Cancún – Day 2: Río Secreto
CANCÚN
Day 2: Río Secreto
August 28, 2022
Though not quite my scene, I’d be spending a week in Cancún, using the city as a base to visit other touristic landmarks. I started off with Río Secreto, or rather, Pool Tunich – an underground river buried beneath an enormous cave system that you can swim through. The ancient Mayans believed that such places were portals to Xibalba – the underworld – and as such, they were considered sacred.
After a long ride with some five Mexican tourists who’d be my companions in this spelunking adventure, we were all dropped off at the cave’s entrance and briefed about the expedition – including the fact that we wouldn’t be able to take photos or film inside the cave (money-making 101). Then we donned our hard hats and headlamps and entered the mouth of the cave. From there on, it was walking on narrow paths, jumping from one rock to another, wading in the river, and swimming to get from one part to the next. It was so, so fun. And so cool!
As incredible as the adventurous part was, much can be said about the cave’s interior and its history – both in terms of geology and archaeology. We were told that the numerous rock formations we could see – including stalactites and stalagmites – were formed over millions of years by water trickling down from the surface and making its way into the depths of the cave. Every single droplet, containing calcium carbonate, would, in time, calcify in an annular arrangement that eventually resulted in these formations.
By simply touching them, we were told, certain oils in our skin would repel the water droplets and effectively end their life cycle – ‘killing’ the entire process of formation – not to mention the risk of breakage from the physical impact. As such, we had to be very careful not to get too close, sometimes having to bend or crouch to avoid them in the tightest of spaces. In hindsight, I have no idea how I managed to get through it without having a panic attack – especially after watching that one video of a spelunker getting stuck in a cave…
The highlight of the tour came at the very end. After swimming through a narrow path, we were all instructed to switch our lights. We found ourselves floating in the water, motionless, suspended in pitch darkness and pure silence – every now and then a single drop breaking the stilness. Truly a spiritual experience – kinda like being in one of those sensory deprivation chambers. Also a bit disconcerting – realising that the cave system was discovered by people thousands of years ago using nothing but a flame torch which could go out at any second. Guess that explains the skeletons huh?
Secreto's Out
After our tour of the cave, we’d get to continue our adventure at the next stop; a cenote in the vicinity of the underground river.
We’d be riding a bike there – something simple were it not for one teeny, tiny problem – one I’m not quite proud to admit… I didn’t know how to ride one. But, before any form of judgement is passed, I never even had one. So I guess my parents were to blame. A few years back, my friend had tried to teach me, but I guess it was kinda too late by then – with my balance (or lack thereof) making it seem like an impossible task. But, faced with this challenge, I talked myself into trying it out… only to fall after a metre or so and make a fool of myself in front of the rest of the group.
And so, accompanied by a sixty-year-old lady, I was dropped off at the cenote on a golf cart of some sorts. I swore to myself I’d learn how to ride one at some point, thinking of all the experiences I’d get to miss out on if I didn’t.
Stay wild,
Marius
Post Scriptum
I swore I would learn how to ride a bike and I made good on my promise. As soon as I arrived back home, I dragged my friend to a park where I practically held him hostage until I could actually ride it. It took some time for me to get the hang of it but now it’s one of my favourite sports!