Five hour expedition to the cave of the
mastodon. From Tulum we drive north along highway 307 to Chemuyil, turning left just before reaching this growing settlement for hotel employees, following a relatively even dirt road cut straight through the jungle.
After several kilometers, the dirt road deteriorates into a roughly hewn track, then simply ends. Time to gear up: hooded 2mm vest underneath a 7mm neoprene wetsuit, topped with about 50kg of cave diving equipment and camcorder. Then off we march into the jungle.
It's about 30°C in the shade and by the time I reach the cenote I'm steaming hot and really really happy to splash into the refreshingly cool 25°C water.
Tux Kupaxa, explored by my former boss Gunnar Wagner from Aktun dive center and Xibalba's owner Robert Schmittner is one of the most beautiful caves I've ever had the chance to dive.
Like most cave systems here, this one too seems endless, with countless passages branching off to who knows where. What makes this one special, beside the discovery several years ago of prehistoric mastodon bones of National Geographic fame, are the wonderful decorations everywhere you look.
Unfortunately the nicest bones have been removed, for archeological
study, leaving only a few of the smaller ones, which you'll only see if you really know what you're looking for.
[ entrance fee: 100 Pesos ]
