December 2007: After last year's disasterous trip to Mexico, this particular trip was considered my "Take Two." The 2006 trip got off to bad start because I spoke zero Spanish which made me feel helpless - not a feeling I'm used to as I already speak three languages fluently and rarely find myself in a situation where I'm unable to communicate. Secondly, the previous year I was six months pregnant and therefore unable to full-fill my life-long dream of swimming with dolphins. Pregnant woman are not allowed in the water with these mamals as a growing embryo throws dolphins off balance and they will not listen to any commands.

The moment I came home from that first trip, I started prepping for the "re-take" by finding myself a private Spanish tutor. I spent twelve months taking weekly Spanish lessons so I would be prepared to navigate the terrain for this particular trip. That was the first step in making things much smoother.

My not-so-humble abode had various wild iguanas and bearded dragons on the property. After having spent a night with an iguana back in college (that's whole other story) and falling in love with it (no, not that way - get your mind out of the gutter!) I felt right at home with these beautiful creatures.

Seizing the moment, I decided I was not only going to swim with dolphins, but I would do the whole kit & caboodle, no matter what it cost, and swim with the sea lions and manatees as well.

First up, the dolphins. What an amazing experience! One game we played was when I floated horizontaly while two dolphins came up on either side of me, allowed me to grab their fins, and then swam off in unison, carrying me along.

The second game had me floating vertically while the two dolphins came underneath my feet. Each picked a foot, stuck its nose in the arch the foot, and began to swim super-fast, pushing me up and out of the water, tossing me in the air.

Extremely affectionate creatures, these dolphins had me mesmerized and here is my ultimate reward from one - a kiss - for a day's play.

Next up, the sea lion. Not to be confused with the seal. The biggest difference between the two are 1) sea lions have external ear flaps, while seals do not and 2) sea lions can support themselves on their two front flippers and actually walk; seals move by shuffling or sliding and cannot use their flippers to support their body.

This particualr sea lion was the funniest, fastest little guy who was so eager to please. He was such a show-off, could barely contain his excitement for entertaining, and made me laugh the whole time. He was pure joy and my face is reflecting that as well.

Lastly, the most intriguing creature of all, the manatee, also known as a "sea cow." These are the largest yet most gentle creatures I have ever interacted with. Basically they are one big giant blob of a hard exterior. The only sign of life is a snout that moves when it eats or when it wants to tickle you.

These are slow-moving creatures and I had lots of time to swim with them. From afar, it looks intimidating to see a human being underwater with these massive 1000 lb. creatures who are 10 feet long. But the reality is, being with them feels extremely peaceful. Whereas the dolphins and sea lions are all about play, the manatees are solitary mamals and I felt honored that they let me be part of their waters.

The manatee's snout is actually a very flexible upper lip that looks like a shortened elephant's trunk. It's used to gather food and to eat, as well to to communicate and for social interactions. Below you can see the snout resting against my cheek. My smile is my reaction to the the unexpected tickles I got from the hairs on the snout, while inside I felt a sense of pride that this quiet and gentle creature came out of its shell to show me some love.

The next day.......

I got down to a little monkey business!

If you ever have the opportunity to go for a bike ride in the jungle, I highly recomend it. Here's my tip: bring bananas! Monkeys will practically fall from the trees if they know you have them. I was ambushed by them! I had monkeys on my head, around my neck, hanging from my clothes....And they're not shy, so stand your ground if you're not ready to part with your snacks. If you're not firm, they will make that decision for you. We had to wear bike helmets for safety reasons, and I soon realized it was to protect your hair from the monkeys!

Below, one of them arrives to make his move!

Yahoo! It's 'nanner time!

There was one little monkey who simply would not let go of me. I don't know if he sensed that I was a nursing mother with a little teeny baby at home, but he latched on to me like child needing its mom.

The others in our group had to come to me to pet him because he refused to go to them. You can see on the next couple of photos all the different hands reaching out to pet him. Look at his little toes and how they are wrapped around my fingers.

He's in total heaven, eating a banana in my arms!

Look at him - how he is gazing in to my face. I felt so comfortable holding him and wished I could take him with me.

It was time to continue on our jungle tour and I was so sad to part with him. I literally had to peel him off of me - toe by toe, foot by foot, hand by hand, finger by finger and finally unwind his little tail. He ran after me a few feet before stopping and I felt like a parent abandoning her child. It was tough to say good-bye to such an adorable creature that was so attached to me -- long after all my bananas were gone!

After five glorious days, it was time to leave the country to head back to the U.S.  Until next time, Mexico!

Ciao!