Playa Del Carmen Day V: Selvatica!

We went and saw the travel advisor during shopping day and told him we wanted more ziplining adventures. Our advisor, Antonio, gave a slight smile, turned to a page in his big book of Great Places To Explore and said, "SELVATICA!". Hmmm. Pics of people ziplining through trees (vs. above them), zipping into Centotes, riding ATVs through the jungle, something about a parachute jump... Yeah. This was going to be GOOD!

We arrived and got suited up, posed with a parrot, and then began our adventure. It was OUTSTANDING. Selvatica translates to JUNGLE. We earned our jungle stripes that day.

Staring down the trees..."Get outta my way JUNGLE" :)

It was very cool....but what was cooler and not captured by the roving photographers was that I ziplined UPSIDE DOWN and was twirled as I went careening across the forest :)  Here's the deal. Saw a tee shirt that said "I did it upside down" in the Selvatica gift shop and realized this could be a possibility. Decided I wanted that tee shirt so I was going to have to EARN it. Asked the staff person if I could, and he replied, "Sure, but you have to wait for the guide to accompany you." No problemo. Carlos The Guide appears, we go off the platform as he is holding me in place, stationary on the zipline, about 100 feet up.

Carlos: Now, swing your legs up and put your hands on your helmet so you are facing upside down.
Me:  (Looking down, trying to swing legs, and having serious second thoughts about the damn tee shirt) Umm, I  don't think I can do this.
Carlos: Oh yes, you ARE going to do this.
Me: (seriously panicky now) No, I don't think you understand, I can't do this....
Carlos: (with much exuberance) Yes, you CAN!
...as he flips me up and over and I say a quick prayer to take away the fear...we are OFF AND ZIPPING UPSIDE DOWN!!!
Oh my gosh and then he starts to twirl me around !!!!!!!! The forest was rotating beneath my head!!

It was sooo amazing. I will never, ever forget ziplining upside down. And I have the tee shirt to prove it :)
Yes, Ron also went upside down. I think he left out the twirling....but he also earned the tee shirt!

Following that - it was off to ATVs and riding through the forest. This didn't particularly excite me when I first saw the pics but driving that 2/4 wheel drive dealie was AWESOME. Sliding across the road, hitting every pothole, catching air....Ron mentioned a 'maniacal laugh" coming from beside him. That was me :)

 The roads were REALLY silty and we stirred it all up - covered in dust

We then took our silty selves down through the jungle where we climbed seven different bridges over the tops of the forest,  parachuted down back to to terra firma, walked some more and proceeded to zip across another rope into the cool, clear, refreshing waters of the cenote...it was awesome!!

Time to dive into the Cenote!

SUCH a fun day - we gathered ourselves together, had some chicken and rice made by staff, and bought our tee shirts :)

I'm ready to go back and do it again...upside down. Seriously.