The Beautiful Adriatic Sea

September 17, 2011

By the sea, by the beautiful sea, you and me. Oh how happy we'll be...

We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to go on our boat excursion. Luckily, we got to the boat early enough to reserve a lounge chair on the top deck. The weather was perfect as we set sail.

Our first stop was the 'Green' cave, which is called green because of the algae but it still looked pretty blue to me. Our wonderful captain allowed us all to jump ship, literally, and swim in the cave. Since we only had a half hour to swim in the awesome cave, Kat and I quickly took the plunge from the top deck. Nat followed quickly behind. Swimming in the cave in the crystal clear water made us feel like mermaids. I would have killed for a snorkel or scuba gear. I wish we would have had more time in the cave but they promised us that the next cave was even better.

We sailed on to our next destination, the Blue Cave. After docking at a small island we all got off of the ship because it was too large to get into the cave. We dispersed into small groups and took small white boats a short while down the coast to the cave. We arrived at a tiny opening in the rocky coast when our captain told us all to duck. I was completely shocked when we maneuvered the boat into the tiny opening! It was creepy and dark at first but once our boat rounded the corner we all gasped in awe at the bright blue water that was literally glowing. I have never experienced anything like this before in my life. The water was very deep, very clear and bright as could be. Unfortunately, we only had a short time in the cave and swimming is not permitted.

After arriving back on shore and admiring the coast line with Kat and Nat, the captain called me over and invited me to see the cave again. I hopped into a boat with him, the other captains, and their families. On the way he told me not to tell anyone, but that we would be swimming in the cave! I was freaking out and once we got into the cave we all jumped ship. It was the coolest experience of my life. I couldn't stop staring at my hands glowing in the incredible water. We swam for only about 5 minutes and I was basically freaking out the entire time. I was so glad that he let me join them and vowed to sell my passport and become a Croatian once we returned to Hvar.

When we returned to the ship, we had a wonderful lunch of tuna, cabbage, and white wine. After lunch, I think the whole ship pretty much passed out in their lounge chairs while we sailed onto the tiny fishing village on Vis. When we got off of the ship in Vis, we immediately got gelatos, explored the quiet tiny town and headed to the beach. This beach was also a pebble beach and it was lovely to float in the crisp, clear water. I definitely need to come back and go scuba diving in the Adriatic Sea.

Another two hours of lounging on the dock and we returned back to Hvar completely exhausted. Kat was feeling the effects of being on the water all day and went back to our place to rest while Nat and I devoured pizzas. Since Hvar is known for its nightlife, Nat and I sat in the square watching all the dolled up visitors wandering to their nighttime party locations. Unfortunately, our wardrobes and exhaustion did not lend itself to enjoying the Hvar nightlife and we retired to bed satisfied with an incredible day on the sea.