Mexico Day 6
I drove to Zero Gravity and was very pleased to be greeted by Chris who asked whether I had been avoiding him all week. He had just finished a Cave 1 course and was catching up in the office. Fred turned up after wrestling with a flat battery and we set off to Car Wash.
There were two other teams there and we agreed to run the reel to the right of the cave which was a bit of a pain as I am trying to learn the central route – but we have to cope with what we have. I found my way past the sign but the route over the rocks to the line (rather than down to the right) left me a bit baffled and I needed a bit of guidance from Fred. Made it with at least 100 foot of line on the reel though so success 
We set off, past Luke’s Hope cenote and down where the passage narrows down and starts to wind and get more decorative. I have always liked Car Wash and this was as far as I had ever been before. This dive was intended to be short but we had gas to spare so went just past the jump to the Room of Tears before turning back.
We recalculated gas at the 12 metre section of the cavern rather than get out to open water which would add further to the saw tooth profile of the dive and then set off in again for a full dive.
I love this cave. It is an old cave and the formations are yellow in form and rounded where they have been softened by thousands of years of water passing by. The tunnel reminded me of Little River in Florida in places – although the number of decorations reminded you that it was Mexico after all. One of the other teams had jumped off the mailine to the Room of Tears so I placed a non directional marker to indicate the way we had come and kept going.
The passage got progressively tighter and changed depth a lot making an interesting profile until it suddenly changed and widened into a beautiful room – Andrianna’s Room – which is full of thousands of delicate formations almost Grand Cenote like in appearance. Unfortunately, whilst the passage to Angelita’s room is tight – beyond it is tighter still and it was time to head for home.
A turtle on deco added to the dive – once I realised that it wasn’t a crocodile J
I had a small inkling that something challenging may be ahead when Fred said kit up your next set of tanks here and stay in your drysuit as there won’t be anywhere to get ready at the next site. He then asked how I felt about giant strides….and whether I had been to Landenouse in France.
Uh oh.
Welcome to the Temnple of Doom. A tiny cenote in the jungle where one large and two small openings have fallen in to reveal the cave below. The Mexican name for the cenote means Skull but it has become known as the Temple of Doom.
“When you get to the top you have to jump” said Fred. Or I’ll throw you in”
OK – so that’s peer pressure then.
I kitted up and hiked up to the cenote ahead of Fred, it was about 100 yards but the rocks were no where near as bad as No Hoch so it was relatively easy going. I got there and there were two lads sitting sunning themselves by the edge – “wow I bet that’s heavy” they said. “Sure is” I replied.
“Bloody hell – it’s a girl”.
First time someone has noticed that for a while I eyed the cenote and found what I thought was the lowest point of the rim to jump in from and got ready – to have Fred arrive and say no – you want to be over here.
OK – look forward and jump.
This is taking it’s time…
Am I going to land soon…
This is going to hurt….
Arrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh J
That wasn’t that bad. I’m not even going to think about getting out now though.
We set off past the cavern line to the Madonna Passage. It is a truly beautiful cave well below the halocline so white with a blue tint wherever the light catches it. I saw a package which had carbon tablets in it with an email address for those who would like further information about a project based at Bristol university. We turned left at the first T and proceeded through the cave past more limestone so blue white that washing powder adverts would weep. A second T meant that the dive was called at a beautiful bright white stalactite which hung over the cave like a massive icicle.
We headed back to the Cavern line where we recalculated gas and then moved the reel to the second line in the cave, the Canyons. More food for the senses, here there was a narrow passage which was about the size of the gallery in Ginnie but which had a halocline about three meters above the line which shone blue and white. We turned right at the first T on to a white survey line which took us through older parts of the cave where formations and the passages were rounded and delicate straws were hidden off to the sides – each would have been fun to stop and look at for ages but we pressed on.
Suddenly we were at the icicle in ceiling again – the one we had seen at the end of the first dive and the second T of this dive was exactly where we had ended the first. Cave 1 limits preclude circuits and there would be no reel waiting for us at the exit so we had no option but to retrace our steps. No hardship really with all that to look at on the way out.
The way out.
Hmmmmm…..
Well there is a ladder – of sorts. A vertical metal one which has nothing at the top to grab hold of apart from a very shaky looking tree stump. The only good thing about getting out is that you know that you would have enough time to reflect on your error before hitting the water.
Like most things – it wasn’t as bad as it appeared. The heat and the mosquitoes just added to the pleasure I assure you. Cave diving – it’s a damn good job that the caves are worth the hassle of getting got them. But they are – every damn bit of it.
I was sad to say goodbye to Mexico again. I made arrangements to come back next autumn before I left – can’t imagine not having a date in the diary to look forward to really, and I hope to see Fred and Chris before that too. If you are thinking about going – stop thinking and do it.
Oh yes – I did one ocean dive whilst I was here. Saw some fish.
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