Crab Key, Isla Providencia, Colombia: August 2017
I went to Crab Key three times while in Isla Providencia. The first time was at night, and I had no idea what I was supposed to be seeing. We arrived via speedboat, just two new friends and I. We scrambled onto the wooden deck attached to the key. With only the moon as ur guide, we decided to climb to the top of the little island hill. I moved slowly, one foot in front of the other until finally there was a clearing. I dared to look up and splayed out for the whole world to see were millions of stars just waiting to be seen. And when I finally pulled my eyes away from the sky I was flooded with darkness again.
The second time I went to Crab key was via boat with a group of other passengers. I broke away from the rest and put on snorkeling googles and proceeded to take laps around the key. I couldn’t believe all of this was here the first time I had arrived. I’d never seen water so clear, straight down to the white sand beneath my feet. I scraped against coral and pursued shimmering fish, ignoring the pain and gulping in this whole other world that exists beneath the surface.
The third time I went to Crab Key, we arrived in kayak. As we approached this little key, it looked like the clouds were about to unleash some serious rain, but in the blink of an eye the sun came out full force and the water showed its diamonds. Sparkling and clean, I couldn’t wait to go under. Out of the kayak, onto the deck, snorkeling gear on and off we went. As we circled around the fish we saw turtles in the distance. Big, lazy, graceful sea turtles twirling for the fun of it. I followed them incessantly, marveling at how comfortable they were around me. When they went up for air, I went up. When they swooped down, I followed their lead.
