Entrance to the underworld

In Mayan mythology cenotes were seen as entrances to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld.

Some cenotes have spectacular and welcoming entrances, full of light and crystal blue water. Others, like the one here at B, are a bit more foreboding.

Stairs leading down into the dry cave, beneath the limestone earth and into darkness.
Sunlight filters through trees above, into the bat-filled darkness of B.
Roots entangle the stairs, growing into the rock platform below.
In the distance, we prepare for a dive into the vast cave system that lies beneath.