What is fun in Tulum, Mexico?

Published by admin | Filed under Travel

Adventure exists all over the world,
especially in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. 
In the summer of 2007, my family and I decided to take a break and
travel to Tulum, a small town on the Mayan Riviera famous for it’s ancient
pyramids and beautiful beaches.  We
stayed in a bungalow on the beach, relaxed, and took in some of the local
activities.  During my vacation in Tulum,
I had many wonderful experiences that changed my opinion of what fun really is.        

    Two activities that I found very
exciting were four-wheeling and snorkeling in a cenote near some Mayan
ruins.  This took place on a scorching
hot afternoon in the middle of July, deep in the verdant jungle of the Yucatan
Peninsula.  Surprisingly, this was actually
only a short drive from our hotel. 
Following a quick lesson from our instructor, Hector, on how to operate
an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), we were on our way into the jungle on a rocky,
dusty trail.  It was the first time I had
operated an ATV all by myself, so, despite the dust, bugs, and exhaust fumes, I
felt free and independent.  After a
challenging ride through the jungle past some ancient ruins, we arrived at the
mid-point of the trail.  From here, we
hiked down a more narrow path, crowded by trees, vines and underbrush - a
little spooky!  At the end of the walking
path, we came to the gigantic cenote, which is a sinkhole filled with
crystal-clear water.  Hector said, “just
dive right in and see how refreshing the water is!?  So, we grabbed our snorkeling gear and
quickly jumped in.  Almost immediately
after my skin touched the sparkling water, I realized Hector’s true definition
of “refreshing? - COLD!  Ignoring the
frigid temperature, I put my face into the “refreshing? water and my eyes were
filled with amazement.  I could see
stalagmites and stalactites, plus all sorts of fish and plants.  It was like a huge aquarium.  We swam all around and explored this
underground cave, and, just when my toes were turning blue, Hector informed us
that it was time to head back.  After
some quick pictures, we hiked back to the ATVs and rode back to the starting
point.  All the way back, I was thinking
about how great the afternoon had been.

    On another day of the vacation, we
went zip-lining, which is gliding high above the jungle floor on a thick
cable.  The rider is strapped into a
harness which connects to a pulley that rolls along a cable stretched between
two high platforms.  It was an
exhilarating experience, especially since I am afraid of heights!  This adventure began with an early morning
ride into the jungle, followed by a bike ride to the first platform.  A new guide, not Hector, gave us helmets and
harnesses.  She also explained how to use
a crooked tree branch as a brake if we wanted to slow down while on the
cable.   When it was my turn, I hooked my
harness to the cable and grabbed my brake stick.  My knees trembled and my heart pumped fast.  I was so scared, I forgot to unhook my safety
clip from the tower rail.  The guide
unhooked me and said, “push!?  I could
hear my dad cheering me on.  
Reluctantly, I pushed off with my feet and began my first glide.  When I looked around, I could hardly believe
my eyes.  I was flying high above the
tall trees and rocky terrain, and the dense jungle stretched as far as I could
see.  It was so exciting, I forgot all
about being scared of heights.  Before
long, I arrived at the end, and, using my tree branch to slow me down, made a near-perfect
landing on the second platform.  After
that first ride, I couldn’t wait to experience the remaining zip-lines.  When we were done, we swam in another cenote
- BONUS!  After enjoying a lunch in the
jungle prepared by native Mayans, we traveled back to the hotel and rested in
hammocks on the beach, a perfect end to a perfect day.

    Being a person who adores animals of
all sorts, I especially enjoyed my final adventure in Tulum, swimming with
dolphins!  This event occurred at an
outdoor aquarium, where I was part of a tour group.  Most, including myself, had never touched a
dolphin, so we prepared to get to know them. 
While waiting near the water, I saw two slick dorsal fins pierce the
surface of the water, creating silent ripples that followed two gray shapes in
the water.  The dolphins, Lula and Jack,
soon swam up and I quickly fell in love. 
They were so adorable, with gleaming eyes and gentle faces.  All I could think about was the fun
ahead.  When it was my turn in line,
Jack, a white-tipped dolphin, stretched out his flippers and gave me a big
hug.  Then, he gave me a big wet kiss
right on the lips!  Next, the guide told
me to swim out into the open water and wait there with my arms spread out.  Quickly, the two dolphins appeared on each
side of me, waiting for me to grab their dorsal fins.  I grasped their fins and they swam forward,
pulling me through the water.  After the
ride, I was tingling with excitement, knowing the best was yet to come.  I again swam out into open water and waited,
this time with my arms and legs spread out. 
I stiffened my legs and soon felt the dolphins begin to push me with
their snouts, faster and faster. 
Suddenly, I rose up out of the water, gliding along, propelled by two
dolphin engines under my feet! It was a fantastic feeling.

The Mayan Riviera is a beautiful
place to visit and it also a great place to pursue new adventures such as
four-wheeling, snorkeling in cenotes, zip-lining and even swimming with real
dolphins.  I feel very lucky to have
experienced these activities while there on vacation.  Such activities are not part of my every-day
events , are very were more exciting and special than the things I normally
consider to be fun.  One could even say
that getting to participate in these activities changed my idea of what fun
really is.

    More information regarding Mayan Riviera Family Vacations can
be found at  Mayan
Riviera Family Vacations.com

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Tags: ancient pyramids, ancient ruins, crystal clear water, dusty trail, exhaust fumes, frigid temperature, hot afternoon, mayan riviera, mayan ruins, mid point, narrow path, refreshing water, sinkhole, snorkeling gear, sparkling water, swimming with dolphins, true definition, tulum mexico, verdant jungle, yucatan peninsula

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