This is the hole in which we finally made our descent after countless setbacks and false starts. April 1 was the official departure date, but being both superstitious and antsy, we decided to shove off a few days early. Heavy rainclouds threatened to burst forth at any moment, besides; an event which could fill the hole to the point of being impassible.Upon finding our way into the fissure, we pulled in the aluminum ladder in case we needed it later. I lost my grip on it, however, and it went skittering down the slick hole, echoing into the distance and then gone. This was the first instance I felt of the impending terror of the descent, which I kept, however, to myself.
Feeling much more confident because of the store of Pep-O's I had recently purchased from the Manilli service station, I was soon once again thrust into doubt when the Professor remarked that we only had water enough for 12 days. It was necessary to begin rationing at once! The early part of the journey revealed that all aqueous resources were incredibly toxic-- most likely a result of ill-conceived sewers or factory farming.
My phone reception, which was insufficient at best at the outset, was soon non-existent. So far, however, we are able to find wireless internet service in at least one location every four hours or so, which helps to keep the crew's sprits up and allows me to post these periodic travelogues. I am afraid, however, that the laptop's batteries won't hold out much longer. Any of these journal entries could easily be my last.
