My wine glass is almost empty. A long, sweet note from cello signals end of first movement. I stand and make my way to hors d’oeuvre table as warm sand sifts between my toes.

This ain’t Philharmonic.

The rock walls projected Kirstin, Jackie, Maurice, and Lynn's music throughout canyon.

It’s a rafting trip with a soundtrack — or a concert with scenery, if you prefer. For decades, Bill Dvořák's Kayak and Rafting Expeditions has combined splendid isolation of scenic rivers with at-home comforts of good food and relaxation. The collision with music occurred over 20 years ago when a guest brought a violin. Bill must have said, “Hey, your classical music is in my rafting trip!” and then discovered that it was a wonderful combination. The Classical Music River Journey was born.

Rafting on Utah's Green River.

Desolation Canyon is a wilderness area in eastern Utah, named in 1869 by explorer John Wesley Powell, and it seems almost as inaccessible today as it was then. A small airplane delivered us to a dirt strip on a plateau beside river. The musicians arrived on a second plane, and we got acquainted during short hike down to our put-in point at Sand Wash. Conversation turned briefly to local black bears that occasionally make pests of themselves. How might we scare them out of camp, someone asked. Maurice, cellist, suggested, “Make violist play!” The violist in quartet happened to be his wife. I liked this group already.

For eight days Green River carried our rafts through Desolation and Gray Canyons to take-out 84 miles downstream at Swasey’s Rapid. Guests who wanted exercise could go on hikes with Bill, swim in khaki-colored water, or paddle an inflatable kayak. Actually, those last two were one and same if we weren’t careful: nimble little “duckies” were lots of fun in Class II and III rapids, but they could easily be turned and flipped by waves. However, I wasn’t worried that my fellow guests might laugh at me from their nice stable rafts, since for next week I would know where they lived.

“It’s probably five or six hundred years old,” Bill said of huge, gnarled cottonwood tree. We were lunching in its shade. The sunshine wasn’t hot, but we would be getting plenty of exposure in next few days and didn’t want to overdo it. Eying a distant thunderhead, I wondered if we might soon have more shade than we wanted.

Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Read this entire feature FREE with photos at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/adventure/mexico/mayaland/mayaland.html

We sip slushy lime Margaritas on a windy afternoon on Mayan Riviera while sitting on beach and doing what all tourists do when they visit Mexico — I lie there on my lawn chair covered in Banana Boat coconut sunscreen contemplating a dip in ocean.

The Tulum Temple on Mayan Riviera.

I couldn’t help but overhear a young couple under umbrella beside me discussing their day trip out to historical site of Chichen Itza, inland site of great pyramids. They playfully bet on who will climb to top of steep pyramid fastest during their tour next day.

Tourists from all over world visit Mexico every year to get away from harsh cold reality of winter, and in some cases, life. When Mexico comes to mind for most we think of sun, surf, and hangover followed after too much tequila. Many, but not all, take it upon themselves to venture out to jungle pyramids during their once-a-year weeklong duration in country.

El Castillo (great pyramid) foreground, and Temple of 1000 Columns.

I couldn’t get thought of Chichen Itza out of my mind rest of that afternoon. I want to climb to top of pyramid as well! It is settled, I grab my boyfriend Marcus and drag him to a tour operator to arrange “the climb” for very next morning.

Samuel, our private driver arranges tour through MayaLand Tours, and he picks us up right on time outside our five star hotel, The Bahia Principe Tulum.

Mayaland Tours operates fully-guided tours, self-guided tours, as well as custom private tours that are in length from day trips to overnight excursions. The trips vary from snorkel tours at Xel-ha, full tours of Chichen Itza, to private excursions to temple of Tulum! www.mayaland.com/sites.html

The more than helpful staff arranges a private tour to Chichen Itza pyramids and a one night stay at beautiful resort, Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows, right in Chichen Itza archaeological zone.

Samuel turns up his Mexican tunes, rolls down windows, and three of us ride “highway of death” (according to Samuel) for three hours all way to Chichen Itza. The experience of self-driving in Mexico is not one I recommend to those who are interested in death while on vacation. With that being said we have a fantastic time taking in countryside, and listening to Samuel tell us stories about growing up in Mexico.

The Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows is in heart of Chichen Itza Archaeological Zone.

The closer we get to archaeological site more excited Marcus and I grow at thought of climbing amazing pyramid. What an accomplishment this is going to be! We arrive a little windblown but eager and ready to climb. Quickly calmed by hypnotic buzz of lobby ceiling fan, I sit down and read about Mayaland Hotel and Bungalows as Marcus checks us in.

The hotel was founded in 1930s by Fernando Barbachano, who successfully convinced first tourists to venture out with him to Chichen Itza from their ships on gulf coast. Today, Barbachano family continues to operate, build, and contribute to organized tourism and hospitality in Mexico. Local tours from hotel include organized trips to Chichen Itza for 480 pesos or U.S. $42.00 and horseback riding to old Chichen Itza for 400 pesos or U.S. $35.00. Pavarotti once stayed in hotel in a custom-built suite during his performance at ruins in ’97, and one of hotel restaurants is now named after him.

The Mayanland Hotel and Bungalows Accommodations —