Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Tunnel

A month ago, we went to Samoa:

adventureworld.com


We had many adventures and tons of fun,
but one of the mightiest adventures was had on the main island, at a place called
Piula cave pool,
where my dad was very brave.

Piula is an ice cold pool outside Piula Theological College. It costs 5 tala (about $2.50) to get in and is one of the coolest pools I've ever been to. Here's a picture:

It was sad that you couldn't jump from the highest rock, but the medium rock was still fun. The most amazing thing about the cave (other than its infinite darkness) was what happened when you splashed:



An amazing display of bright blue underwater fireworks. It was quite funny when my mum told me about how when she was a kid, she and her sister had hidden in the darkness on a secret rock ledge, and freaked people out. And sometimes when a couple came along for a little romantic smooching, Mum and her sister would giggle cheekily. Anyway, back to how my dad was brave. If you swim down the left tunnel of the deep dark cave, and swim along a deep, 3 meter long, underwater tunnel, you come out into a second cave:



(Don't worry, you can walk around to it. You don't have to risk your life swimming the tunnel)

But that's exactly what my Dad did.
We were all very worried when Dad announced:

"I am going to swim the tunnel"

And so he did.

It was scary outside the second cave, just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for him to reappear.
But finally…


All funeral plans were abandoned!
Dad was alive!
Here's what the tunnel was like:



And we were amazed when Dad told us that there was barely any room to swim, and that he had to push himself down, to stop the water pushing him up, so he didn't scrape his back on the rocks above.

And, even though he was brave before,
now he's one of the bravest people I know.

I think he's
Amazing.

5 comments:

  1. Wow...your dad must be really brave. I imagine he's quite handsome as well...which would mean your mum probably would like some romantic smooching time in that there cave...minus the potentially giggle cheeky children who may be lurking in the shadows.

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  2. Excellent post Squibs! My boys really enjoyed your artwork and descriptive writing. There were a few laughs at what your mum got up too and some said they would do the same! Your dad is very BRAVE, no way would I swim that tunnel!

    Can't wait to read about some more of your adventures!

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  3. Hey "Squibs". I never realisd that your Mum and her sister were up to such tricks when they were kids!!! And yes, I think your dad is VERY brave. Love your drawings, and love the explanations with arrows etc.

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  4. Thank you for posting a map - I am embarrassed to admit I had no idea where Samoa was. I'm sure your dad is quite something, and probably very modest as well. A perfect match for your delightful mum, who sent me here. Also, the drawings are brilliant!

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  5. Hi- I too have swam a cave exactly as you've described!! Can you put me in the brave gang? seriously, it was in hindsight a very risky (ad)venture. The cave I conquered was in Fiji- in the Yasawa Islands....thanks for reminding me of a wonderful adventure with my dearly missed dad...

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