Grand Cayman adventure

At this port we had booked a trip to Stingray City with Captain Marvin. The pickup point was right at the port and we checked in with no trouble. We were soon on our way, 25 minutes out to sea to a sandbar in the middle of nowhere. It was nice to be in a small group after the crowds on the cruise ship. We anchored at the sandbar and jumped into the beautiful turquoise water. It was only about four and a half feet deep and we were very quickly surrounded by 20 or so large stingrays. Our guides showed us how to hold them and the ever present photographer captured us kissing one. They were a bit slimy. We then were given squid to feed them. I was the first one to feed them and was swarmed by rays keen for food. This was a bit scary (Steve Irwin anyone?) and I was happy when other people started feeding them and the frenzy abated. It was a slightly uncomfortable experience but it was also amazing and possibly the highlight of the trip. The boys had thought we were going to a tank or pool somewhere to swim with Rays - not the open ocean, so the surprise factor added to the experience. After the Rays we moved to the "coral garden", a snorkelling spot, for half an our or so. It was good snorkelling but it's hard to compete with the Ray experience. We arrived back at the port in time for lunch at the Hard Rock, Flynn's 14th. There was wifi at the restaurant and we pulled out our technology and caught up with the rest of the world for a while.

Mayan Magic

There was a constant drizzle of rain as we docked at Cozumel, our first port. This turned into a downpour as we made our way to the ferry for our cruise excursion to "Rio Secreto" (the secret river). The 45 minute ferry ride to the mainland was a bit rough, and poor Flynn was green and unhappy. Our guide, Angel, divided us up into groups of 10 to board a minibus to the caves. He told us that would receive a "Mayan massage" on the bus and that we did. I have never been on a rougher road, if you could actually call it a road. More of a track really and we bumped, bounced, and tore off bits of roadside greenery as we made our way to the cave site. It was worth the effort. This turned out to be one of the most magical experiences of our trip. After a Mayan blessing ceremony we were kitted out in wetsuits, water shoes and hard hats with lights on them. Our French guide escorted us down into a small cave entrance. For the next hour we clambered, waded and swam though an underground limestone cave system. At one point we turned off our head lamps and sat silently in complete darkness for a few minutes. Sitting in the pitch black surrounded by my boys, listening to them breathe was one of those special moments. At the end of the caves, we exited though "the throat", a deep section of the river where there was just enough room for your head to be above water. Feeling very Indiana Jones, we made our way through this and emerged into the daylight. As with most excursions in Mexico, we were treated to a Mexican lunch, complete with fresh hand made tortillas. We were driven back to Playa deal Carmenand had time for a wander around the shopping area before catching the ferry back to the Port.