Out of the Jaws of a Cave

The wind has picked up and has been whipping really good here in Kotor’s bay. Just as it did the last time we were here. The steep mountains act like a huge bernoulli tube which concentrates the wind and rushes it down over the mountains, sweeping down into with a steady push into the bay below with sometimes hurricane force. Last time we were here, it was so strong our anchor—which was set and tested under the force of our engines—loosened up after two days and started to drag. This beautiful bay can be demanding. 

So with the winds agitating the bay and the boats in it, Captain Mark stayed aboard and Chloe and I took Chey and Clark over to see the Submarine Caves and the Blue Cave. We hired a speedboat once again to take us over and this time they came right to Bedouin and picked us up. Our ride over to the caves was like a play boat in a bathtub full of splashing kids.

First, we stopped to see “Her Lady of the Rocks” which was the remarkable church that was built on a man-made island inside Kotor’s bay. We wrote about it in an earlier blog post which talked about it’s fascinating history.

Next, we hit up the sub caves, which are still amazing the second time around. The thought of backing a submarine into this stealthy parking garage makes me want to check bay for used submarines and give it a go.

Our grand finale, and let me emphasize GRAND, was our ride out to the Blue Caves only to find all the other speed boats were just letting their passengers have a look at the caves that no longer seemed blue but more frothy white. The swell was getting big and it was a bit too much to get inside the caves. AND YET, our guide decided to give it a go anyway.  He had some maniacal bravado pulsing through his veins which seemed to match the churning water slapping the cave’s entrance.  He motored our boat just outside the side entrance and we bobbed up and down until he thought we could barely make it inside the cave’s waxing and waning aperture.  As soon as he thought we could fit, he went full throttle and skimmed inside. This was a thrill and we were excited to be inside with our heads intact until we realized we’d have to time the tempest once again in order to get back out. 

The inside of the Blue Cave was nothing like the calmer visit we had earlier this year with our friend Kris. We were in the mouth of the beast, if the beast were a Kenmore washing machine in the throws of a wash cycle. It was cool to see how crazy the cave becomes when the water turns into an angry sea. And yet we wondered if we could manage to spit ourselves out without blemish. 

Our exit seemed a bit daunting, and we waited for a wild uncertain twenty minutes when finally our guide found the heaving cycles starting to ease back into a predictable rhythm so that he could time our escape from the cave. We held our breath and finally, the water pushed itself out of the cave like a big exhale allowing us to squeak under the jagged overhang. As soon as we saw and felt this awesome power draw out he pushed the throttle forward and we made our triumphant exit. 

We were all on such a high feeling like we’d threaded impending death, but I’m sure our able captain has seen this all before. As we headed back the sun, likely exhausted from watching our drama of our little cave escape, began to tire settled in to the horizon for some sleep. This seemed to calm the waters down and flatten out the sea. 

We hoped Mark’s watch from a sea-sawing Bedouin was far less exciting. Yet, I felt like we’d given our kids quite the Montenegrin adventure.