Farsighted Fly Girl

The Yucatan is known for the Mayan ruins that blanket the region but cenotes, or underground freshwater pools,are another hallmark that I particularly love. I remember being dazzled by the sunbeams playing off the water at  X-keken cenote near Chichen Itza so I was excited about exploring another one in Merida. The darkness of  the surrounding caverns and the Mayan belief that cenotes are the entrance to the underworld really make it a special experience.  So you can imagine my surprise when I saw the cenote topped by lily pads, above. Located right next to the stunning Mayan archaeological site of Uxmal, , I thought it was just a local pond. But I learned that there are actually three types of cenotes--open, closed and semi-closed. Each supplies a different kind of experience. I climbed down the rocks into the open pool and realized immediately that it was indeed different than my previous cenote dip. Tiny fish clung to my feet, nibbling at the dry skin! No matter w...

A highlight of visiting the Yucatan Peninsula is swimming in a cenote (se note tay).  These natural wonders are underwater sinkholes found in caverns and caves, which are the hallmark of the areas' geography. The peninsula is composed of  porous limestone with no visible rivers. The rivers are all underground, formed where fresh water collects. There are supposedly 6000 cenotes all over the Yucatan peninsula. The Maya considered them cleansing and sacred. They also believed that they symbolized the entrance to the underworld . As you can see from the photo above, climbing down into the dark cavern with caution signs decorating the opening ,does give the feeling of  entering the netherworld. This cenote is called X-keken and it boasts a natural sky light that floods sunbeams into the darkness. The effect is stunning, like a glistening underground pond. When we visited, the cenote was filled with locals dipping into the cool water. Outside, the temperature was abou...