"I hope bat guano is good for my hair," I think to myself right before I dive into the underground lake. Jen and I are at the Cenote Dzitnup, which is located about 7km west of the city of Valladolid. We have descended down a narrow rock staircase that was blasted through the ground into a large cavern that is filled with a large lake. Electric lamps and a hole in the roof let in enough light to show that the water is a stunningly clear light blue color. Stalactites hang down from the roof and reach clear into the water. Among the stalactites are, of course, lots of bats. They squeak and occasionally fly out of the hole, but for the most part they just hang there.
Hanging out below the stalactites are a number of Mexican children, primarily girls ranging in age from about 6 to 10 years old. They run around one the slick rocks of the cavern and jump and swim in the water. They are wearing, even while they swim, what appears to be their school uniforms of pleated dresses and collard shirts. Occasionally, they try to sell us a postcard but they are having too much fun to try too hard. They are instantly taken with Jen and actually cheer when they hear that she is going swimming.
When I dive into the water, it is clear and cold. It is much colder than the ocean at Tulum where we last went swimming. It is also deep. I am wearing my snorkel gear and using my diving flashlight but for the most part I can not see the bottom anywhere. My divelight illuminates the exceptionally clear blue water in a solid beam that slowly fades to black when I point it downwards. I swim among the stalactites and can see that they only go down for another three or four feet below the surface of the water.
A couple of years ago, I went scuba diving in some cenotes close to Tulum. We dove in a few passages but I saw (and read some signs) that they contain miles of underwater tunnels. As I snorkel among this cenote, I kind of wish that I had a tank on my back and could explore that mysterious blackness below me. However, just swimming around on the surface lets me admire the water from another perspective. The darkness and the bottom that I cannot see add to the mystery and charm of the cenote.
"Amigo, have you lost something?" a little girl asks me in Spanish when I get out. She is puzzled about my dive light and what I was doing swimming around pointing it at things. Jen swims after me and instead of exploring water, she plays with the girls and lets them try the flashlight.
After visiting another cenote in the area, Jen and I hike the 3km back to the highway and flag down a bus to take us back to Valladolid where we have been staying. Valladolid is a small colonial Mexican town located about half way across the Peninsula. We have been enjoying our modern hotel (the Hotel Zaci) complete with a floor, a bed, a bathroom, and (gasp!) cable tv. We are finally able to wash away the sand that we gathered in Tulum.
And, yes, my hair does feel soft and suave later that afternoon.
