Puerto Rico Dziko Lachuma M’dera Lotentha

PA November 19, 1493, Christopher Columbus anafika ku gombe lina la chilumba chowirira cha kudera la Caribbean. Anafika kumeneku ndi sitima zambiri za ku Spain. Ali kumeneku, anapatsa chilumbachi dzina lakuti San Juan Bautista (Yohane Mbatizi Woyera). Anakhala pang’ono pachilumbachi kuti apeze zinthu zogwiritsa ntchito paulendo wake ndipo kenako ananyamuka popitiriza ulendo wake wachiwiri wotulukira malo.

Iye sanachite chidwi ndi magombe okongola, okhala ndi mitengo ya mgwalangwa ndi zomera zina zogudira za m’madera otentha. Maso a Columbus anali pa zilumba zikuluzikulu ndiponso pa kupeza chuma.

Ponce de León, Msipanya yemwe anthu ena amati anali ndi Columbus paulendowu, anaganiza zobwerera ku chilumbachi, chimene anthu akumeneku ankachitcha Boriquén. Iye anali atamva kuti anthu akumeneku amavala zinthu zagolide, choncho anaganiza kuti m’mapiri apachilumbachi muli golide. Patatha zaka 15, iye anabwerera kuti akafufuze golideyo. Mu 1521, Asipanya anamanga tawuni yawo yaikulu kugombe la kumpoto kwa chilumbachi. Ponce de León anapatsa tawuni yatsopanoyi dzina lakuti Puerto Rico, kutanthauza “Doko Lachuma,” pokhulupirira kuti apeza golide wambiri. *

Zimene Ponce de León ankaganiza sizinatheke. Golide wochepa yemwe anapeza ku Puerto Rico sanachedwe kutha, komanso mavuto andale anawonjezereka. Mapeto ake, Ponce de León anachoka n’kupita ku dera limene masiku ano limatchedwa Florida, ku U.S.A.

Ngakhale kuti chilumbachi chinali ndi miyala yamtengo wapatali yochepa, Asipanya anazindikira msanga kuti doko lalikulu la Puerto Rico linali lofunika kwambiri. M’zaka za m’ma 1500, iwo analimbitsa chitetezo cha likulu la chilumbachi kuti likhale doko lolimba poteteza sitima zazikulu zonyamula golide kuchoka ku America kupita ku Spain. Patangopita nthawi yochepa, mzinda wa San Juan unadziwika ngati “likulu la Spain ku America.”

Mpaka pano, makoma olimba otalika mamita 13 ndi okhuthala mamita 6 komanso nyumba ziwiri zazikulu zachitetezo, zimasonyeza khama lapadera limene anthu a ku San Juan anali nalo poteteza mzinda wawo. Masiku ano, San Juan lidakali limodzi mwa madoko otchuka ku Caribbean omwe anthu amapitako. Alendowo akamayenda m’mbali mwa makoma ndi kuona nyumba zikuluzikulu zakale, amatha kudziwa mmene moyo unalili nthawi ya atsamunda.

Kuona Mzinda Wakale wa San Juan

Mzinda wampanda umatchedwa kuti mzinda wakale wa San Juan, ndipo umasiyana ndi mzinda wotukuka wamakono umene wazungulira mzinda wakalewu. Mzinda wakalewu umaoneka ngati sitima yomwe ili panyanja. Mbali yokhala ngati kumutu kwa sitima ndi yozunguliridwa ndi madzi okhaokha ndipo inalowa m’nyanja ya Atlantic. Mbali imeneyi ndi kumene kuli El Morro, malo otetezeka amene Asipanya anamanga, poteteza njira yolowera ku doko. Kumbuyo kwa El Morro kuli makoma a miyala m’mbali zonse ziwiri za gombe lake, ndipo derali limaoneka ngati kutsogolo kwa sitima. Tikayenda mtunda wa kilomita imodzi ndi theka kupita kum’mawa, timapezanso malo ena otetezeka otchedwa San Cristóbal. Malo amenewa kale ankateteza kumene tingati kumbuyo kwa mzinda wakale wa San Juan kwa anthu amene akanaukira kudzera ku mtunda. Choncho, mzinda wakale wa San Juan uli pakati pa malo awiri otetezekawa, ndipo mu 1983 bungwe la UNESCO linanena kuti malowa akhale otetezedwa ndi boma.

Mzinda wakalewu anaukonza bwinobwino kuti ubwerere mwakale. Nzika zake zimapaka nyumba zawo utoto wowala, zimakongoletsa ndi maluwa makonde awo azitsulo ndiponso zimabzala mitengo panyumba zawo. Miyala yomwe anakonzera misewu  ing’onoing’ono ya ku San Juan inachokera m’migodi ya ku Spain ndipo ndi yosakanikirana mtundu wa buluu ndi wotuwa. Zotsalira poyenga zitsulo m’migodi ndi zimene ankapangira miyala imene ankaigwiritsa ntchito pothandiza sitima za ku Spain zobwera ku Puerto Rico kuti zizikhazikika panyanja.

M’mphepete mwa makoma amiyala a ku San Cristóbal mudakali mizinga imene Asipanya anasiya imene imakhala ngati ikulondera dokolo. Panopa padoko limeneli, m’malo mobwera sitima za Asipanya zodzaza golide, pamabwera sitima zikuluzikulu zodzaza alendo odzaona malo. Moyo wa kumeneku ndi wamtendere komanso anthu apachilumbachi ndi ochezeka, ndipo zimenezi zimachititsa kuti alendo ambiri azibwera mumzindawu. Anthu oyenda pansi ali ndi ufulu m’misewu ya mumzinda wakalewu, choncho oyendetsa galimoto ololera amadikirira moleza mtima kuti anthuwa adutse, pamene alendo ena odzaona malo amakhala ali khethe! kujambula zithunzi.

Malo Anayi Azachilengedwe Ofunikadi Kuwateteza

Ngakhale kuti pafupifupi 33 peresenti ya anthu akuchilumbachi amakhala m’dera la San Juan, Puerto Rico ali ndi zinthu zina zambiri zochititsa chidwi. Chilumbachi chingaoneke chaching’ono, koma kusintha kwa nyengo ndi mmene malo ake alili, zimachititsa chilumbachi kukhala malo abwino kwambiri a nyama ndi zomera. Zotsatirazi ndi zinthu zinayi mwa zinthu zachilengedwe zochititsa chidwi zimene boma la Puerto Rico likuyesetsa kuteteza.

 Nkhalango Yaboma ya El Yunque ndi malo otetezedwa amene kuli imodzi mwa nkhalango zamvula zochepa chabe zomwe zatsala ku Caribbean. Mathithi amakongoletsa malo otsetsereka a nkhalangoyi. Maluwa aolenji a mitengo amawalitsa nkhalango yobiriwirayi, ndipo mitundu ina ya maluwa akuluakulu imalimbirana malo ndi zomera zoyanga ndi mitengo ya mgwalangwa. Ngakhale kuti mbalame ya chinkhwe ya ku Puerto Rico ili m’gulu la zinthu zimene zatsala pang’ono kutha, idakapezekabe kudera limeneli. Ndipo kachule kakang’ono kamumtengo kotchedwa coquí, kamene kamagwiritsidwa ntchito ngati chizindikiro cha dziko la Puerto Rico, kamaimba nyimbo zosangalatsa m’nkhalangoyi mosatopa kakamalira.

Ukakhala patali, malo otsetsereka a m’nkhalango ya El Yunque amaoneka ngati awavindikira velo yasiliva. Izi zili choncho chifukwa cha mtundu wa masamba a mitengo ya yagrumo, imene inachulukana pambuyo pa chimphepo chamkuntho chotchedwa Hugo zaka zingapo zapitazo. Kumera kwa mitengoyi kukupereka chiyembekezo chakuti zinthu zitha kukhala bwino. Katswiri wina wa nkhalango anati: “Nkhalango zikhoza kubwerera mwakale pambuyo pa masoka achilengedwe popanda ife kuchitapo zambiri. Oopsa kwambiri ndi anthu omwe amawononga zachilengedwe.” M’nkhalangoyi muli mitundu 225 ya mitengo, mitundu 100 ya mitengo yotchedwa fern ndi mitundu 50 ya maluwa otchedwa orchids. Chifukwa chakuti nkhalangoyi ili ndi mitundu yambiri ya zomera, inaikidwa m’gulu la Nkhalango Zoteteza Nyama ndi Zomera za United Nations.

Nkhalango Yoteteza Nyama ndi Zomera ya Guánica. N’kutheka kuti padziko lapansi padakali 1 peresenti basi ya nkhalango zouma za m’madera otentha. Mwachitsanzo, kungoyenda maola ochepa pagalimoto kuchokera ku El Yunque timapeza nkhalango yotereyi yotchedwa Guánica. Akatswiri ena a zomera amati Guánica “ingakhale chitsanzo chabwino kwambiri cha nkhalango zouma za m’madera otentha padziko lonse.” Mbalame za ku Puerto Rico zimakonda kukhala mu nkhalango ya Guánica ndiponso m’nkhalangoyi mumapezeka mitundu 750 ya zomera, koma 7 peresenti ya zomerazi yatsala pang’ono kutha. M’nkhalangoyi mulinso maluwa ochititsa chidwi  omwe amakopa agulugufe ambiri komanso mbalame zotchedwa choso. Nkhalangoyi inachita malire ndi nyanja, ndipo akamba a m’madzi amaikira mazira awo kumalo abata amenewa.

Mitengo ndi Miyala ya M’nyanja. Nkhalango ya Guánica ilinso ndi mitengo yambiri imene inachita malire ndi nyanja. Munthu wina woyang’anira nkhalangoyi anati: “Nkhalango yathuyi imathandiza mitengoyi kuti ikule bwino chifukwa kulibe mafakitale kapena ulimi zomwe zingawononge mitengoyi. Ndipo mitengoyi imathandiza nsomba zimene zimakhala m’miyala ya m’nyanjayi kuti zikhale ndi malo abwino oikira mazira.” Magombe ambiri a ku Puerto Rico ali ndi mitengo yokongola ndipo imachititsa alendo ambiri kubwera kudzaona malowa.—Onani  bokosi pansipa.

Miyala yomwe sili m’madzi ndi yotetezeka chifukwa anthu omwe amabwera kawirikawiri kudzapha nsomba salimbana nayo, koma tizilumba ndi miyala yambiri yam’madzi zimatetezedwa ndi boma. Minda yapansi pa madzi imeneyi imasunga zinthu zomwe zimachititsa kwambiri chidwi anthu okasambira. Anthuwa akamasambira amatha kukumana ndi akamba am’madzi, nyama zina zam’madzi zotchedwa manatee komanso nsomba zokongola zamitundu yosiyanasiyana.

Ngakhale kuti Columbus sanachite chidwi ndi dziko la Puerto Rico komanso atsamunda ochokera ku Spain amene ankafunafuna chuma anakhumudwa nalo, limasangalatsa alendo masiku ano. Kwa alendowa, Puerto Rico ndi dziko lodzaza ndi chuma chachilengedwe.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 16]

MALO APADERA OONERA ZAKUTHAMBO

Malo amene mlendo sangafune kuphonya kukaona ndi Malo Oonera Zakuthambo a Arecibo. Malowa ali pamtunda wa makilomita 80 kumadzulo kwa San Juan. Malo amenewa ndi okhawo ali ndi makina oonera zakuthambo, amene ali ndi chimbale chachikulu kwambiri padziko cha mamita 305. Kukula kwa makina amenewa kumathandiza akatswiri azakuthambo kuona zinthu zimene sangaone pogwiritsa ntchito makina ena.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Courtesy Arecibo Observatory/ David Parker/Science Photo Library

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 17]

 “KUSAMBA M’NYENYEZI”

Kuchilumba cha Vieques, pafupi ndi Puerto Rico, kuli ndomo, kapena kuti malo amene nyanja inalowa kumtunda, yotchedwa Bioluminescent Bay. Dzinali linabwera chifukwa chakuti malowo akuti ali ndi tizilombo tambiri tam’madzi padziko lonse tomwe timawala. Tizilombo timeneti, timene timadziwika kuti dinoflagellates tikasokonezedwa, timawala ndipo timaoneka tabuluu wosakanikirana ndi girini. Zimene zimachitikazi, ndi chimodzi mwa zinthu zodabwitsa kwambiri za chilengedwe.

Chinthu choyamba chimene alendo amene amabwera kumeneku usiku amaona ndicho kuwala kwa m’madzi nsomba zikamathawa maboti. Nsombazi pothawa m’madzi amdimawo, m’madzimo mumawala ngati kuti mukudutsa nyenyezi zagirini zamchira. Anthu ofuna kusambira akalowa m’madzimo, chilichonse chimene akuchita chimaoneka mumdimawo. Akakweza manja awo kuchoka m’madzi, madontho a madziwo amaoneka ngati nyenyezi zothwanima. Mlendo wina anati: “Zimene zimachitikazi zimakhala ngati ukusamba m’nyenyezi.”

[Chithunzi patsamba 15]

El Morro

[Chithunzi patsamba 15]

Mmene mzinda wakalewu umaonekera mukakhala ku San Cristóbal

[Chithunzi patsamba 15]

Mzinda wakale wa San Juan

[Chithunzi patsamba 16]

Mtengo wa “fern” m’nkhalango ya El Yunque

[Chithunzi patsamba 16]

Gombe la ku Guánica

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

© Heeb Christian/​age fotostock

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Zinkhwe za ku Puerto Rico

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Miyala ya m’nyanja

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 14]

Passport Stock/​age fotostock

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 15]

All photos: Passport Stock/​age fotostock

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 17]

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