[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_facebook css_animation=”bounceInDown”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_tweetmeme share_via=”@BornAgainWriter” share_recommend=”@BornAgainWriter” share_hashtag=”#Mexico, #MexicoTravel, #PlayaDelCarment, #RioSecreto” css_animation=”bounceInUp”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Can my plus size fit through Rio Secreto, the underground caves with a secret Mayan river? This question plagued me before I set out for my latest cruise on the DCL Fantasy. I had poured through Trip Advisor. Reviews ranged from suggestions that tall adults shouldn’t even attempt to enter, to if you can bend, you’re fine. I was still worried that I would not fit the wetsuit or would get stuck in the caves.

Rio Secreto is an ecotourism destination outside Playa Del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera (about an hour south of Cancun, Mexico). We arrived in Playa Del Carmen via ferry from Cozumel, then took a Rio Secreto shuttle to a facility at the main destination. The Mexican-owned company aims to protect the natural jungle around it.

This means that the road to reach the staging facility isn’t paved. It’s bumpy, but not unlike some of our country back roads. The trip is jokingly called a “Mayan massage.” Drivers are pretty good at avoiding the big holes. Paving the road interferes with movement of the animals (like the family of monkeys we saw crossing the street) and with the absorption of rain by the ground. The dirt path to the cave entrance is likewise rough but not too difficult. At present, this excursion relies on tourists to have independent mobility and solid balance without limiting joint issues.

The cave system holds a pristine freshwater river that runs for approximately eight miles. Landowner Don Cleofás Pool found the river 12 years ago when he was hunting an iguana. He chased the lizard into a hole in the ground and discovered the submerged water system.

Underground rivers sustained the ancient Mayan culture, both as a water source and as a vital part of their religion. The Mayans rose in the northern reaches of what is now Guatemala about 600 BCE. They migrated the Yucatan Peninsula beginning around 700 CE. Their engineering and expansionist civilization reached incredible peaks on the South American continent by the 6th century AD. Mayans are famous for building stepped square pyramids, not unlike those of ancient Egypt. I’ll leave you to decide whether or not aliens taught Mayans and Egyptians how to build these pyramids.

Caves, too, played a part in Mayan culture, perhaps as portals to the underworld. Archaeologists exploring underground rivers (such as the cave of the Crystal Maiden) have found abundant evidence of Mayan ritual objects, burials, and possible sacrifices well beyond the reach of sunlight on the bed of underground rivers.

Why would Mayans brave the cavernous home of gods such as Chaahk, the terrible rain god whose torrential waters caused devastation while simultaneously providing a necessary resource? Was the underground river seen as the way to convey a Mayan soul to the underworld, or to commune with the gods?

Beginning in the 8th century AD, the civilization began to decline although no one knows for sure why. Unexpected climate shift caused a drought. In the absence of rainfall, the people would have to turn to the underground rivers as a water source. A disappearance of underground water systems like the Rio Secreto may have made a significant impact. If these rivers all but dried up, there would be nothing to sustain the vast Mayan civilization.

Because of this connection between the people and the land, our Rio Secreto guide, Vero, invited us to participate in a ritual with a Mayan priest in which we asked permission of the Mayan gods to enter their cave after we were suited up. Rio Secreto provides everything you need for your tour, including a locker and lock, an outdoor shower to remove body oils and chemicals that would otherwise harm the ecosystem of the river, life vest, and a walking stick to help with balance.

I can’t recommend the walking stick enough! I have hips the size of Texas and am overweight but I fit into a men’s XXL wetsuit. I don’t think there are larger sizes. The neoprene suits aren’t mandatory. They insulate against the cool water, keep skin protected, and lack pockets for anyone who wants to (inappropriately!) take a piece of the cavern home with them. Life vests up to a XXL size, and fit me snugly once zipped up.

The first step was successful. I fit into the gear! But would I fit into through the cavern? Vero assured me that I’d have no problem, but I had my reservations.

Standing in my wetsuit, life vest, and bright blue hard-hat during the ceremony felt out of sync with the somnolence of the Mayan priest’s ritual. However, I’m truly pleased that the ceremony was part of the tour. Too often people can’t see how we are part of the world around us. Plus, it’s a way to respect Mayan cultural heritage.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1542047678597-7691309e-01a5-0″ include=”2450,2446,2448″ css=”.vc_custom_1542042497217{padding-top: 25px !important;padding-bottom: 25px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Despite being plus-sized, I enjoy clambering on things, so I didn’t find it too difficult to get to the cave, or make my way around. The entrance to the cave is completely natural, made of rocks and roots for hand-holds. Vero, our lovely guide, provided supervision and assistance for safety as the ground is slippery and rough.

Sunlight is of little help for either warmth or light here, where the underground portion of the tour began. The twilight of the cavern immediately swept me into a world of foreign landscapes and mysteries hiding in shadow.

My worry about my ability to complete the tour gave way to awe and wonderment as I crouched through one of two places where I had to watch my head and began my journey through this amazing underworld. Body size was never a problem.

Hollow stalactites hang from the ceiling like sharp citadels while under the water solid stalagmites rise, a gift from the accumulations above. The formations are caused by caused by calcium that is extracted from the limestone above when water seeps through the bedrock. Except for an area where there is more clay in the riverbed, the water is so clear, you can see grains of mineral deposits on the bottom. Sometimes it was hard to see the rock formations in the rippling water using only the light from my helmet.

I was grateful for the water shoes provided by Rio Secreto! There’s a risk for twisted ankles, and slow-going is the best bet. Little fish darted out of our way as we pushed deeper. Bats lived on the ceiling and their habitats provided food for the blind fish in the water as there is no vegetation in the cave system unless roots break through the roof. We didn’t see any bats though!

Mother Nature shaped this exotic world over millions of years. We had to be careful not to disturb her artistry in a mere heartbeat of time. The oils and chemicals on skin push away the minerals that float in water so if we touched a stalactite or stalagmite formation, we’d essentially stop it’s “growth.” All the more reason to use a walking stick for balance![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1542047678603-41d93251-7097-9″ include=”2455,2456″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Vero guided us through caverns with shallow pools (and one deeper part) until we reached a portion of the river where we had to “swim.” There, we part-floated, part-swam along the river until we reached a spot where even my 6 foot 2 inch husband couldn’t touch the bottom. Vero asked us to turn off our headlamps. Torran’s glow-in-the-dark hearing aids made us giggle in the pitch black, at first. Then we simply existed in the darkness with the essence of the Mayan gods and the trickle of water along the cavern surfaces.

What an experience![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1542047678609-d02097a4-8d11-4″ include=”2459,2460″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]And I fit!

This is definitely an excursion I recommend and would visit again. As you can see by the redness in my cheeks, I exerted myself, but not excessively. Vero was an absolute joy who kept a good eye on everyone in her tour “familia” and she is well informed. Afterwards, we shared a toast with xtabentun (an anis and honey liqueur) and a delicious all-you-care-to-eat buffet lunch with traditional Mexican foods.

Personal photography isn’t allowed for safety reasons but a photographer goes with the tour group. I now appreciate why! I needed my hands for the walking stick and balance. When in the water, a chest mount for a Go-Pro would lie beneath the water’s surface (if it fit around my life vest). Given the light on the helmet, a head-mount wouldn’t work.

Also, the company doesn’t want anything to be left behind in the caves except breath. Tourists must also remove jewelry and loose items. I had a strap for my glasses, and my finger is too fat to remove my wedding ring, so it was OK to leave those on (Mayan sacrifices are not part of the tour…yet). Vero had a waterproof pouch for ventolin inhalers if anyone with asthma needed to bring their medication.

Some people have complained about the price of the photos but we found them to be comparable with most other tourist places, by and large. We purchased the “big” photo package of $150 USD which included 40 photos of us and our group plus 50 of the company’s stock photos of the cave system and jungle wildlife on a souvenir USB. They did show us the photos on the stick before we bought them, so we knew we were taking our photos home. The big package also included our choice among select souvenirs, so we picked three t-shirts and two bottles of xtabentun (750 mL) – which I can’t remember how to pronounce but OMG it’s tasty! Individual photos were $25 US, I believe.

The Rio Secreto team did a fantastic job with moving us through the excursion. Given the uniqueness of this nature reserve and experience, the cost of the trip was well worth it!

Playa Del Carmen is a typical shopping port with both local and big-name American/International shops (including an Apple store, Harley Davidson, the Gap, and the American fave: Starbucks). We were going to hang out on the beach while we waited the 1.5 hours until our Winjet ferry back to the Disney Fantasy moored in Cozumel (if you get seasick easily, this ferry is not for you), but we opted to hang out instead. Torran played in a playground while we appreciated the shade!

At no point did I feel out of place as a plus-sized ecotourist at the Rio Secreto and I’m thrilled to have visited this site![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]