The Blue Cenote

Before I get started on what was my absolute favorite part of our trip, I want to first talk about this picture of Michael and what I think of when I see it. Obviously he is quite the ham, which not everyone has been able to observe for themselves yet. Everywhere we went he would try to pick out the very largest and loudest colored sombreros and would then wander up to me wherever I was to see how long it would take for me to notice the hilarity. So funny! This is the only time I caught him in the act, and it was on the way to the Blue Cenote. I had stopped to buy a small rock turtle for my baby brother Dante, so this is what I saw when I looked up. The other thing about this picture has more to do with how wonderful Michael is in all things. I know all wives think that about their husbands, but let me tell you what was really happening in this picture. Michael was sunburned. Michael had a very high fever. Michael had the flu and was miserable. It was about 100 degrees outside with a like numbered humidity count. Did he complain? No. He made the best of the time we had and made sure I still got to buy Dante's turtle and take a swim in the famous Blue Cenote before we had lunch and headed out to the ruins of Chichen Itza. He slept almost the entire time we were on the bus so he would be able to keep up with our tour group. Yes, this is the same guy who went out of his way to make ME smile and laugh when he by all rights should have been resting the whole day at the hotel.

Reason 1 million and 14 why I love this man of mine.

Here's a little background on the Blue Cenote: First of all, a cenote is first and foremost: a sink hole or natural well. At 82 feet below the surface and 150 feet deep, the Blue Cenote (or Cenote Ik-Kil) is the largest in the Yucatan Penisula. Our guide also referred to it once as the bath of the Princesses, but I have not been able to find that title anywhere else since. This whole area is another eco archeological park, so once again you will not find me wearing any makeup, as that is not permitted. I don't think I mentioned that in my last post about Xcaret, but they are not joking around about chemicals and even insist upon you using biodegradeable sunscreens in most places.

At the entrance to the cenote, there is a small white post:

This is a neat wooden post near the stairs down to the cenote that reads

"May Peace Reign on Earth"in many different languages. I thought that was a particularly nice touch since in our group alone we had 4 or 5 different nationalities represented.

Here I am making my way around the cenote.

(I am the one in the back swimming away from the camera.)

There were lots of little black catfish swimming around in there! So cool! I kept tickling their little tails and they'd scurry away. Also, as you can see, the roots of the plants at the surface hang all the way down to the water.

Not the best picture(okay, not even remotely good), but it does hazily show the people on the balcony overlooking the sink hole.



A view from the middle balcony. Some of what you see coming from above is actually running water. It was truly stunning to behold, and the dropping water created a lauging, playful noise
as it joined with the water below. When I finally got down inside the water I had fun swimming through the falling water and around all the vines. There were so many different colors of green and textures of rock and plant in there.

Looking down the wall from our view on the upper balcony.

The water really was that blue.

It looked like Hawaii, and the water was as cold as a lake. So welcome!

Here is another shot from above that shows you where everyone clusters together at the bottom to swim and take pictures. The leaves on the right obscure the wooden steps I used to climb down into the chilly water.

This shot shows the falling water pretty well adjacent to the vines.

Anywhere you see a little light grey spot in the water there is water falling.



This is me, sunburned and totally exhilerated by my dip into the cenote.

(Please pardon my near nakedness!)

Our video is too long to load, so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c59DwL8TFtQ is a cool little video that shows the tunnel down to the cenote.