To swim in the cenote, the Mayans only demanded we rinse our bodies before we climbing down into the cave. After a quick outdoor shower, our ten-person tour group followed our guide down a wooden ladder and a curving flight of wooden steps to a platform. We took turns jumping and diving into the 9 foot deep cavern. Tiny little cat fish are the main inhabitant of the cenote but they mostly lurk at the bottom, out of the way. The bottom is covered with a thick, white chunky sand-like substance—residue from calcium carbonate that has filtered rainwater over 65,000 years to create the cenote. If you dive to the bottom, scoop up a handful of calcium carbonate crystals and rub them on your hands, you’ll notice softer skin immediately. The calcium carbonate flakes are one of nature’s best exfoliants.
The combination of natural sunlight light and artificial light from lamps on the cave walls causes the reflections of the turquoise water to dance on the walls and ceiling…such an exotic effect.
After swimming, we repelled backward down a cliff face into the jungle. We hooked our harnesses on a zip-line and skimmed across the tops of the trees to the Mayan village, where we ate a home cooked meal rich in spices and flavors: chicken legs, vegetable stew, pico de gallo, fried potatoes, juices from jungle plants, and blended hot, medium and mild sauces. The Alltournative program is good for the Mayans because it creates jobs to bring in food-money, preventing them from hunting in the jungle. After the Mayan village, we drove to the Coba to climb the old Mayan ruins where they executed people, played sports and worshiped their gods. We wrapped up our day with a tequila shot and a cup of coffee. Quite an adventure!