I know that’s quite a dramatic heading, but I literally started hating Rudolph all over again just thinking about this story. So like I do, I thought I would write this story down to use against him the next time I do something silly while traveling ;)… #marriagegoals
The Setting: Santa Catalina Island
During our one week stay on our absolute favourite island – Providencia, Colombia – we headed north to the small island connected by a rickety bridge, called Santa Catalina Island.
Santa Catalina was the main base for the most notorious and feared pirate sailing the Caribbean, Captain Morgan!! So we packed our goggles and hiking boots and set off along the “pirate path” to the main attraction, Morgan’s Head.
Along our coastal hike up and down various cliffs and beaches, we saw a sign that read “underwater cave”. Intrigued, we put our bags down and started swimming out in the hopes we would just happen upon it.
We always opt out of getting a guide or joining a tour (we don’t like to be told how long we’re allowed at each attraction, especially when one of our main goals is to get to these “attractions” when no one else is there).
Point being, we couldn’t find this cave anywhere. We just felt like two silly tourists swimming along a flat cliff that drops straight down into the crystal blue ocean.
Just as we were going to give up, a local boat passed us and we quickly shouted out “cave???“. He pointed straight behind us to a slight curve in the cliff. We again shouted, “cave“!! He pointed again to the same spot on the cliff and then sped away.
The killing of Rudolph
It finally clicked, “underwater cave”. Of course we’re not going to be able to see it from the surface, and would most probably require a local to find it, if you’re even meant to go find it.
We looked at the cliff and down at our feet, completely visible through the rippeling transparent water that is the Caribbean. We took a breathe and swam under the wall. The space between the sea floor and the cliff above was half a meter, meaning we kept banging our heads and scraping our bodies as we searched for this mysterious cave. It was dark, making it feel impossible that we would end up actually finding it.
We came up and both laughed, “cool, well that’s never gonna happen“. This was a mutual look we gave each other after having viewed the black water under the cliff.
Next minute, with no further conversation or reassuring looks, Rudolph went down again. Cool cool cool. I started cleaning my goggles out while he went for a second peak.
After a few seconds, I starting thinking, no way did he go swimming further into the darkness?? Like why?? What if there’s snakes? Where is this guy!!
Then, after what I knew to be his full breathe (which is long), the nervous but interested wondering to where he was did a sudden flip to instant hysterical panicking.
My entire body felt liked it stopped working and I just wanted to burst into tears (great reaction Jennifer, so useful). He’s swam under this cliff, got his shorts stuck, or knocked his head on the cliff above and now he’s drowning.
There is nothing more terrifying in the entire world than suddenly realising something is wrong and being all alone knowing that you have seconds to make the most important move of your life.
Self check – yes I’m being dramatic – but in this moment, and as I’m reliving it now on my laptop – it was honestly this real to me.
In the split second that it took me to take the biggest breathe I could, I thought about a million things – but mostly that I would not resurface if he wasn’t with me.
I swam down from exactly where we were standing and into the darkness. Hoping to see something other than the nothing that was in-front of me.
Within like one stroke I saw the light ahead. A tiny turquoise air pocket just one stroke away now. This “cave” was probably 2 metres from where I had been standing all along, but only visible once you had swam in far enough. It was a frickin air-pocket, not an “underwater air-less cave“.
I swam up to the naturally lit, almost glowing circle of water to find Rudi’s feet just chilling. All the built up fear and adrenaline, met with a very pleased and relaxed Rudolph Raath, made me want to drown him myself. I popped up into the tiniest cave I’ve ever seen, and literally had to cuddle up right on top of him to be able to fit inside.
He looked at me with the cutest smile, knowing how romantic and cute I would find this cave. Knowing that I would be so proud of him for finding it, knowing that I find it incredibly attractive when he turns into a mer-man, and knowing that I get such thrills from finding secret spots in nature with him. I’m pretty sure he even said something along the lines of “this is lit“.
I could have strangled his adorable stupid face!! He’s meant to be the responsible one – like who discovers an air pocket underwater and decides to sit there and wait rather than going back to say “hey significant other, I found a cave, lets go together”.
He just assumed I would assume he found it and would come join him.
While cuddled up in the cutest air pocket, hidden under a giant cliff, I told him all the different ways I’m going to murder him with tears in my eyes. *Putting it in perspective, Rudolph took a breathe, swam two tiny metres under water, saw an obvious air-pocket and waited there for me, who soon as predicted popped up 2 minutes later with a rage of a pyscho overprotective mother.
He quickly realised the panic he created and how this could have actually gone wrong and apologised with full sincerity. He is the safe one in the relationship and so he seemed to relate and understand the second he saw my face. Kind of a bummer at the time considering the mountain of emotions I now needed to release on the world ;)!!
But as much as I wanted (or maybe needed), a massive cave fight. I couldn’t help feeling so stoked my husband wasn’t eaten by a giant cave sea snake (clearly need to stop watching so much tv).
The treasure
We sat in this tiny cave for a good 15 minutes, admiring how amazing it was. It was one of my absolute highlights. We eventually left, having felt like we had just come back from a Narnia adventure.
This island is said to be hiding Captain Morgan’s remaining treasure. And this cave would have been the perfect spot!!
Rudolph has an adventurous spirit, paired with a responsible and caring nature towards all the people and animals along his way. He slipped up that day, assuming because I love being underwater that I would be okay with this.
But I am so proud of him. And proud to be a part of his adventures.
This moment made me realise two things, I rely on him (this terrifies me so don’t actually want to write about it), And secondly, that we must always keep in mind that as incredibly enchanting nature can be, it must never be underestimated or overlooked in the spirit of “adventure”.
Respecting the ocean or the mountains while traveling is the mentality of a true wanderer (in our opinion). It often shows us who loves being outdoors and who loves “looking outdoorsy”. Yes this kind of thinking is not praised in travel quotes, but having respect for the terrifying power of nature is part of loving nature, or at least knowing it. It doesn’t make you less adventurous or less “fun”, “wild” or “bear grillsy”, it just makes you more respectful.
Just some food for thought.
Love Jen xxx
If this topic interests you, I wrote a similar post on a very scary experience we had in Thailand on a snorkelling excursion with a fellow tourist who couldn’t really swim – How far out of your comfort zone if too far.
