Cutting across the lagoon, our boat slowed as we approached a shoreline that was brimming over with dense vegetation. A small weathered wooden pier with two small boats tethered to its moorings were the only sign of human presence.

Drawing ever closer, Ritsuko and I looked at each other and to the Dutch couple who had become our traveling companions that morning ... no one knew where we were going or why, we only knew that this was apparently a part of our tour of islands and places of interest in the lagoon and around Holbox. I turned to our boat captain, and mustered up a question in my halting Spanish ... "Que es el nombre de este lugar?"

"Yalahau," he said, smiling.

THIS was the place that I had read about, with the fresh water spring in the jungle. We disembarked and walked gingerly down the weathered pier, careful of the edges of the warped planks on our bare feet. Entering the mangroves, the ground was slippery and peppered with holes that were the entrances to the crab dens below the surface. Several people were quietly searching for crabs in the water just a few feet from the path. We continued onward into the darkness until we came to a small wooden platform and saw the bubbling water in the pool beyond. This was Yalahau, the fresh water spring discovered by the ancient Maya and purported to have qualities of rejuvenation of body and spirit.

We all looked at each other, and I asked Yoni, our captain and guide if we could swim. He smiled, nodded, and began taking off his shirt. We all stripped down to our swimming attire and dove into the spring.

I don`t know about the properties of youthful rejuvenation, but the cool fresh water certainly felt good. Everyone floated for a few minutes in the spring then emerged, feeling so refreshed. Looking at my reflection in the water, I did not look any younger, but I did feel really good.

I wish that I could do this every day.