-El Yunque abonakala embozwe ingubo empunga. Lo mbala ubangelwa amaqabunga esihlahla i-yagrumo, esachuma ngemva kokucekelwa phansi kwale ndawo iSiphepho uHugo eminyakeni eminingi edlule. Lezi zimila ezikhula kabusha ziwuphawu oluhle. Isazi sezinto eziphila kuleli paki sachaza: “Leli hlathi lingalulama ezinhlekeleleni zemvelo ngaphandle kosizo. Ingozi enkulu yizenzo zabantu zokulicekela phansi.” Leli paki linezinhlobo ezingaba ngu-225 zezihlahla, ezolwelwe ezingaba yikhulu, kanye nezingu-50 zama-orchid. Ngenxa yezimila ezihlukahlukene, liye labizwa ngokuthi i-United Nations Biosphere Reserve.

IGuánica Biosphere Reserve. Kusasele cishe iphesenti elilodwa lamahlathi omile asezindaweni ezishisayo emhlabeni. Kodwa kunesibonelo esihle uma uhamba ngemoto amahora ambalwa nje usuka e-El Yunque. Ezinye izazi zezimila zichaza iGuánica ngokuthi “mhlawumbe iyisibonelo esihle kakhulu sehlathi elomile elisendaweni eshisayo emhlabeni.” Iyikhaya lezinyoni eziningi ezidabuka ePuerto Rico, kanye nezinhlobo ezingu-750 zezitshalo, kanti amaphesenti angu-7 azo asengcupheni. Lezi zimbali ezingavamile zikhanga ama-hummingbird kanye nezinhlobonhlobo zezimvemvane. Emaphethelweni aleli hlathi elomile kunogu olungakathintwa, lapho izimfudu eziluhlaza nezohlobo lwe-leatherback zibekela khona amaqanda.

Imihlume Nezixhobo Zamakhorali. Indawo yaseGuánica ihlanganisa nesiqephu sehlathi lemihlume elingasogwini. Omunye wabanakekeli bepaki wachaza: “Indawo yethu isiza ekugcineni imihlume iphila, njengoba kungenakungcola okuphuma ezimbonini noma kwezolimo. Le mihlume iyindawo ekahle yokuzalela kwezinhlanzi eziningi ezihlala ezixhotsheni zamakhorali.” Ezinye izindawo eziyikhethelo ezikhanga izivakashi ezixhomeke kule mihlume engakonakaliswa amachweba akhanyayo, amaningi awo asatholakala ePuerto Rico.—Bheka ibhokisi elingezansi.

Amakhorali angasogwini aye asinda lapho kudotshwa izinhlanzi ngokweqile, kanti izixhobo eziningi ezingaphansi kwamanzi ziye zabekelwa eceleni njengezindawo zokulondolozwa kwemvelo. Lezi zingadi ezingaphansi kwamanzi ziwumbukwane omuhle ezivakashini, ezingazibonela ngawazo izimfudu nama-manatee kanye nezinhlobonhlobo zezinhlanzi ezimbalabala.

Nakuba iPuerto Rico ingazange imhlabe umxhwele uColumbus futhi yadumaza nabanqobi ababefuna ingcebo, izivakashi zanamuhla ziyayijabulela. Kuzona, iPuerto Rico ichichima ingcebo engokwemvelo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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INDAWO ENHLE YOKUBUKA INDAWO

Indawo ekufanelekelayo ukuvakashelwa i-Arecibo Observatory, eyibanga elingaba amakhilomitha angu-80 entshonalanga yeSan Juan. Inesibonakude samaza omsakazo esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni, esinesithungathamaza esiyindilinga esingamamitha angu-305 ubukhulu. Ubukhulu balesi sibonakude buvumela izazi zezinkanyezi ukuba zibone izinto ezingenakuzibona ngezinye izibonakude.

[Umthombo]

Courtesy Arecibo Observatory/ David Parker/Science Photo Library

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 17]

“UKUBHUKUDA PHAKATHI KWEZINKANYEZI”

Esiqhingini saseVieques—ngasogwini lwasePuerto Rico—kunechweba elincane okuthiwa iBioluminescent Bay. Leli chweba lethiwa ngaleli gama ngoba kwaziwa ukuthi linezilwanyana zasemanzini ezikhipha ukukhanya eziningi kunawo wonke amachweba emhlabeni. Njalo lapho lezi zilwanyana ezincane—okuthiwa ama-dinoflagellate—ziphazanyiswa, zikhanya umbala ogqamile oluhlaza. Lokhu kwenza omunye wemibukwane yemvelo eyingqayizivele kakhulu.

Izivakashi eziza kuleli chweba ebusuku zibona lokhu kukhanya ngokokuqala ngqa lapho izinhlanzi ezithukile zibalekela isikebhe. Lezi zinhlanzi zikhanya emanzini amnyama njengezinkanyezi ezitshuzayo. Lapho ababhukudi bengena emanzini, konke abakwenzayo kungabonakala ebumnyameni. Lapho bekhipha izingalo emanzini, kuba namaconsi anjengezinkanyezi ezibenyezelayo. Esinye isivakashi sathi: “Lokhu kunjengokubhukuda phakathi kwezinkanyezi!”

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

I-El Morro

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Idolobha elidala uma useSan Cristóbal

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

ISan Juan Endala

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Ulwelwe ehlathini lemvula lase-El Yunque

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Ugu lwaseGuánica

[Umthombo]

© Heeb Christian/age fotostock

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Opholi basePuerto Rico

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Isixhobo samakhorali

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 14]

Passport Stock/​age fotostock

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]

All photos: Passport Stock/​age fotostock

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 17]

Parrots: U.S. Geological Survey/​Photo by James W. Wiley; reef: © Stuart Westmorland 2005; swimmer: Steve Simonsen