A Lasting Impression part 2

With all of the wedding planning, me, the bride, was going crazy! There was the dress, the cake, OMG another bridesmaid opted out!! But oh my I wouldn’t trade it for anything! My soon to be husband was ALL about the honeymoon and that is ALL he would talk about. I let him win the “where” I wanted Paris, he wanted “tropical”!!

Well, after we set up our reservations at the resort, an awesome place, we had many little adventures awaiting! (Doesn’t help I was scared to leave the resort!) He found this place called Selvatica, I was skeptical, I don’t like heights or bugs or well anything dangerous! (I am a BIG wus!) But I again, obliged my fiancé!

Skip forward to me on my FIRST plane ride into Mexico, once checked in it was off to the day we had planned at… Selvatica.

Like I said, I have never been anywhere, I think Florida is the farthest from home I have ever been! So we are driving down the road, bobbing and weaving like CRAZY! Then we get “out of town” and we keep driving, all the while our grouch driver, doesn't say a WORD or crack a smile, nadda!! We kept driving and when we passed the Selvatica sign, I start to panic (omg, this only happens in the movies!!!) Well to my surprise, we pull up to another resort and pick up some loud folks (thank goodness!!) Well then we start driving into the Jungle area, the loud gentleman we picked up gets nervous and starts bugging the grouch driver, who says NOTHING!! 

My first impression was, I don’t think I can do this!! My husband’s was, and I quote, “Let’s DO this!!” J

Then we got introduced to everyone and EVERYONE was ALL smiles!! It was a sight to see, there were people zipping through the air, the sounds of music, people, animals, it all seeped into me, making me excited! We went through the tutorials and got started. (I started to shake, like I said, WUS!)

We get up to the first platform to start our “take-off.” Me and hubby were the first in line, Hubster took off like he has been doing it all his life, me I balked! But the silly guy next to me laughed and told me to “come on, it’s not as bad as it looks, plus you’re honeymooners, how can you resist being so far away from him!” This made me crack up so bad that I couldn’t disagree, so off I flew. WOW, AMAZING, OH MY LORD, all running through my head as I flew through the tops of trees, I let out a meek “woohoo” before I landed. I gave Terry a HUGE hug and kiss and screeched about how “I made it!!” Then it was my turn to laugh like a seasoned pro at the other girls who freaked out!

The rest of the time was similar, our guides were so nice and funny, teaching me a little Spanish, like how I went from being a Señorita to a Señora. 

It was so wonderful! Even when I lost it trying to go up-side-down (yup SOOOO not happening, but Hubby did great though!)

When we got back, we went swimming! Oh and to get to the Cenote, we got onto the fun little Segway contraptions… I crashed mine, and you can SOOO tell on our video that I didn’t enjoy it very much, but it is still held high in “craziest things I have EVER done!”

Here comes another long one about this little (I use that word lightly!!) swimming hole! 

First of all, I have NEVER seen anything like this, I remember thinking that this was CRAZY and that this was part fantasy!! The sun filtered down into the HUGE pool there were little turtles and fish here and there. There was a HUGE tree growing on the top with its roots making up one wall, at the top of the water there was a little cave, you could hear the bats in there!!! I got told that it was 40 ft deep and you could see CLEAR to the bottom!! I was in awe! Then it came time to get in… haha. I was daring and decided to take the zip-line it. It took a lot of “You can do it’s!” from the crew and Terry telling me to move it, he wanted a turn!!! I screamed loud and took off, scared that my arms where going to fall out of my shoulder sockets, I let go…

I hit that cold A$$ water with a “WHOOP”!! Very soon after (and I have video of this!!) I start thrashing for the rope, trying desperately to look like I did this every day and didn’t need help! (Yes, I pushed off my savior with a floaty! So proud!) From then on I believe that I wore that zip out! I loved it more and more I did it!

I was honestly SAD when we had to go… It was depressing that I was going to have to leave this tiny piece of fantasy and heaven! You can’t find many places like this where I live…

When we got back we got fed!! I totally hadn’t relized that I was STARVING!! While we scarfed down the BEST food ever! We got to see our movie, played on the big screen, just for us (and everyone else there!!) I bawled and hugged everyone! I was so proud of myself!! I made it through some of the scariest things I could imagine. I cannot even begin to Thank everyone there enough for opening my eyes to the fact that a little adventure never hurt anyone.

It was SUCH a bonding experience and eye opening experience for me that I now sport the “Selvatica” symbol in tattoo from designed by my husband!!! My husband (by the way, happily married almost 2 years this April!!) is getting his done VERY soon!

I can’t wait to go again!

Thank you,

Samantha Henry

A Lasting Impression

Emily's Tattoo

My experience with Selvatica had begun with myself and my mother. She had previously gone, and had such an amazing experience she demanded we would visit when it was time for our vacation. Needless to say, I was equally as amazed and enthralled by this zip line through the Mexican jungle. I had the time of my life, and I got to know the tour guides fairly well from my multiple trips back down for my vacations. While we were down in Cancun, my mom and I had made a decision we wanted to get a matching tattoo together, to symbolize an extremely close bond we had together. And since our Mexico vacations had a huge part in bringing us so close, we decided to get a Mayan symbol. It was unique, special, and the only thing we had left to do was pick out the symbol we would get inked on our bodies for the rest of our lives. This came with a bit of difficulty; we couldn’t agree on a symbol that we both loved. Then one day I was walking around my house with the Selvatica shirt on, and upon looking at the symbol that is next to the name, my mom pointed it out. We both absolutely loved it, so I sent a message to my friends down at selvatica to ask the meaning of the symbol. We wanted to make sure it didn’t mean something weird. My friend, a tour guide there, had told me it meant “Citizen of the Jungle”. And we knew then that we were going to use that symbol as our tattoo. We made our appointment and got it done, and fell absolutely in love with our new ink. Then on our next trip down, we sought to surprise the boys by showing it to them. They were shocked by it, and explained to us that it did not mean Citizen of the Jungle; it wasn’t even a Mayan symbol. They explained that it was created as a logo for the company, like the Nike symbol, or the McDonald golden arches. We don’t care though, our tattoo means to us that we are citizens of the jungle, and it reminds us of how close we are. What surprised me even more, that a year later when we went down yet again, we visited Selvatica to say hi, but didn’t recognize any of the tour guides.  Half way through the tour, I received the opportunity to go upside down, an experience I was very accustomed to by that point. And while I was upside down the tour guide yelled “that tattoo!!! You’re that girl!!!”. I had no idea that my tattoo would become recognized by the tour guides who I did not know. This only makes me love Selvatica even more. My mother and I love our tattoo, and what it means to us. Selvatica did not only give us a completely amazing vacation, but a stronger bond between a mother and daughter. And every time I see my tattoo on my ankle it reminds me of that. 

-By Emily from Massachusetts

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