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Cenoté Dzitnup

Sacred Underground

Many years ago Bill and I flew into Cancun and traveled the Yucatan by car. We stumbled across a shack on the road with a sign that read Cenoté. For a few pesos we were lead down a tunnel to a pool of water. It was completely dark. Stalactites hung from the ceiling; bats flew overhead. We swam in the cool sacred waters. Our guide told us the fish had grown blind as they had not seen light in many centuries.

A beam of light shines from above as we

swim in silence at the sacred Cenoté

One major hole had popped through to the surface land. It provided a spotlight of sunshine down to the pool.

We have always remembered that experience but could never find our way back to that one special spot. On our recent trip to the Yucatan we found the place. It is called Centoté Dzitnup and is a 10 minute drive from Valladolid.

Things change.

There is now a large parking lot with young attendants. A boy approximately 10 years old points to his eye and our vehicle. Justine tries to speak Spanish to him. He replies in broken Spanish that he is Mayan and is not sure about those Spanish words.

The parking lot is surrounded by artisans and tourist nick-naks. Postcards and cotton blouses. Key rings and bamboo flutes.

We pay approximately $2 each and are pointed to the large hole at the side of the rock. Now a wire rope was secured to the wall of the cave's stairwell. Instead of slipping and sliding as we had done 15 years previous, we securely managed to descend into the earth.

It was as beautiful as we remembered and a wonderful experience to share as a family.

The blue waters, still as blue and cold as we remembered. The ancient wall paintings still red and colorful.

 There are now guide ropes to lead you to the water and the central light.

Cenotés are underground pools and rivers formed by water seeping through the earths soft limestone crust. The pools of water were important sources of water supply for Mayans and the ancient cities. Magic. Cenotés were the doors to the underworld. This is the  place that Chac  the Rain God lived.

Soft and slippery rocks inside the Cenoté.

In the tunnels you can see primitive

art and ancient painting.