Location: Mountain Point, Virgin Gorda
Cold was the morning in our catamaran. We had been swinging gracefully in our hammocks, curled up warmly in the Blue Lagoon, or nestled in our cabins as the chirping birds protect their young.
This great peace and tranquility felt among us were broken almost instantly by the loud, blasting music of the instructors, commanding us to awaken early in the morning. This was the beginning of the long and adventurous experience that is day 5, easily the greatest thus far.
Once we had all arose, we enjoyed a nice and healthy breakfast of oatmeal, cereal, pineapples, and whatever junk food that we had brought with us. After we finished our breakfast and cleaned our dishes, the instructors told us that we would be exploring The Baths today. This area was significant both by being historically notable and beautiful to see.
The Baths is a unique rock formation that received its name after being used as literal “baths” for slaves moving along The Atlantic Slave Trade. Once we arrived, we were all memorized by the intricate patterns of the rocks and boulders that make up the Baths. For the next two hours, the excitement of the Bend The Rules crew-mates could be heard all throughout the Caribbean as we rock climbed to the summits of every massive boulder, jumped off of extremely thrilling high dives, and swam through the tightest of crevices in order to experience more of the gorgeous corridors filling The Baths. Leaving this unrecognized wonder of the world was one of the most emotionally difficult things for me to do in my life.
After this, we rested ourselves for a while aboard our ship. When we restored our energy, the instructors gave us another unexpected surprise. They informed us that we would be going to shore, for the first time on this trip, to Spanish Town, a local town known for its overwhelming number of English speakers. On shore, we split up into small groups and happily pranced around the town, purchasing burgers for lunch and packs of soda/candy for the boat. We regrouped at the vessel hours later and stuffed every inch of it with snacks and soda from Spanish Town.
Once we were satisfied with the dragon hordes that we had created, we set sail for Mountain Point. Upon arrival, the instructors gave us our final and most intense challenge of the entire trip; a night dive. Night dives are an advanced scuba diving trial barely comprehensible to laymen’s ears, but in my best way to describe this enigmatic concept without overcomplicating it too much – it is a dive…at night. Before embarking on this journey, we performed a reconnaissance mission of the area. With the light as our ally, we surveyed the entire dive site with ease, noting every distinctive feature of the waters below. With this mission completed, we feasted upon stroganoff and garlic bread as the sun bid us farewell for the evening.
This brought both the night sky and a cold shiver down the backs of every crew-mate of Bend The Rules, knowing that the night dive was close at hand. We arose from our meal, readied the dive gear, and made peace with our God. The instructors signaled our descent into the darkness below, and the dive began. Armed only with the faintest of lights produced by our flashlights, we weaved our way through the waters and saw as the creatures of the deep surrounded us with their watching eyes and jagged teeth. They seemed to enclose us slowly as the dive continued, always watching. Right as we thought that there was no hope for us and we would all fall victim to the dark organisms of the night, the dive ended. We all sighed in relief at the surface, knowing that we had just done what few scuba divers ever braved doing. The gear was stowed, and the crew-mates drifted back into their slumber, silently waiting for the next day and all the wonderful tales that come with it.