Blue Oasis Enchantment

I stepped off the cruise ship, finally standing on Mexican soil. The radiant

sunlight warmed my skin, the scent of saltwater filled my nose, and the warm breeze

blew my hair in every direction. I searched for my excursion ticket in my “Ocean

hair, Salty air” beach bag and eagerly presented it to Carmen, the Hispanic woman

that would be our tour guide for the day.

“Hola, Amiga! Welcome to the Blue Hole Cenote Cave Tour! I know you will

enjoy Progresso just as much as I do,” she announced over the mariachi band music

that filled the background. The tour group gathered close together like sardines in a

can to hear the safety instructions for the day. My ears perked up with cautious

attention with being in a foreign country and all. .

Finally, Carmen led us to a tour bus we would be taking through the barbaric

outskirts of Mexico until we arrived at our blue oasis. My mom and I chose a seat and

prepared for the unknown adventure that awaited us. As we drove through the foreign

city, we developed a new appreciation for what we had back home. I tried to soak up

the authentic streets of Progresso before each moment flashed by at 50 miles per

hour. The trash began to camouflage into the gray cement, children roamed the streets

with dreary clothes, and locals observed the bus as an object that smelled like money

as it drove by.

“And we complain if our internet service isn’t fast enough...I can’t imagine a

life like this,” my mom said gratefully as I nodded my head in agreeance.

 After about an hour and a half bus ride, we finally arrived at our blue hole

oasis. “Over here, Amigos!” Carmen waved us in the direction of the bright orange

life vests. We all suited up, preparing to dive into the blue freshness that awaited us.

Carmen led her gang of bright orange blobs to the entrance of the long-awaited blue

freshness. One orange blob at a time, we carefully stepped down each step into what

seemed like a dark dungeon.

After completing the slippery steps, I emerged into a cave with water so blue

it sparkled and sung with invitingness. My mom and I stood there in awe as we

observed the ice cream cone-shaped stalagmites and stalactites. The water was so

crystal clear that if you dropped a penny in the blue oasis, it would glimmer from a

mile away. My mom and I couldn’t wait any longer “1. 2. 3. Jump!” I shouted. We

held hands and jumped into the fresh water. The water immediately cooled my skin

and I was entranced with the depths below the crystal-like surface. I went into a state

of meditation as I became one with the water. The blue oasis made me mesmerized,

and everything else became background noise.