Facing my fear of heights rappelling down the Sima de las cotorras
General Information
Sima de las Cotorras is a Sinkhole of Parrots. There are more than 500 of green parakeets, which inhabit the small caves and trees at the bottom of the big hole in the ground.
Each morning between 5:30 and 7 a.m., as well as each evening from 4 until 5 p.m., these colorful birds fly in circles in order to depart or to return to their homes. Between April and October they fly out and come back during the whole day, since they are building new nests to lay eggs.
Between November and March there is not much point of going to Sima de las Cotorras, since the parrots migrate and you will just not see them, or at least, many less.
Its more than 1,5h drive from Tuxla Gutierrez, and even more from San Cristobal (2.5h). So, if you buy the tour (not really an option to get there with public transport at 5am! I have done a long research, and a private car or the tour were the only options, if I wanted to get there early enough to see them leave the Sinkhole), they pick you up before 5am. You get to the place a bit before the sunrise, then you watch the parrots, then you can walk around the sinkhole. There is a restaurant from where you still have the view of the sinkhole. If you are feeling adventurous, you can do the rappel (abseiling) - to the sinkhole, but only after the parrots left their homes, in order to not disturb them.
Sima de Las Cotorras is operated by a group of people from the community Piedra Parada in the municipality of Ocozocoautla, Chiapas. They promote ecotourism.
Rappel information
There are 2 options of rappel: either you get down 80 m (to the height of where the Zoque culture paintings of hands are located. they are estimated to be 5,000 to 10,000 years old. From there you walk back to the restaurant.). The second option is to go all the way down (Around 140m), explore what there is on the bottom of the sinkhole, and then you need to rappel yourself up. If you are not too fit and have overweight, and if you don't have too much time, the first, shorter option is recommended.
The cost of the short rappel is 300 pesos (17USD), and the longer one, 700 (38USD).
Personal experience
When I got there, I didn't feel very well (the sickness I got in San Cristobal wasn't yet over), so I almost didn't do it... So, I forced myself to drink a cocacola.. and surprisingly, I did feel better. Well enough to do the half rappel (i was also limited by the time, as the others from the same transport, had to be in Tuxla by 11.00am).
When I started going down, I the fear came to me. I started to be nervous and didn't trust the equipment. More than that, I remembered my accident from a few mounts before, when I bumped into a rock and got myself injured and had quite a long recovery time. All that wasn't the best recipe for a fast rappel. Fortunately, the guide was super professional and calm, and was able to handle my nerves enough for me to go down by myself. I really didn't expect to be so nervous about the rappel, but at the end, I am happy I did it! Yet another experience to face my fears!