Once I’m hooked on, I simply sit down, turning my harness into a makeshift seat, and before I know it I’m flying through the forest. There is no sign of wildlife in the water and I land at the other side quite safely, almost wishing that I had in fact seen a crocodile.

The next activity, albeit one that made my heart race with excitement, fear and uncertainty, is one of the most stimulating and thrilling travel experiences I’ve ever had. Walking only a bit farther into the forest brings us to a railed hole in the ground, where another group of tourists peer downwards. Hesitantly, I walk over and have a peek at what awaits me. Wooden decks line a big opening in the ground, and all I can see are various figures hanging on ropes, seemingly suspended in mid-air. Below them, clear blue water twinkles in the sunlight sneaking in through two holes in the roof of the cave.

The double shafts of light pierce the water in such a way that they bring to mind eyes of a jaguar, and the cenote that lies within is appropriately called Jaguar Cenote.  At the bottom of a huge cave, the cenote, or sinkhole, is filled with twenty feet of rain water that has been filtered through limestone over thousands of years.

We’re still strapped into our harnesses and to rappel down into the cenote, we only need to be hooked up to a single thick rope. Patricia demonstrates how to hang on to the rope and let it move slowly through the hook. This simple action lowers you down the 13 meter drop to the water. It looks difficult, but once I’m sitting in my harness, gripping the rope, it’s quite straightforward. I keep my hand tucked under my bottom and let the rope out very slowly. It’s much easier than I thought, and the scenery is so impressive that I forget to be scared. 
Waiting at the bottom are two villagers from Pac Chen. They hold an inner tube that I sink into gratefully, and after I’m unhooked, I paddle slowly around the cenote. The water is somewhere between icy cold and refreshingly cold and I liberally splash my hot skin. I watch bats flying at the top of the cave, and small catfish swimming around my feet. Going up is even easier; I’m hooked on to the rope again, but this time, four men at the top work to pull me up. 

After a canoe ride on a lake near the village, we’re served a fresh, tasty, home-cooked Mayan lunch, cooked by three women from Pac Chen. A perfect end to a perfect adventure. 

Garrafon

Only a 30 minute boat ride from Cancun sits Isla Mujeres (Isle of Women). Even more spectacular turquoise waters greet you on the speedy trip over; the Caribbean’s clear waters dance and sparkle, and depending on its depth, the color of the water can be anything from dark green to the lightest of blues. The only thing better than looking at the water is actually being in it, and one of the best places to do this is Garrafon.

The nature park of the island, Garrafon offers so many exciting activities that an entire day here is necessary. First on our agenda is a walking tour of the park. Huge squawking parrots sit on tree branches, happy to pose for photos. Iguanas of all sizes dart across the paths and conceal themselves in the myriad of labeled plants and flowers. The paths eventually lead upwards to Punta Sur, the southern point of the island, where modern sculptures adorn the rocky, cactus covered ground. A stone temple dedicated to Ixchel, goddess of fertility, overlooks the sea.

One of Garrafon’s biggest attractions is snorkeling. The MesoAmerican Reef System, second only to the Great Barrier Reef, runs alongside Isla Mujeres and is part of a protected National Park. Snorkeling here guarantees repeated sightings of tropical fish. All snorkelers must wear lifejackets and stay out of the roped off areas, to ensure that the reef won’t be harmed. Simply touching the coral can prove extremely hazardous to its health.

Make sure you bring an underwater camera to Garrafon - there’s so much colorful life under the water that I used almost an entire roll. Schools of bright blue fish dart amongst the coral and a huge grouper swims right below me. I almost swam directly into a huge barracuda, its silver scales flashing in the sun’s rays. Angelfish, clown fish and brightly colored coral sway gently with the sea’s current..

Once I was sufficiently water logged, I decided it was time to try one of Garrafon’s land activities - the zip line. I get strapped into another harness and climb a small wooden tower. The first cable runs from here, over the edge of the island to another tower, where someone waits to catch you. It’s a quick and exhilarating ride.

The second zip line goes from the edge of the island to a wooden tower located in the water. It’s like flying over the Caribbean. I don’t know where to look – the panorama of the sea and Cancun in the distance is equally as wondrous as the clear water and sea life below me. Waiting on that tower for my last ride to the shore, I’m amazed at how many fish I can see from my place atop the tower. Although I’m at least 20 feet up, I can still see individual fish and even identify their color. I could have stayed there all day!

But there was much more to do. It was time to descend below the sea again, but in a way I had never experienced before. Sea Trek is unique way to explore the bottom of the sea without the need for scuba equipment or certification. And it’s easy; you climb down a ladder until you’re covered with water up to your shoulders. Then a helmet (think astronaut) is placed on your head. Pumped full of air from the surface, the helmet allows you to breathe while taking a walk around a section of the sea floor.

Although I’d been scuba diving many times, I wasn’t prepared for the excitement of being able to breathe underwater unencumbered by heavy tanks.  It’s such a wonderful sensation that I laughed out loud, which would have been impossible if I’d had a regulator in my mouth.

We climb down the ladder and stand on the sandy bottom, where the guide points out steel railings. Since the helmets are quite heavy and the currents on the sea floor can be strong, we have to walk slowly while continually hanging on to the railing. Even so, I can feel my body swaying with the undertow.

Once we get our bearings, the guide brings a water bottle out of his wet suit and opens it in front of our faces. Instantly, what seems like thousands of colorful tropical fish fill the water around us. Fish is all I can see. They swarm around us, bumping into my arms and legs and I’m able to reach out and touch them with my bare hands. I feel like a child who had been magically transported into Finding Nemo. Afterwards, we’re told that the bottle contains fish food.

As we stroll along, the guide stops and passes us various sea creatures to hold. The first is an exquisite fan coral, the second a fiery red sea cucumber soft as velvet. The third – a spiky sea urchin that I’m slightly hesitant to touch. When he places it in my hand, I cringe, but find that the spikes aren’t sharp at all. They slowly respond to the shape of my hand and move inward, like a suction cup, until I can turn my hand over without the urchin detaching. I can’t tell you how much I didn’t want to climb the ladder back to the real world.

Aquaworld

Located in the Hotel Zone, Aquaworld is the base for Cancun’s water activities and major day trips. They offer everything from boat rides and diving trips to fishing and snorkeling. We tried the Jungle Tour – a ride on wave runners through mangrove lined lagoons. Bumping over the gentle waves at high speeds was exhilarating, and the scenery couldn’t have been more spectacular. 

La Distileria

What better place to eat dinner than at a tequila distillery. With a boisterous atmosphere and every table packed, laughter flows freely. But forget everything you know about how to drink tequila. Here, they’ll teach you the true Mexican way to savor the drink. There’ll be no downing shots of the fiery liquid followed by lime and salt. At La Distileria, they serve tequila in small cactus shaped shot glasses – and the tequila is sipped slowly. 
All glasses of tequila are served with Sangrita. Made from fruit juice, tomato juice, Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco Sauce and Grenadine, a sip of Sangrita follows a sip of tequila . If straight tequila is too much for you, try the strawberry Margarita. It might just be the best one you ever have. But there’s more to dinner than tequila…….the tortillas are delicious and come with a variety of sauced meats and vegetables, including cactus. 

The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:

• Islands ~ From The Caribbean To The Mediterranean
• Western Canada Part One ~ Walk With Dinosaurs
• Western Canada Part Two ~ More Adventures In Western Canada
• Istanbul ~ History Comes to Life
• Teaching English In Turkey ~ Falling In Love With Turkey
• Charmed, I’m Sure! ~ In Morocco 
• The Country Of Eternal Spring - Guatemala
• Pure Life ~Traveling Through Costa Rica
• I Dream Of The Sea ~ Diving In Roatan
• Britain ~Beyond London
• Scotland ~Castles, Monsters and Fairy Whispers
• Luck Of The Irish ~ The Emerald Isle
• Island Hopping In Greece ~ Mediterranean Summer
• When In Rome…..Eat Ice Cream ~ Italian Adventures