When a Simple Layover Turned into An Unexpected 3-Day Adventure
This isn’t your typical outdoor adventure trip. I joined a crew of cavers, ready to venture deep into the subterranean wonders of caves near a cute small town in Mexico. There was rappelling down vertical caves, not just wandering through a cave with a flashlight. Our journey begins at the Pittsburgh airport, with our sights set on cave explorations and camaraderie. Our first flight from Pittsburgh to Houston went off without a hitch. But then, Mother Nature threw us a curveball — icy roads and a winter storm!
Arriving in Houston, we weren't greeted with warmer weather, but with a sight more familiar to the Arctic regions. There were bitter cold winds that whipped across the runway, and turned everything into an ice rink. Us northerners understand tough wintry conditions all too well, but we were confused as we watched airport personnel treat the ice on the jetway with sand, not the traditional salt that we are used to — an image we don’t soon forget. Needless to say, it didn’t help much, but we were able to deplane safely. Little did we know, this icy greeting was just the first snag in our caving trip to Mexico.
Our excitement quickly hit a roadblock. Thanks to a frustrating experience with United Airlines, we had a canceled flight to Mexico that could not be rescheduled for the same day or even the next day. We ended up being stuck in Houston for the next three days. And let me just say, United’s customer service left a lot to be desired, including not releasing our checked baggage for the duration of our 3-day stay in Houston, and I don’t think I will be flying with them anytime soon.
However, in spite of the length delay in Houston and instead of us letting this inconvenience ruin our entire trip, we accepted it and turned it into a positive experience. We weren't about to a little airline hassle derail our whole trip.
With night falling and our first priority was to find a warm, comfortable place to stay for the next 3 days. Luckily, we were able to score two rooms at a hotel which included both an airport shuttle, so we didn’t have to try drive in the icy weather ourselves, and a free breakfast.
We spent the next few days exploring Houston. While I can't reveal all of the amazing locations yet, I will be posting a blog in the future where I'll recommend some hidden gems that you won't want to miss, even you’re only in Houston for a short time. Let's just say, there's more here than meets the eye.
Caves, Tequila, and More!
After a 3 days in Houston, we finally made it onto on our flight to Mexico. We could breathe a sign of relief knowing we were definitely going to Mexico this time — no delays, no hassle. Even though it was a huge inconvenience and we spent more money than we were planning, we decided to focus on having fun and making the most of our time there and see some sights we might not have ever been able to see. And Houston did not disappoint. It was fun and I’m so glad we were able to take this unexpected detour and explore Houston, now it’s time for some caving!
Now that we made it to Mexico, our caving trip could really begin. When we arrived the first night and got our rental cars, we had an exciting late-night drive to our small-town home base. We successfully navigated topes, or speed bumps and just driving on a toll road that did not feel like a toll road at all, but we finally arrived at our destination.
The next day, the braver and more experienced members of our group tackled vertical caving by rappelling down a cave to a river below. Because I’m not trained on rappelling on rope, I decided to hike up with the group as far as the cave entrance and hang out with the guides there while enjoying the beautiful cave scenery. At the end, I hiked down to the cars with the guides and reunited with the group.
Later, our crew was ready for some relaxation and camaraderie. We visited the local tequila bar. We tasted some Jose Cuervo tequila, which was actually pretty smooth and for someone who doesn’t drink tequila very often, it was a nice budget option.
The next day, we traveled to a beautiful horizontal cave. The most impactful was of the cave was when we were in a large room and our guide instructed us to turn off all of our lights. As we did so, the cave descended into complete darkness. For just a few minutes, we were in complete silence, a wonderfully reminder for us to be more present in the moment in our daily lives. You could only hear the water dripping nearby and the occasional bird chirping or someone shuffling their feet. But I would say, the most memorable moment was not inside a cave.
On one of the last days there, we experienced a remarkable sight. We were able to witness thousands of birds exiting a nearby cave at dawn. It was truly an experience I’ll never forget — the anticipation of will they or won’t they come out today, and when it came to sunrise, we didn’t see them. I was concerned we might not see them initially because there were a lot of green parrots outside, waiting for them to exit. It was a cloudy morning, so there was definitely that chance they’d stay inside the cave that day. But eventually, the started trickling out. It was a beautiful scene to witness and it left me speechless. On the way back up to our cars, we stopped at a spot where our guide was offering swing rides with a stunning view of the cloud-filled mountains. I took a turn on the swing and it was so cool. What an amazing way to end an otherwise eventful week.
Pro Tip: When life throws you a curveball, embrace it. Sometimes small detours lead to unexpected gems and unforgettable trips.
Want more from our detour in Houston? Stay tuned for a future post on places to eat, drink, and see in Houston!
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