After breakfast we joined the Americans, Eve and Servern, for a day at the Cenotes.
A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. They are hundreds all over the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, and definitely a must-see when visiting the area.

Some cenotes are open, like a pool, while others are under ground and require you to climb down below the surface and into a cave to explore then.

We first visited an open cenote called Verde Lucero. After climbing down a whole bunch of stairs, we found ourselves in a pool with trees and exploded roots all around us, staring up at the blue sky. The few other people left and it was just the four of us swimming around the fresh water, taking in the beautiful sight. There was a zip line into the cenote and the guys were quick to give it a go. I realized that I am not very good with things like that. I get really nervous and tend to think that I will be the one in a hundred that will slip and fall. Eve was a little nervous too but gave it a go. I, finally, managed to pluck up the courage to go - what fun! We all had a few more turns before packing up our things and heading off to the next one.

We stopped at Boca del Puma next. Here there were two cenotes - an open one and a closed one. We were told that due to the storm the previous week, the level of the water had risen so much in the cenote that we would be unable to enter the closed centote. As there were so many cenotes to chose from, we just moved on to the next one down the road - Siete Bocas (7 mouths)

After handing over our money we were given a quick tour around and were told to take a lifejacket. The cenotes at Siete Bocas are underground and only the holes can be seen from ground level. One of the holes was large enough to jump into but the others were smaller and either had some wooden steps into the water to enter, or no way to enter and they just shone some light into the cave below. After pointing to the various holes, the guy wandered off and we were left to our own devices.

We put on our life jackets and headed to Bocas Number 1. After climbing down some dingy wooden steps we found a small platform and then... darkness. We all were very uncertain of launching ourselves into the unknown. I remembered I had packed Kevin's headlamp so I quickly went and got it. With a bit more light we were able to see the pool of water and a sort of entrance into another cave. Kevin went first, with me clinging to the straps on his life jacket. The water was colder than we were expecting and as swam along (me doggy paddling, holding onto Kevin for dear life) we saw... bats. As it happens, bats don't like light being shone on them and these little b*****s decided it would be a good idea to fly towards us. The girls shrieked and I clung to Kevin even tighter... poor guy! A little wooden platform came into view and we all hopped on it with our feet still covered in water. The bats settled down and we looked around. Above us, we could see the sky - Bocca Number 2. There were no wooden steps to enter or exit, rather just a place for light to enter. There was a tree growing to the side and the long roots were exposed and reaching for the water.

The problem with the light entering is that it makes it even darker in the cave. So much so that we couldn't work out where to go next. We sort of made out another cave ahead of us but the arch to enter was low and the water was high so it would require ducking under and swimming under water to enter it. We were really quite stumped on where else to go, but were certain that there were inter-leading caves from where we were.

Kevin offered to go ahead and see how far the next cave was. There was a faint light ahead so he figured there must be another hole letting sunlight in somewhere, but just where exactly was the question.

He left the head torch with us as it wasn't waterproof and took a dive under the water. Within seconds he was back - it was dark and it wasn't sure he could make it. He then took a couple deep breaths and headed under again. We all stood shivering on the platform waiting for him.

I figured that Kevin would have ducked under and into the next cave and then shouted to us to follow. We waited.... and waited.... and waited. How long can Kevin hold his breathe. No call. No turning back. Where was he?

The panic started to rise and I started to cry. All I could think of was that no one can hold their breathe that long. Silence filled the cave and then I started to freak out.

Kindly Severn asked me if he wanted me to go try find him. I said I wasn't sure. I took off my life jacket and told the couple I needed to get help. I was about to start scaling the roots of the tree to climb up and out of the hole when I heard Kevin's voice - "I'm ok!" Praise The Lord!

"Where are you?" we all shouted. A splash from the cave we had started at, quick swimming, and soon Kevin was on the wooden platform with us. He came as quick as he could - he knew I would be panicked. He held me and explained what had happened...

The swim was further than he had expected. He wasn't sure if he could make it but had got to a point where he was too far and wouldn't have managed to turn around and get back. He pushed on. Finally he made it to another cave with a hole - another Bocca, with a platform and stairs. He climbed out quickly, looked around and realized he was a far way down from the Bocca 1 where we had all entered. He ran across to us as quickly as he could and then shouted out.

The risen water level had made what should have been an easy head-above-water swim into something a lot harder and more dangerous. I was aware how little safety there was in this place. I doubt the guy who showed us around had tested each cenote to check the water height.

Honestly, I have never been as terrified as I felt in that moment. I haven't really thought the whole thing through so I just figured it would be a few seconds and Kevin would tell us where to go. I think that's what we all thought. I felt completely helpless and alone as I stood in silence waiting in the cave. I prayed for Kevin to be ok but couldn't for the life of me work out how it could be possible... too much time had passed! I type this with tears streaming down my face. I haven't been so close to losing Kevin - or feeling like I had lost him. Horrible and terrifying. I am so very thankful he was ok!

Together again, we headed back the way we came. On the surface we wondered around and found the one cenote that you could jump into. The cenote was super deep and everyone had fun jumping into the water. I was the last one to jump - my feet just didn't want to leave the ground. I think my nerves were shot after the zip line, cold water, bats and almost losing Kevin.

We sat in the sunshine to warm up a bit and another lady visiting the cenotes came over and spoke to us. She asked if we had explored the cave with the stalactites. We explained about Kevin's "swim" and how we had decided that no one in the group would be putting their head under water any time soon!!! She explained that if we return to the place with the little wooden platform and from there go left into the darkness we would enter another cave. She assured us that our heads would be above the water the whole time! Again we braved the bats and then we followed her instructions - we swam towards the complete darkness and what looked like the wall of a cave. In front of us appeared a beautiful cave full of stalactites - a sight to behold. The light was streaming in through a hole at the corner of the cave and we were amazed that we really were deep underground - quite an experience. We returned the way we came and decided to call it a day.

On the way home we stopped at the grocery store and bought a whole bunch of food for a late lunch. We sat outside on the balcony, watching the ocean and enjoying our Mexican feast. The air was so lovely and warm that we sat outside well into the evening before making our way to bed.