as promised -- cenote!!!!

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If you click on this top link, you will see the jade green water of the open air cenote just past the Temple of Venus.

Okay, now this was the cenote in which we jumped and swam! -- notice the vines, the spots of filtered sunlight shining on the water's surface. From the midway point on the steps down, you could see the dark silhouettes of the catfish circling around -. The water was extremely refreshing after that stifling heat! You see the divers here standing on the steps. We were told that it was 150 feet deep!!! I can't even guess how wide. . it seemed huge, though these pictures don't really convey that.

Rob and I climbed the steps, looked down at the water below -- i was so scared -- we counted 1. . . . "I can't do it!!!" said me. 2. . . . .. . "AHHHH!!! i don't think i can!" 3!!!!! I jumped and my heart rose up in my throat, i screamed all the way down -- until i splashed down and way under, water shooting up my nose. . and into my ears!!! Rob stayed up above laughing at me!!!!!

I lolled about, swimming mostly around the middle, cuz for some reason i felt safe there?! Rob and I at one point were laying on our backs, looking up at people WWWAYYY up there, looking down at us! Then we just hung out and treaded water. . at which point he said: "Try opening your eyes underwater. I can't see a thing. . its completely black!" This freaked me out just a bit. . the fact that i was essentially swimming in a graveyard, and God knows what else they chucked in there over the centures?! Not to mention the thought of fish and assorted other ugly, squirmy creatures. . I just wanted to stay as much on the surface as possible!!!

By the end of our session he had taken the plunge 5 times and me three. . I can't even describe the peace, swimming around on that deep blue surface. . If you floated on your back and looked up you see vines hanging like curtains from way up above!!! If you looked up you saw this yawning gap of sky, rimmed by mossy earth at the top-most part of the cave, from which the vines dangle. . and from which water drips and showers you as you move underneath it.

I think it was one of the most amazing things I'd ever done!!! WAY better than our ocean jet skiing the next day which was NOT something i would ever try again. Maybe a nice, calm lake yes. . but it was a choppy sea the day we were out. . I know that there were sharks and other grossities out in the open water and that FREAKED ME OUT! We were just slamming on the waves and every time we cut across a wave we went up and then of course slammed down. .so it went like this: VRRRRROOOM!!! cut through the wave "AHHHH!!!!" slam down. . . "AAAAH!" I just screamed the whole time. . It was such a small craft to be out in the open ocean. . i felt too vulnerable and was frightened to death of falling off the back of the thing!!! Rob took me back to the beach and he went out by himself!! I think he was glad to dump me off!!!

Yes, the cenote was the aquatic highlight for me. . we tried kayaking too, but its tricky with those waves. . cenote! cenote!!! I would DEFINITELY take the leap again!!!