IT WAS a five-island tour by speedboat in the Adriatic—the highlight of which was going to be a visit to the Blue Cave which to my imagination was going to be similar to the Blue Grotto in Italy.
Both caves get their names from the mesmerizing blue hue of the waters inside the cave—a reflection of the sunlight entering the cave from an opening at the top.
I knew that visiting the Blue Cave would be weather-dependent just as visiting the Blue Grotto off the island of Capri, was. But this did not deter me. When you travel and try to capture the beauty of nature, you take your chances. These are the rules of the game.
Whether it is wildlife romping about that you are trying to get a glimpse of, the gorgeous honey, crimson and tangerine hues of the sky as the sun slowly dips into the horizon or the thunderous calving of a glacier you want to witness—you need the patience of Job.
But we were lucky. The weather was fantastic the day we visited Capri in southern Italy. We got to visit the Blue Grotto and and we got to speed around the islands and take in its breathtaking beauty to boot. It was a captivating day in Capri last March.
I chose October, however, to visit the Croatian archipelago in the Balkans because it is shoulder season which means sparse tourists and off-season rates. September is still shoulder season but we had a wedding in the family so October it had to be.
The Blue Cave is located in a small bay on the island of Biševo in the Croatian Adriatic. From Split, the second-largest city in Croatia where we were staying for a few days, it was going to be an hour and a half ride away by speedboat.
It was a chilly morning when we boarded the boat on the shores of Split for our five-island tour. There were three-island tours too but the Chinese in me thought—five islands is better then three for practically the same price.
I had booked the tour ahead of our trip. When I got to Split, I thought I had seen a sign for “slashed prices” for island tours somewhere around old town. I wondered why. This would prove to be a portent of the day’s terrifying turn towards the end.
An hour and forty-five minutes into the ride, our skipper, Vanessa, who had constantly been on the phone in the last hour, sadly announces that the Blue Cave is closed to visitors.
The winds are strong and the waters are high, she tells us. Entrance to the cave is currently only a meter high. Entering it would be dangerous as the cave entrance could be sealed off by water in seconds.
I understood the situation. The turbulent ride up to this point was enough to convince me that the weather was not going to be cooperative. This was not going to be like our day in Capri. And I didn’t want to be on the headlines the next day: Tragedy in the Adriatic. (Part 2 next week.)