Uuh oh, I think the last but one mojito wasn't good...
Anyway, I am here to dive!
Get up at 7, coffee at Ki'Bok, meet Rubi at the dive center, we both were not expecting to dive together one more time, but we are both happy to do so!
Dreamgate is close to Dos Ojos, Tajma Ha is about 30 kilometers from Tulum.
Dreamgate is famous for its relatively young stalaktites and stalagmites, that means only a handful of millions of years, not hundreds...
Therefor extra good buoyancy skills are required, some of these stalaktites are thin as a straw and very, very fragile.
Tajma Ha has been discovered only recently, 2008 I think, was originally named Taj Mahal and then "mayanized" to Tajma Ha, with Ha being the Maya word for water. It is supposed to have spectacular natural light, so I bring two batteries for the camera, hoping to take some good pictures.
Unfortunately, most of them are not sharp, here is what I could salvage.
We start with Dreamgate, an experienced team by now, Rubi gives me a dive site briefing, short this time, because the mosquitos are eating us alive here, we put on wetsuits as soon as possible. The equipment is lowered to the entrance with a rope, the stair is very steep.
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| part of the Sac Ak tun system of Dos Ojos |
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| Rubi is so friendly to get my equipment down with the rope. And really friendly to pull it up again after the dive. Gracias, amigo! |
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| These stairs are tricky |
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| Gear up and enter here |
and dive down into the cavern, with amazing structures, I was most fascinated by a point where stalaktites pierce through an overhead water surface down into the cavern.
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| fragile, very fragile |
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| perfect buoyancy required, no bouncing around... |
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| underwater cave cathedral |
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| Wow |
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| where is up, where is down? |
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| passing the entry point again |
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| very young and fragile stalagmites |
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| we meet only one other group of divers |
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| Maybe this is why it's called Dreamgate... |
Then on to Tajma Ha. We drive back 4 kilometers of bad jungle road
and then north on the 307 towards Puerto de Aventuras
Yesterday in the dive shop Luis whispered something about "Laser-like light effects", let's see...
We arrive on the typical Cenote parking lot, trucks and vans from different dive shops
As with the other Cenotes, this poster gives you an overview of the dive site
the entry point
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| Rubi at the entry point to Tajma Ha |
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| Volker at the entry point to Tajma Ha |
Shortly after descending we witness the breathtaking light effects at Tajma Ha
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| we meet another cave diver...;-) |
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| he swam here from Dos Ojos...;-) |
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| More "Laser Show" |
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| Cannot stare at the daylight all the time. We have some narrow spots to dive |
and another spot for surfacing in the middle of a dive
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| another spot for surfacing |
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| Better respect this |
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| petrifications as in Dos Ojos |
Split shot without dome and wide angle
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| rock formation mirrored in the water surface, seen from below |
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| Passing the Light sabres again |
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| towards the exit point |
Wow. Wow!
I am so glad I took this extra diving day. Tajma Ha is a true highlight to finish the diving on this trip.
I am grateful to have found this spot, we had a bumpy start, Tulum and me, but then it did not take long for me to fall in love with it.
Muchissimas gracias a toda la gente maja de Scuba.Tulum y especialmente a Rubi, guia y compañero de buceo perfecto.
I say good bye to everybody at the shop, get a sixpack of Dos Equis at "Aqui es Guerrero", put it in the fridge at the reception, hang up my equipment for drying and go back to calle Centauro for some guacamole. When it starts raining, I get back to the Art Hotel and start packing my bags for the flight back to Germany.
I have a quiet evening, finish some blogposts, have a beer and a cigarette on the gallery of Art Hotel Tulum every now and then, watching one of the hotel staff working on his painting in the patio.
I don't go out today, just for some Tamales across the street.
Tomorrow on my way to the airport I want to go visit the Maya ruins of Tulum and see the Temple Dios de los vientos (God of the winds)
See you under water
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