There are many ways I could’ve started this post. “Let me tell about the time I went to…”, “It was a sunny day when I…”, “On my last holiday my parents and I…”. Those are only a few examples of an infinite list.
Now, the reason why I refuse using any of this lines is that I believe the bad luck that has kept me company since I was 0 years old has another use aside making my life miserable; it also gives me the opportunity of telling good stories. Interesting for some and made up for others, but still good.
So, instead of saying “Let me tell you about the time I went to Isla Damas” I will say “Let me tell you about the time a whale's tail almost sinks the boat where I was"
It happened in that moment when you think: “This day was amazing and nothing can ruin it”. But before we get to that part, let’s put some context to all this.
It was 2015 and summer was about to be over. By the time it would happen I would be starting my last year at school, which meant by next January I would be worried picking a career and getting into college. With that in mind, my parents decided now was the time to go to a unique place. And since we were staying at Serena, there were options. After almost a week considering all of them, we decided we’d go to Isla Damas. We thought it’d be fun and beautiful to see. Once we actually reached the place, it definitely didn’t disappoint.
We were almost an hour and a half surrounded only by sea. There was no land to be found in the horizon, although that could be explained by the thick fog around the boat. We couldn’t see past our noses! Although this didn’t seem to bother the “captain”. He kept making his way to Isla Damas, oblivious of the silent panic among the passengers.
After long minutes of wiggling movement and my mother’s grip strangling my hand, we finally reached port. And the moment I stood out of the boat and took in what I had in front of me I knew the travel had been worth it.
Isla Damas is like a little paradise within Chile. A place you would hope to find in Center America or Europe. White sand and turquoise water were welcoming us. There were no many people, so it wasn’t difficult to find a free spot. Sadly, because of the bad weather, we couldn’t go into the water, but being there just sitting with the salty air refreshing our faces was enough. We also learned about the history of the island and what had given it its name. Apparently, and according to what the captain of the boat had told us, if you saw the island’s mountains from the distance, you would be able to make out the profile of three ladies.
After an hour of being there, enjoying ourselves we were told we had to leave because other people were arriving at the island. This was a method to not overcrowd the place. So we took all our stuff, took some last pictures and went back to the boat.
The trip back to the continent wasn’t better than the one we took to get to Isla Damas. If it could’ve been possible, the fog had gone thicker and the temperature had dropped. My dad and I tried to remain calm for my mother’s sake. She looked like fainting at any second. The same despise I feel for highs she feels for water of any kind. So being in the middle of the sea, in this small boat with no coast near wasn’t exactly her cup of tea.
Now, if it would’ve been any other day or if the weather would’ve been any different, we definitely could’ve seen it coming. But again, with the fog and everything even have a clear view of our noses was a hard thing to do, let alone an animal under the ocean. Anyway, by the time one of us spotted the creature, it was too late. This huge tail had appeared out of nowhere. We didn’t have time to let out a scream when SPLASH! it had submerged to the water in two seconds time, rubbing the side of the bout.
Then the Captain broke into laugh saying: “You’re lucky! That almost never happens” Just a side look at the rest of the passenger and you would be able to tell no one shared that opinion.
Long story short, we were back at the continent with no more delays. My mom didn’t let go of my arm until we were far away from the sea and made me promise her almost a hundred times I would never try something like that ever again.
So yeah. That’s the story about how we met this beautiful Landmark at Chile and got traumatized on the same day!
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