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Couch Surfin - Playa del Carmen Yucatan Road Trip

Ive been lucky enough to couch surf with a variety of people all over the world, each experience offering an entirely new outlook on a country, city and culture. Playa del Carmen would be no different. A stroke of online fate, which provided incredible memories with an incredible couple. The moment Margarita opened the gate we were greeted with a huge smile! Camilo soon followed, also radiating a welcoming air, and of course Pepa and Madonna greeted us the only way they know howbarking.

Pepa

Madonna

Like old friends reunited, conversation and comfort were immediate, and the few days allotted for Playa del Carmen quickly melted into a week. After only a day exploring the town and enjoying each others company, not to mention baking Margaritas favorite dessert, a deliciously sinful carrot cake, Camilo and Margarita extended a road trip invitation. An adventure into Mexicos Yucatan state in search of cenotes - underground caves, or sinkholes, filled with fresh water. Cenotes hold special interest for Camilo and Margarita because of their jobs. Scuba dive instructors for a handful of cenotes on the Yucatan coast, they are always searching for new, less commercialized, cenotes to explore. The road trip involved three days of, well, a lot of driving. Plagued by cracked roads, detours and dozens of deadly speed bumps, what appeared so close on the map proved painstakingly far. Passing through dozens of quaint villages, each consisted of a quintessential town square, church, smattering of food stalls and of course dozens of locals standing around doing absolutely nothing. Whether sitting on their front porch or in plastic chairs on the street corner, I'm s. A perpetual siesta I suppose. The other element aiding in our adventure, was a road trip classic, food and beer!

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The other element aiding in our adventure, was a road trip classic, food and beer! Snatching up cervezas frio at ever Botteleria along the road, our whistles were always wet and tummies always full. Favorites included the best pork in Mexico, El Buffalo Rojo. Allegedly only found in the small village of Temozn, the pork is slow cooked to perfection boasting a savory, smoky barbeque flavor that Memphis, Texas and STL barbeque joints would be jealous of. Another notable feed, occurred on the Gulf of Mexico coast. A small shack, built on the front porch of the family casa, pumped out savory empanadas, delectable tacos, and crunchy, tostada-style bites for our dining delight. Slathered in hot sauce and served with ice-cold coca cola, 4 pesos (.35 cents) each was a steal of a deal. Add an ever so dramatic Spanish soap opera blaring from the family living room, and you have dinner and a movie. Yumminess. Failing to locate any cenotes on that first day, we decided to break up Day 2 with a trip to the famous Mayan ruin, Uxmal. One of many ruin sites on the Ruta Maya, we chose Uxmal for two reasons. 1. Less touristy then Chichn Itz (or as we call it, Chicken Pizza) 2. Tourist are still allowed to climb the Uxmal ruins. Entry was quite spendy, so we decided against a guide, and instead pursued the tried and true method. I like to call it the, "blend in, big ear tour". Stand just a few feet behind a tour group and receive the same information for free.

After Uxmal, our cenote discovery mission truly began! Following signs and townspeoples consistenlypoor directions, we found our first memorable cenote. Approaching the sinkhole, we expected nothing more then a small, well-like cenote. Boy were we wrong. A massive spiral staircase descended some 30-meters into a colossal, dark cave delighted our gaze! Hustling down the slick, iron steps we were even more excited to findNO TOURISTS! Swim suit, mask, snorkel and finshere we go! Oh, and a flashlight to be safe. The hole in the cavern ceiling let natural light stream in but the cloudy sky muffled much of the waters would be glory. We basically jumped into a semimurky pool of the unknown.

The surface of the water was not the most appetizing at times, layered in floating plants, twigs and sediment but underneath was a true gem. An underworld of discovery blessed by surprisingly good visibility. Flashing our lights deep below, we noticed a handful of other entries into smaller caves along with more fish life then expected. Working our way around the caves perimeter, a sense of vertigo soon set in. Swimming through the otherwise stagnant sediment, created an almost intergalactic, black hole effect. The sensation of if you swam any further you might never return.

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Amped up after our incredible find, our final day on the road, offered three more gems. A complete 180 from the first cenote, this series of underwater caves has been capitalized on by the local townspeople of Cuzama.

Home to maybe a few hundred people, half of the town own a cart, horse and stake in the local railway system. Originally built to transport harvested agave to local markets, the small train track now serves to transport tourist and local enthusiasts alike to three hidden cenotes. Small horses run along side the rusty track, pulling aged wooden carts with corroded metal wheels, along. The ride is impossibly bumpy, the carts lurch to and fro and when another cart is encountered on the track, a game of chicken begins. The loser forced to unhook his horse and lift the cart from the track, allowing the other to pass.

Each of the 3 cenotes visited shared the same bones, but exuded personalities all their own.

Cenote 1
Cenote 1 involved a large entry with slimy, rickety wooden stairs leading into the cavern. Spreading deep into the adjacent hillside, the oblong shaped cenote welcomes visitors with glistening clear waters towards the front but challenges exploration in the rear, due to its darker, more intimidating, waters. Thank goodness for flashlights.

cenote 2
Cenote 2 requires a 90-degree climb down. A creaky, wooden ladder provided the only method of up or down travel into the 3 foot by 3 foot vertical keyhole. Those with claustrophobia or vertigo issues should not attempt. Opening into a perfectly round cave, brilliant rays of light streamed down from a large hole in the rock ceiling, bringing the waters

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streamed down from a large hole in the rock ceiling, bringing the waters to life. Shallow in the middle but falling off into darkness on the perimeter, not even our high powered flashlights could shed light on what existed below.

cenote 3
Cenote 3 utilized yet another aging ladder for descent. Ending on a small, slippery platform the best way to see this cenote, was to jump. Perfectly round with a cathedral ceiling and incredibly deep waters, dives, cannonballs and ridiculously high jumps were all encouraged! At the top of its rock ceiling, a large gap opened to the outside world. A perfect platform for the mac daddy jump. That is, if 20 plus meters (6o feet) doesnt scare you! The road trip was one for the books (or the blogs) but before leaving Playa del Carmen, we had one more priority. Scuba diving through these incredible cenotes with our most gracious couch surfing hosts. Please enjoy my next blog, Cenote Cave Diving, to discover for yourself what lies below!

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If you havent already tried Couch Surfing, nows the time. Get off your butt and start surfing the travelers wave!!

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