The big day: 6th February 1999 in Merida (the capital of the Yucatan, Mexico).

It's 9 am and I'm waiting impatiently for everybody's arrival at the Rainbow Trailer Park. Quick, I want a photo with all the drivers before Pelon leaves us.  We listen to Ace's and Bill's rap before we hit the road and get all comfortable on the back platform in the great green bus called "Pawnee". First attempts to learn everybody's names and to make conversation. The music is blaring out of the speakers and some of us even sing along. Soon we feel like we know each other - or at least a little better. We drive for a while and then check out a really humid and never-ending cave, our first stop on the great adventure trip... most of us just run through it - it is so hot! Later we eat lunch in a small, picturesque town called Valladolid and we learn the first rule when traveling in a big group: don't all go to the same restaurant at the same time - that's just a little overwhelming for the poor waiters. So, of course already on our first day about 14 of us are late for the bus...! Unfortunately, we don't learn much from our mistake: throughout the whole trip we keep on stressing out all the Mexican waiters and waitresses...
 

Here a postcard of the beautiful Cenote Dzitnup (or whatever it is called!) that the local kids force me to buy!!! What an unbelievable place to swim! Under huge stalactites in the deep blue water with lots of small fish swimming through your legs and bats flying around over your heads!