"I want to go diving," Richard announced. We'd earned our scuba certification together and knew that nearby Cozumel island hosts world-class reef dives. But the notion of cenote diving captivated us.
Cenotes are caves that shelter the Riviera Maya's fresh water. They were considered holy by Mayans, but were forgotten over the centuries, their entrances overgrown by jungle foliage.
Starting about 15 years ago, the cenotes were rediscovered. I read that the biggest, best cenotes are at Hidden Worlds, a cave complex not far off. Juliana booked us in. We took the Iberostar hotel's free bus to the beach town of Playa del Carmen and climbed aboard a passenger van called a cambio, which barreled south and dropped us at Hidden Worlds.
Co-owner Buddy Quattlebaum informed us we could snorkel through caves that are only partially water-filled, or don tanks and wetsuits to scuba. We chose plan B. The cenote entrance was a hole in the ground in the jungle. A ladder led down to a wooden platform on the lip of a massive underwater cave. We clamped our mouths onto our breathing hoses and jumped into the cenote behind divemaster Buddy.
The majesty of the delicate rock formations and the ethereal blue light glowing on the cave roof almost made us forget there's no way out of a cenote except the way you swam in. The dive was both thrilling and challenging, and an hour passed like minutes. I understood why Buddy, who meditates daily, is so proud of Hidden Worlds. Cenotes are another realm of existence, and you emerge filled with peace.
A Riviera Maya Wedding
Love, honor, and mariachi.Our serenity fix secured, we fell into a pattern. We'd awaken late and laze on our balcony, sipping coffee and reading the Miami Herald's Cancun edition. Then we'd make dinner reservations and head to El Fogon for a peppery lunch. When the Caribbean tradewinds kicked up, we'd relax around our private pool. But we spent most afternoons on the Iberostar hotel beach, kayaking, jumping waves and reading under a palapa, and we'd head to the gym before dinner.
One afternoon on the beach, I thought I heard Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" played by a mariachi band. I wrapped myself in my pareo and followed the music down the beach. Indeed, trellises of white flowers surrounded dressed-up but barefoot guests watching a blissed-out young bride and groom, who murmured their vows before a lady minister wearing a Mayan headdress.
The mariachi band broke into a gleeful Mexican wedding song, and I chatted with a friend of the bride. "Jessica and Dan looked into every catering place in Chicago," reported Nicole. "The Iberostar turned out to be cheaper, and the guests are loving it." Nicole paused, taking in the beauty of of the scene. "I predict that a Mexican wedding at the Iberostar hotel is going to be a trend," she said. I rushed over to describe the sandy nuptials to Richard. He was out cold.
The Iberostar hotel hosts two colorful Mexican weddings per day on opposite ends of the property. Every service I watched was unique. One bride, a Boston redhead, wore a traditional bell-sleeved Mexican wedding dress in hot pink and had hired a flamenco guilarist. A second-time I-doer in slinky black played a recording of Billie Holiday crooning "Lover Man." Another bride's vivid crown of blossoms matched her wedding's exuberant floral decorations.
I talked with an on-staff Mexican wedding consultant. Elizabeth was looking forward to the opening of the Iberostar hotel's wedding chapel, complete with bell tower. "Couples can choose to tie the knot in the wedding chapel, on the beach or in the garden gazebo," she said. Packages (in 2005) start at $1,400 for a religious or civil ceremony. Vows renewals are "unforgettable" at the Iberostar hotel, added Elizabeth.
Iberostar hotel Mexican wedding couples must bring passports, birth certificates and other documents. They need to have been in Mexico for three days and get a blood test at the Iberostar.
I'd braved cenote diving. Now I had another adventure to pursue: renewing our vows at the Iberostar Playa Paraiso on our 6th anniversary. After all, this resort--sumptuous, relaxing, accommodating and delicious--has everything that Richard and I look for in a tropical romantic getaway. But next time, we're going to tie the knot. Again.
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Karen Tina Harrison is a New York City-based travel writer, restaurant reviewer and job-market columnist. She has also authored screenplays and books, including a best-selling children's title. KT and her husband Dr. Richard Schiffer, a marriage counselor, seek out romantic getaways where they can indulge their mutual passions for jazz, spicy food and horse racing. So far, only New Orleans has furnished all three, but KT and Richard don't exactly complain about tropical escapes.
