Isiqithi Esihle SasePuerto Rico

NGONOVEMBA 19, 1493, uChristopher Columbus wafika kunxweme lwesiqithi seCaribbean nodederhu lweenqanawa zaseSpeyin. Eso siqithi wasibiza ngokuba yiSan Juan Bautista (iSt. John the Baptist). Wahlala apha ithutyana yaye emva kokuqokelela izinto ababezifuna kolo hambo lwabo banduluka kwakhona.

Lo kaColumbus akazange athabatheke lunxweme oluyokozela yimithi emihle yesundu nolunohlaza oluchumileyo. Wayenomdla kwiziqithi ezikhulu awayenokufumana ubutyebi kuzo.

UPonce de León owayeyinzalelwane yaseSpeyin nekuthiwa wayekunye noColumbus kolo hambo wagqiba kwelokuba abuyele kweso siqithi, eso abemi balapho babesibiza ngokuba yiBoriquén. Kuba wayeve kusithiwa abemi balapho banezihombiso zegolide, waqonda ukuba iinduli zeso siqithi ziqulethe igolide. Emva kweminyaka eli-15 wabuyela kwesi siqithi ukuze axhamle kobo butyebi. Ngowe-1521, abantu baseSpeyin baqalisa ukwakha ngakumntla wesi siqithi. UPonce de León, wayithiya loo dolophu ngokuthi yiPuerto Rico, gama elo elithetha “iZibuko Lobutyebi” kuba wayenethemba lokufumana ubutyebi obuninzi.a

Ithemba awayenalo uPonce de León laba lilize. Igolide yasePuerto Rico eyayincinane kakade yaphela ngokukhawuleza, yaye kwabakho neengxaki ezininzi zobupolitika. Ekugqibeleni uPonce de León wafudukela kummandla namhlanje owaziwa ngokuba yiFlorida, eUnited States.

Nangona esi siqithi singenabutyebi bungako, abemi baseSpeyin baqonda ukuba izibuko lasePuerto Rico lixabiseke gqitha. Ngenkulungwane ye-16, benza ukhuseleko oluluqilima kwisixeko salapho ukuze kukhuseleke iinqanawa ezinkulu zaseSpeyin ababethutha ngazo igolide eMerika. ISan Juan yaziwa “njengeyona dolophu ephambili iSpeyin eqamele ngayo ekufumaneni ubutyebi baseMerika.”

Iindonga ezomeleleyo, eziziimitha ezili-13 ukuphakama neemitha ezi-6 ububanzi—kwakunye neenqaba ezinkulu ezimbini—zibonisa umgudu owenziwa ngabantu baseSan Juan ukuze bakhusele isixeko sabo. Namhlanje, iSan Juan iseyeyona ndawo ithandwayo ngabakhenkethi abatyelele isiqithi seCaribbean. Xa bebona izakhiwo zalapho zamandulo, abakhenkethi bayakwazi ukubona ngeliso lengqondo ukuba babephila njani abantu balapho ngexesha lenkqubo yamathanga.

Ukutyelela KwiOld San Juan

Isixeko esineendonga eziluqilima sibizwa ngokuba yiOld San Juan ukuze sahlulwe kwisixeko sezi mini esiphithizelayo. IOld San Juan ikhangeleka njengenqanawa eselwandle. Ijikelezwe lulwandle, yaye icala layo elingaphambili elimi njengomphambili wenqanawa, lithe gqi phezu kolwandle lweAtlantiki. Kulapho ikhoyo ke iEl Morro, inqaba yaseSpeyin eyayikhusele izibuko. Necala elingasemva likhuselwe zezo ndonga ziluqilima ze-El Morro yaye lona likhangeleka okomva wenqanawa. Kumgama omalunga nekhilomitha enesiqingatha kwicala elingasempuma, kukho enye inqaba enkulu ebizwa ngokuba yiSan Cristóbal yona yayikhusele icala elingasemva kubahlaseli. IOld San Juan iphakathi kwezi nqaba zimbini yaye ngowe-1983 iUNESCO yayibiza ngokuba yindawo eneLifa Lehlabathi.

Esi sixeko samandulo siye sahlaziywa. Abemi baye bapeyinta izindlu zabo ngemibala emihle kodwa engaqaqambanga, yaye kwiiveranda zabo bahombise ngeentyantyambo ezintle neeyadi zabo zizaliswe zizityalo eziluhlaza. Amatye aluhlaza-bungwevu ekwenziwe ngawo izitrato ezincinane zaseSan Juan ayevela kwimigodi yentsimbi yaseSpeyin. Intsalela eyayisala kula matye yayifakwa kwiinqanawa zaseSpeyin eziya ePuerto Rico ukuze zizinze.

Iinkanunu zamandulo zaseSpeyin zisekho kwizibuko laseSan Cristóbal elikhuselwe ziindonga. Kunokuba ubone iinqanawa ezinkulu zaseSpeyin ezizele yigolide, ubona iinqanawa ezinkulu ezizise abakhenkethi kwelo. Enye into etsalela abakhenkethi kwesi sixeko kukuba kupholile kule ndawo yaye abemi balapho banobubele. Kwisixeko samandulo, iimoto ziyema xa kudlula abantu abahamba ngeenyawo, yaye abakhenkethi batsho bafumane ithuba lokufota.

Izinto Ezine Ezixabisekileyo Ezifanele Zilondolozwe

Nangona abemi balapho abahlala eSan Juan, bemalunga nesinye kwisithathu, zikho ezinye izinto ezibangela umtsalane ePuerto Rico. Nakuba esi siqithi sisincinane, ngenxa yokutshintshatshintsha kwemozulu yalapho nendlela esimi ngayo esi siqithi, kukho izityalo nezilwanyana ezininzi. Apha ngezantsi kuchazwe ezine nje kuphela kwizinto esibalasele ngazo esi siqithi, ezo urhulumente wasePuerto Rico azama ukuzilondoloza.

IEl Yunque National Forest ikhusela amahlathi achumileyo ambalwa asaseleyo kwiCaribbean. Kukho neengxangxasi ezibalasele ngobuhle. Intyatyambo ebizwa ngokuba yibromeliad enombala o-orenji iqaqambisa uhlaza olukhula kwelo hlathi, kukwakho nemithi emikhulu yefeni, yeeliana neyesundu. Kweli hlathi kukho nezikhwenene nangona zisecicini lokuphela kweli lasePuerto Rico, kuphinde kubekho necoquí—isele elincinane elihlala emithini eligqalwa njengelizisa ithamsanqa elihlala lisenza intsholo kwelo hlathi.

Xa umgama, amathambeka e-El Yunque abonakala ngathi athiwe wambu ngesigqubuthelo sesilivere. Oku kubangelwa ngamagqabi omthi obizwa ngokuba yiyagrumo, owakhula ngokutsha waza wachuma emva kokuba wawutshatyalaliswe yiNkanyama uHugo kwiminyaka eliqela eyadlulayo. Ukukhula ngokutsha kunokuba luncedo ekulondolozeni ihlathi. Esinye isazi ngezityalo sathi: “Imithi yehlathi iyakwazi ukuzikhulela emva kokuntlithwa ziintlekele zemvelo. Iingxaki zokuphela kwamahlathi zibangelwa kwangabantu.” Kule paki kukho iintlobo-ntlobo zemithi ezingama-225, iifeni ezahlukahlukeneyo ezili-100 neentlobo ngeentlobo zeorchid ezingama-50. Ngenxa yokuba le paki ineentlobo ezahlukahlukeneyo zezityalo, ibizwa ngokuba yiUnited Nations Biosphere Reserve.

IGuánica Biosphere Reserve. Amahlathi akwimimandla engenamvula akhoyo ehlabathini lonke mhlawumbi amalunga nesinye ekhulwini. Noko ke, likho ihlathi elinjalo elikumgama nje ongephi ukusuka e-El Yunque. Ezinye izazi ngezityalo zithi, iGuánica “mhlawumbi ngowona mzekelo ubalaseleyo ehlabathini lonke wehlathi elikhula kummandla ongenamvula.” Iintaka ezininzi zasePuerto Rico zihlala kweli hlathi, ukanti kukho iintlobo-ntlobo zezityalo ezingama-750 yaye malunga nesi-7 ekhulwini sazo zisecicini lokuphela. Kukho iintyatyambo ezingaqhelekanga kweli hlathi nto leyo etsala iingcungcu namabhabhatane. Kweli hlathi lisecaleni konxweme kukho iintlobo ezimbini zofudo ezithanda ukuzalela amaqanda azo apho.

Imithi Yemangrove Noqaqa Oluphantsi Kwamanzi. EGuánica kukho udederhu lwemithi yemangrove ekufuphi nonxweme. Omnye wabagcini-hlathi wathi: “Kule paki siyakwazi ukuyinyamekela kakuhle imithi yemangrove kuba akukho manzi angcolileyo avela kwimizi-mveliso okanye kumaziko ezolimo. Imithi yemangrove inceda neentlanzi ukuba zikwazi ukuzalela kule ndawo.” Enye into ethandwa kakhulu ngabakhenkethi nekwaxhomekeke kwiimangrove ngamatheku afumaneka ePuerto Rico.—Funda ibhokisi ethi ‘Ukuhlamba Ngeenkwenkwezi.’

Abalobi abavumelekanga ukuloba kakhulu kuqaqa oluphantsi kwamanzi olukufuphi nonxweme yaye lo mmandla uye walondolozwa ukuze wenziwe ipaki. Ezi gadi zintle zingaphantsi kwamanzi ziyabukeka kwabo bathanda ukuntywila emanzini kuba babona iimfudo iimanatee neentlobo ngeentlobo zeentlanzi ezinemibala eqaqambileyo.

Nangona uColumbus naboyisi ababefuna ubutyebi badanayo kuba bengazange bafumane butyebi ePuerto Rico, abakhenkethi bakuthanda gqitha ukutyelela kwesi siqithi. Aba bakhenkethi bagqala iPuerto Rico njengesiqithi esichumileyo ngenxa yobuhle bemvelo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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EYONA OBSERVATORY IBALASELEYO

Enye indawo engamele ikuphose yiArecibo Observatory emalunga nama-80 eekhilomitha ukusuka eSan Juan. Le observatory ineyona teleskopu inkulu ehlabathini lonke, emilise okwesitya neziimitha ezingama-305 ububanzi. Ngenxa yobukhulu bale teleskopu, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zisebenzisa yona xa zijonga izinto ezingakwaziyo ukuzibona ngezinye iiteleskopu.

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy Arecibo Observatory/David Parker/Science Photo Library

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‘UKUHLAMBA NGEENKWENKWEZI’

Kwisiqithi saseVieques—cebu kuhle kunxweme lwasePuerto Rico—kukho iTheku elibizwa ngokuba yiBioluminescent. Isizathu sokuba libizwe ngale ndlela kukuba, ehlabathini lonke ayikho indawo enezidalwa eziphila phantsi kwamanzi ezinobukhazikhazi obuhle njengezo zikweli theku. Xa kukho nantoni na ephazamisa ezi zidalwa zincinane—ezibizwa ngokuba ziidinoflagellates—ziyabengezela kuvele imibala-bala eluhlaza. Lo iba ngowona mbono mhle nomangalisayo kwizinto eziphilayo.

Xa abantu beze kweli chweba ebusuku, baye babone oku kubengezela kuhle xa iintlanzi zibaleka ngenxa yokothuswa ngabantu. Njengoko ezi ntlanzi zibaleka emanzini, kuvela ubukhazikhazi kanye oku kwenkwekwezi etshekayo. Xa abantu bequbha kweli chweba ezi zidalwa ziyashukuma kuze kuvele ubukhazikhazi. Xa bephakamisa iingalo, amanzi athontsiza kwezo ngalo aba ngathi ziinkwekwezi ezibengezelayo. Omnye umkhenkethi wathi, “uba ngathi uhlamba ngeenkwenkwezi.”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

IEl Morro

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Indlela esibonakala ngayo isixeko samandulo xa useSan Cristóbal

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

IOld San Juan

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Umthi wefeni kwihlathi lase-El Yunque

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

Unxweme lwaseGuánica

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© Heeb Christian/age fotostock

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Izikhwenene zasePuerto Rico

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Uqaqa oluphantsi kwamanzi

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Passport Stock/age fotostock

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

All photos: Passport Stock/age fotostock

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 17]

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