I realized too late that the kayak in Sian Ka’an people were out of business, so we missed that opportunity, but, after we packed about 90%, we set out for the Grand Cenote, which is very close to here. It was not anywhere near as great as Sac Aktun (which I think is also Dos Ojes) but it was well worth doing. But it made me even more aware that it was great to have Nick as a guide at Sac Aktun. This cenote is large, but has a big platform in the middle with three ladders. There were a lot of people there, but it didn’t take away from the experience too much. (At Sac Aktun, we saw two or three other people.) At Sac Aktun, the beautiful, eerie stuff was above us. I was often wondering why we were snorkeling. At Grand Cenote, the underwater stuff was the most beautiful and eerie and sort of instinctively scary.

It wasn’t nearly as big, but it had about three beautiful cave parts. A lot of the cenotes connect, so divers go down and go cave to cave. I could feel the allure of that but also the very basic fear of setting off into tiny spaces way under water. The divers are mapping the cenotes, one of the last places on earth that is not yet fully mapped. I see the attraction of that, but can’t imagine going into spaces where you don’t know where you’re going. I hope they are like Theseus, with lines to follow back! I’m sure they do do something like that.

We had lunch at the hotel restaurant,

Click on any photo to enlarge.

just nachos and a drink each. Then I had another drink, a piña colada, after I kicked people off the chaises reserved for our cabana.

I kept meaning to walk up and down the beach and this evening for the first time I had time and wasn’t completely exhausted. I wanted to see the ruins from the beach. It really is eerie seeing them, especially with beach volleyball, etc., so close by. I didn’t realize there was anything along that part of the beach, but it is much more plebeian than the other direction, which has yoga hotels and such, some of it a bit precious.

I passed a restaurant pretty much right next door, Playa Esperanza, so we walked down there for dinner. It was so pretty, breezy, string lights in local balls made of basket weave. The food was much more imaginative than our hotel restaurant’s and the mojitos way better.

Flying nun or rabbit????