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Another World

I bounced violently in place, nearly flying off the back of the jeep. The dirt paths of the jungle were little more then areas cleared of underbrush; there were still plenty of potholes and bumps to be found. Swarms of white butterflies dived-bombed us as we made our way to our destination--the caves of Akumal.

I was 13, had recently acquired my scuba diving certification, and was about to tackle one of the most invigorating experiences of my life: cave diving. The idea of being trapped underwater, with no means to the surface except back the way I came was terrifying, but extremely exciting. I could imagine it now--the cave formations rising out of the depths in spikes, the spindly structures formed thousands of years before by slow drips of moisture.

The history of such a place was beyond my reckoning; I couldn't even begin to imagine what, or who, it had seen in its many years of existence. The jeep shuddered to a stop, and I started. The trip had been quicker then I had expected, and my nerves redoubled their efforts to drive me off the brink of sanity.

I shivered slightly, feeling as if electricity was running through my body and depositing more energy then I could possibly use in a fortnight for the next couple of hours. We unloaded our gear, fixing all except our wetsuits (which we had already donned) onto a pulley system, lowering it all into the twilight underground. We, as people, were not so lucky.

Our method of descent was by way of a rickety ladder, so laden with rust and dirt that I doubted it could support the weight of a child, much less a near-adolescent like me, and it was inconceivable that it should hold my father, and the rest of the older divers that had come along. The dive master went first, and after he made it down without any broken bones or falls, I decided it was worth a shot. Right as I began to disembark, my father took it upon himself to grace me with a parting remark.

'Watch out for the snakes.' I shot him a dirty look as I climbed down, sure that there weren't any such things, but checking where I placed my hands and feet, just in case. After we had all made it down in one piece(amazingly, the ladder had done little more then shake slightly, even when laden with the largest of our group), the dive master launched into an explanation of the rules and signs that we would be using. I stared at the crystalline water, mentally taking note of all the new procedures, as well as refreshing my knowledge of the old.

After he was satisfied that we wouldn't do serious injury to ourselves or anyone around us, he told us to buddy up and jump in. My buddy was my dad (of course). We went through the routine checklist, making sure that everything was working, then checking and double-checking each other for anything that might cause a problem underwater.

One thing that you learn quickly while diving is that things are much easier to fix on dry land then under the pressure of who knows how many tons of water. After the checks, we set off, gear on our backs and flashlights in hand. I was amazed at how clear the water was--if I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I was floating in midair.

The cave formations leapt out under the glare of my flashlight, and every time a new one popped into existence, I caught my breath. The water had preserved everything to an extent no park ranger could even come close to, and the formations were much the same now as when they were created. Eventually, the dive master gave us the signal for 'up', and we surfaced. I looked around, and was astounded at the view. We had emerged in another mouth of the cave, this one surrounded by jungle. It was difficult to make out anything other then the color green, and the sounds of the flora and fauna drifted back to us, nearly deafening compared to the near silent quality the underwater realm possesses. It was like another world. On the ride back, the butterflies continued their attack, and I reflected upon how grateful I was to have experienced this foreign wonderland. The trip was wonderful, and I honestly couldn't wait to return.