Day 2. – 4 April. Cancun. Ocean Way – Turtle and Cenotes Tour.

 Finished yesterday with a nice dinner of proper Mexican tacos, then off to bed with high need to sleep. 

Took one of Suzie's sleeping tabs and got exactly 4 hours, then managed another couple before alarm at 5.30 woke me from deep sleep.

Up and organised for day tour with Ocean Way Tours to Turtles and Cenotes/Xenotes tour.

Breaky at hotel doesn't start till 6.30, which is pick up time, so very thankful I threw in some muesli bars at the minute. Phone rang at 6.24, as I was leaving the room, to say my ride was there. A lovely young bloke - Edgar was the driver.

It was pouring rain,  roads awash with water. A fair bit of traffic. We had 5 more hotels to pick up from. First one was on the Zona Hotelera, which is the party zone in Cancun. Turned out this group postponed till Wednesday (due to the rain), but it was worth the trip to see the opulence, size and number of hotels there - despite the rain.

Then back onto main roads again towards Playa del Carmen, where we did more pick ups, including our guide Mark and trainee guide Francesca. Finally after 2+hours we picked up the last 2 and headed for the Chikin Ha Cenotes park -

© Cora

where we snorkelled in amazing clear water in an open Cenote X-Tabay,

© Cora 

© Cora

That us down there, © Cora.

Yup, me, white and tired but happy to be there. © Cora

The Cenote X-Tabay. 

Amazing lily like plants growing on the bottom and up toward the light.

Fish and different water weed, Crystal clear fresh water.

Best I could get of a catfish amongst the rocks and greenery.

Looking up from in the cenote. (pronounced see-note-hay)

Bright green and coloured plants on floor of cenote.

Beautiful blueish fish on plants.

"I think I can, I think I can!" They just keep growing up to reach the surface.

A group of bluefish 

a closed Cenote - Chikin Ha 

© Cora

Amazing blue, the same colour as Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle. © Cora

My white mermaid pose. © Cora

Looking down.

Looking out from inside the closed Cenote - like a cave, but it didn't get totally dark.

So clear, you could see for miles. The rocks on bottom were actually the collapsed roof of cave.

Poor attempt at selfie. 

and finally we visited a Sacred Cenote - Taak Bil Ha. 

© Cora

Beautiful colours, calcium floating on the surface. Due to it's Sacred status, no swimming allowed, thus the calcium has remained.

The Mayans believe the Cenotes are a place of the Gods. The Cenotes were created 16 million years ago, when the sea level dropped exposing the coral area that is now the peninsula we are on. 

This exposed limestone that over time slowly melted in places from the fresh water rain, forming vast numbers of 'sinkholes/caves' called Cenotes, many of these are linked and are a favourite for cave divers. The cenotes were filled with cool, crystal clear water, lillies, fish, roots, rocks in varied formations above and below water.

A cross on each point of the compass, signifies, not a crucifix, but represents the various worlds that the Gods move through, below, the current world and heaven,The vine tying the cross represents the Cenote - the place where the worlds meet.

Looking into the Cenote, you can see the calcium on the surface.

Me amongst the ficus roots, the strongest roots to break through the limestone above and reach for the water.

© Cora

Then a lovely buffet of fruit, empanada and cake.
Forgot to mention some amazing birds called motmot - beautiful colours and an amazing 'lure like' tail and a distinctive "mot mot" call, which is believed to call the Gods. These guys live in Cenotes and are also sacred as a result.

Stunning motmot. © Cora

Back onto the bus with Edgar to Akumal beach (Mayan for Ak = Turtle, Mal = Nest) we we added fins to our life jackets, masks and snorkels, ready for about 90 minutes snorkeling again in crystal clear water, with beautiful white sand and perfect wind and waveless conditions. We saw Green Turtles, sting rays, lots of fish, some reef with coral and beautiful white sand.

Our crew, myself, Zoey from UK, ? from Canada, trainee guide - Francesca, Maya (UK), our guide Mark, Finn (UK), Osam and Emma (UK), Gary? (Canada) © Cora

Cora, our photographer has taken shots at all locations and underwater at Akumal, included some of these, which I've captioned with © Cora.

Once done there, we showered and waited around for a bit, loaded back onto bus with Cora (so she could show and sell her picture packages) and headed back to drop off again, stopping at all the hotels again, waiting for some folks who needed to run into hotel complex, to get money for tops and picture package. Finally home again at 4.30. A very big HALF day tour, but fantastic and I appreciated getting a good look around.

One of the turtles.

Had enough to eat, coming up for air.

Popping up at the surface.

Stingray and fish.

Me. © Cora

© Cora

© Cora

Out for dinner via maxi taxi to a place in a nearby Mall - El Costenito. Our waiter Alberto was most helpful, given I'd just had lunch at 5.30, not too hungry, enjoyed a couple of mojitos and a good night out. Fun getting a cab home, ended up needing two, no big cabs could be found. Poor Alberto, spent ages looking around to try and get big cab - worked in his favour for tip!