On January 1, 2014, I awoke in an unexpected place. I was in Chichen Itza, Mexico, a decision I made only a few days before. The new year had been celebrated, 2013 had been swept away. A new start awaited me, but how different would this year really be?
I pondered what to do with my day. Should I re-enter Chichen Itza proper and explore the city again? Or venture out and see what I could find. I asked the hotel staff, could I walk to the nearest town (Piste)? Perhaps, but there is absolutely nothing there to see. Best bet is to walk to the other hotel, pick up a cab to Izamal. More to do there, though a bit of a drive. I gathered my belongings and walked to the other hotel. There the desk clerk spoke to me. I told him I had many hours until the bus returned me to Cancun, I had time to kill. What would he recommend? Izamal is OK, but what about the cenotes? Oh, there are more? And what to do there? Well, you could go swimming. Well that is a nice thought. Not too far, and I could kill an hour or two including the drive. And I'd make it back in time for my bus. He called a cab and within a few minutes Antonio was there to drive me to Dzitnup. Here I would find two cenotes nearby each other, Dzitnup/Xkeken and Samula. I could swim in both, or just one.
Antonio was kind and offered to watch my belongings as I took my bathing suit so I could swim. He'd also wait for me, as it was difficult to find a cab here. Provided I did not overstay my welcome, he'd be quite happy to wait. I assured him it would be quick, as I couldn't imagine swimming too long.
I made my way inside, past the men dressed as Mayans in their leopard skins. Past the shops, to the first cenote, Samula. I had no expectations. No one had sold me on this experience. I would go for a swim, enjoy the experience, kill some time.
I was not prepared for what would actually transpire.
The area was not packed, but I was not alone. I climbed the stairs heading down, and came upon a glorious site.
It was a beautiful vision, with the light piercing the cave from above shining upon the cold water. Others were already swimming, but there was plenty of room for everyone. A nook served as a locker for my belongings, and I prepared to enter.
I dove in among the fish, and swam to the rocky outcrop where others had gathered. There I sat and noticed small fish giving me a pedicure, eating away the dead skin on my feet. I sat there among the groups of friends and family, enjoying this unique experience.
And then it happened. At that moment, I felt something. I did not come to Mexico to have a transformative experience. I did not come to this cenote with visions of a holistic cleansing, and no one I had spoken to promised any such scene. I was just killing time.
2013 had been a trying year for me. Personal relationships, work situations, everything in my life made me experience extreme highs and lows. There was plenty to be thankful for in 2013, but overall the year had not been among the best for me. And it all actually started in 2012, when the joy I had about being in Egypt was snatched from me. As an archaeologist, the opportunity to excavate in Egypt was a dream, and I had the chance to fulfill this dream. But the situations I found myself in the country, and what I had happening back home, squelched the excitement I had going into the journey. As a result, 2013 had me feeling melancholy throughout the year. I felt numb to experiences, lacking the joy I so desperately missed. I was crushed, not knowing how'd I'd ever get that old feeling of adventure and life back.
And with this swim, with this otherwise ordinary dip, 2012/2013 was cleansed from me. I felt it at that exact moment. A smile broke upon my face. A load was removed from my psyche. I felt lighter. I felt relieved. The joy I lost in Egypt came rushing in. What I felt I should have experienced among the deserts came to me here in Mexico. Even now, a month after the experience, the mere act of writing this has those feelings filling me.
I swam about the pool, from corner to corner. I chased the light. I felt weightless.
I had a ticket to swim in the other cenote, so I climbed out. At that moment a busload of Japanese tourists entered the cenote, crowding every last inch. I left just in time.
The cenote Dzitnup was more crowded, though larger.
There was no rocky outcrop here, but the swim was enjoyable albeit not as peaceful. There were more conversations to eavesdrop on. There were birds and bats to watch as they flew about.
The swim here did not last as long as at Samula, but I did not need it to. I had more than I could have ever asked for. I was clean.
The swim took much longer than expected, longer than I had promised Antonio. Fortunately he waited for me and my return to Chichen Itza was assured.
Back at Chichen Itza, a long line had formed to enter. Since I had already been inside, I skipped the line and made for the restaurant.
Maybe it was lack of food, or the experience I had just enjoyed, but that lunch turned out to be the best meal had during my stay. Or maybe it was the special vegetarian dish they made for me. Or the special garlic sauce that accompanied my meal. Or everything mixed together.
I patiently awaited my bus, feeling well fed and happy overall. The return to Cancun was approaching, and I had plenty to be thankful for already.
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| Sadly, monster bus was not my ride home |
Several hours later I was back in Cancun for one final night. I went out for my last meal of this trip.
It was a quiet night, a quiet way to end the day. A day where I expected nothing but achieved so much. A trip just to get away from the snow and cold, I brought back with me a souvenir I could never plan for.
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