Swimming in Cenotes

Our last day in Valladolid we decided to explore the cenotes in the area. A cenote is a place where the limetone has collapsed allowing water from underground aquifers or springs to come up. They are usually very clear and swimmable. Mexico has many of these, although Belize has a very few and I have also seen one in the Bahamas (odd, since those are islands).
First we visited Cenote Zaci, right in the heart of Valladolid. It was quite open, as far as these go; usually they are way down in the ground. The openness, allowing light in, meant it wasn't as clear as some, but still lovely.

Here is a pic of Phil sitting on a large tree branch that hung over the cenote. Too high for me!! yikes!

After we left there, we walked back to the square and through the park

Then we hopped in the car and headed out to Dzitnup where two famous cenotes are located. The two are right across the street from one another, but you have to pay for each one separately. It is set up nicely with bathrooms small food vendors. We first went into cenote X'keken which turned out to be our favourite one

The water was clear and refreshing and there were a few people swimming. We swam too!

After that we walked across the street to cenote Samula. It had more tree roots and stalagtites, but for some reason we like the first one better

There are thick ropes strung across in the water occasionally to give you something to stand on if you get tired. I thought it was a good idea. Near the sides of both cenotes it was shallow enough to stand on the limestone. There were fishes in both cenotes--tiny ones in the first one and bigger ones in the second. They were eating the dead skin cells off my legs and it felt funny! But a lot of people pay good money for skin treatments that accomplished the same thing. After a fresh coco frio (fresh green coconut juice) we headed back to town.
That evening we just walked around the square. Phil succeeded in buying some pants that actually fit him at a small fashion clothing store for guys. It is hard to buy clothes for him in the US because the clothes are made for large people, so he loves to shop in Central America and Mexico. Near the square they were having a pageant to chose La Reina Etnia 2013, which loosely traslates as "Ethnic Queen". In this case, the contestants were women dressed in traditional Yucatec Maya dresses and demonstrating their knowledge of folklore and dancing. The contestants told all about themselves and their families in both Spanish and Yucatec Maya, and then sang, danced or demonstrated some folkloric knowledge.

It was interesting to me to hear the Yucatec Maya spoken because I am more used to hearing Kek'chi Maya, which is widely spoken in our part of Belize (along with Mopan). Yucatec is a bit softer, with less !clicking! and more "shooshing" sounds.
Thus ends our last day in Valladolid!