Cancun Trip 2010 Day 4 (November 9th, 2010): Welcome to the Cave of Wonders

When Jenn and I booked our trip to Cancun the main goal was to go and relax. However we both knew that if we were making the trip to Cancun we might want to venture outside of the hotel walls and go on some sort of adventure. So we both made a point to check out what sort of activities we could do while in Cancun and decided on our second day of the trip to go to the Xplor park for it’s selection of activities including zip lining something we both have always wanted to do. Xplor is located around two hours outside of Cancun in the city of Quintana Roo.

We ended up waking up at around 5:30 in the morning to get ready for our 7am bus ride to the park. We woke up ordered room service; we both got eggs and bacon, and got ready for our big adventure. The bus arrived on time and we drove around 45 minutes to a bus stop right outside of Cancun where we told to switch buses to go to Xplor. While we were getting off the bus we realized we left our hotel towels in the Hotel lobby and ended up having to buy towels for our trip, lucky for us the bus stop was also a tourist trap that sold everything you would possibly need for a trip to Xplor. We hoped on the second bus and made our way to the Xplor Park.

On the Bus Ride to Xplor

As we arrived to Xplor we were immediately taken to check in, get a key for a locker, given helmets and basic safety tips for the park, and were ready to go on our adventure. The first activity Jenn and I dived into was zip lining. Xplor has two different courses with a total of 13 lines. We jumped on the first course, made it up to the first platform and within about 3 seconds of reaching the platform Jenn was off on her first line. I have to say zip lining was actually more fun then we both anticipated.

Walking Into the Xplor Park

Ready To Go Zip Lining!!

Jenn Off On Another Line

There She Goes!!

With each line they through something different at you, and kept the excitement level way up. There were three lines that had you doing complete water landings, two of which you zip lined through waterfalls. You also had one line where it went over cages of live Jaguars and Crocodiles, and finally one that you take a waterslide down to and hit your next line. We ran through both courses (beat the rush) within two hours and were pumped for the rest of the day. Luckily there was still a ton more to do.

Trying to Avoid the Water

Making a Splash!

Look at Jenn Go!

The next thing we decided to do was go off-roading on the first of two 3-mile tracks that Xplor has. Having gone off-roading once before in Alaska on a cruise we took with my family a few years back we were totally pumped to do it again. Jenn asked me to do the first track and I of course was 100% fine with that. We walked up to the starting line, jumped in a buggy, and were off. I was pumped so I just floored it around the turns and was asked to slow down a few minutes into the ride and one of the several checkpoints. What was so great about this off-roading was that not only did you have a great dirt track but also you also made your way through countless caves often times filled with a good foot or two of water.

In the Cave of Wonders

I Love Off-Roading!

The Off-Roading Track Ahead...

We ended up doing the second course later in the day and Jenn drove like a champ. She buckled up, put her foot on the pedal and was off and running. She did get to deal with what we called Mexico’s version of Jersey Shore, which was a group that was loud and obnoxious driving in front and behind her, but outside that we really enjoyed both courses that offered some gorgeous sites and great off-roading.

Through the Jungle!

Jenn Taking the Wheel

Before going to lunch we decided to take on the one adventure we weren’t necessarily as pumped up to take on which were the underground paddle rafts. For those that remember the “romantic” paddleboat experience at the Palace of Versailles in 2008 you will understand that neither of our paddling skills is all that strong, in fact I would go as far to say that they are nonexistent. We got down to the starting area and were given hand paddles and a wooden raft, and were off on the 500+ meter course. As you probably expected this was our least successful adventure but we did make it through the course in relatively good time and really enjoyed the amazing atmosphere inside this gigantic cave.

Off We Go Paddle Rafting Through the Cave

After our exhausting paddleboat ride through the cave we went off to the included buffet lunch which they called “international food” which basically consisted of a salad bar, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and a desert bar. The food wasn’t anything to write home about but I think we both worked up a heck of an appetite from all the physical exertion from the morning activities so we ate quite a bit and were back off ready for more adventure.

The final big adventure of the day was a 400-meter cave river swim. You literally walk through a cave for a few hundred yards, are given a life jacket, and just jump in and swim the course. If there was one area of the trip that Jenn had some fear of it was this but she got in right away and we were off. The water was relatively warm, but it was such a hot day outside that it felt great to jump in.

Having a Nice Swim in the Cave

We got about ¾ of the way through the course before Jenn started to realize how much wildlife was actually still in the cave. I had told her before doing the swim not to look down but didn’t say to not look up because she managed to see a bunch (no exaggeration) of sleeping bats overhead. From that moment on she was a woman on a mission and I literally don’t think I have ever seen her swim faster. At the end of the swim there was a gorgeous waterfall that you went under, but Jenn was so freaked out by the bats she swam straight through it and was done with the swim. I will say we both loved the experience even with the bats and it was a perfect activity to finish off on.

Such an Amazing Swim!

After the swim we were both spent, we had our adrenaline fix, and were ready to finish off the day. We got cleaned up, purchased some pictures (taken throughout the park), and waited for our bus to take us directly back to our hotel. The bus came and picked us up at Xplor at around 4:30 and we ended up getting back to the hotel at around 6:30. The big positive for the way home was that it was just us and a group of 8 British folks on the bus. Luckily the British group was absolutely hilarious and made the drive go by extremely quick.  It was literally like watching a British comedy TV show.

When we arrived back to the hotel we were spent, we ordered room service, Jenn got Minestrone soup with Spaghetti Bolognase, and I got a Caesar Salad and a Philly Cheesesteak with a few Coronas from the mini bar.

Today ended up being one of those days that neither Jenn nor I will ever forget in our lifetime. We had so many great laughs, so many great memories, and such an amazing time that I couldn’t have asked for a better Cancun adventure. There literally wasn’t one thing I would change about today.