Richards Birthday

This is typical of many of the rural houses that we saw while driving to Tulum...

This car was parked opposite the Restaurant we went for dinner...

Richards Birthday 16 May 2015

We were up early and off to Dos Ojos Scuba. 

Richard's wish for his birthday was to dive Cenotes.  

Cenote is a Mayan Term, which refer any cavern with a water deposit.  These are inland, underground cave systems, with the six biggest in the world all located in Tulum.  Since the caves were formed in the last ice ages, inhibitants in that period (prehistoric, including human) settled in the caves in search of the single drinking water source.  Most of them, including mammoths, sloths, horses, camels amongst others, did not manage to get out and their remains stay there as proof.  Four human skeletons more than 10 thousand years old have been found.

These caves were dry in the last ice age, rain was filtered and it dragged minerals along forming stalactites, stalagmites and colums.

The first dive at “The Pit” an amazing 123 ft deep, with contracting scuba bubbles and divers against light backdrop – an incredible place...

  

The second dive was “Dreamgate” at Cenote Profunda, a very remote place down a long rough road.  Only two sets of divers.  A double pronged dive along 20 ft bottom with millions of staligtites and mites on the bottom and ceiling.  Very unique place in pitch blackness.

We then headed back to Our Rose, doing some major provisioning along the way...

We headed to Punta Allen, we were the only boat there.  

We went ashore and chatted with the locals.

Leaving Punta Allen we overnighted to San Pedro Belize, a rolly night, we had to slow Our Rose down, as we were going to arrive too early to have the right light to navigate the reef system at the entrance to San Pedro.