La Gruta Cave, Bocas del Toro

I have the tendency to spring out of my bed and head off for an adventure despite the fact that I like to plan carefully beforehand to prevent hiccups. My trip to the La Gruta Cave was an impromptu decision and one which I truly enjoy!

From the tour companies scattered around Bocas town, I heard of tours to bat caves in Bastimentos. However, I was not very keen on joining the tour as I would need time for long exposure photography in the dark cave without other tourists photobombing the shot. Secondly, the water levels in that cave is known to reach your chest.. I would not want to risk drowning my cameras. And thirdly, due to the high water levels, the only lens which would be safe in my Dicapac case is my 10-18mm, but I wanted to use other lenses.

With all these concerns, I googled for alternatives and La Gruta Cave popped up. The best thing about this cave is that it is located in Isla Colon!

It was pretty confusing trying to figure a way to get to the cave without hiring a taxi (which may be costly) and more importantly a way to return. I took a bus headed to Bocas del Drago and requested to alight at La Gruta. The cost varies slightly depending on the driver (I was quoted $2 and $2.50).

The route to the cave was beautiful where some areas were shrouded by bamboo arches. My driver, who did not speak English, forgot to let me alight at La Gruta and had to hail a bus heading back to town to bring me there. I paid the entrance fee (USD 1) at a house next to the street sign and took a short walk to the entrance of the cave. There were 2 other tourists entering the cave when I reached and a lady was doing her laundry in the stream.

This long-exposure photograph was taken close to the entrance, where sunlight was still available. The water level at the right of the photograph went above my knees which was much higher than anticipated and I got the bottom of my bag wet. Beyond that deep portion of the stream, I could hear the bats and the real fun began.

Whenever the light from my torch shone on them, the bats would start to dart and flutter around. From what I have read, there are several species of bats in this cave. Sometimes, a mischievous bat would fly past my face and I could feel the wind generated by the movement. The smell from their droppings... was quite strong as well.

Although the cave is short in length, the middle portion was pitch-black. Thankfully, my small torch packed a punch and was able to assist my camera in focusing. I need to remember to check the histogram when I do long exposures as the image preview frequently appears brighter than the actual photo. This image is actually a composite as my light painting was uneven.

The last image from this series is my favourite. I love how the purple hues from my torch contrasts with the green light at the end of the cave. It took me several tries to get the light painted to my satisfaction, and during all this time I was enduring the strong odour from the droppings. I think one of the most interesting aspects of this trip is realising that my tripod can accumulate water in its legs after owning it for around 2 years.

Adventures are frequently associated with dirt. However, I only got really dirty outside of the cave. The path back to the main road was extremely muddy and I nearly lost my slippers. I wanted to return to the cave to wash off the mud but the gates were locked. The kind locals directed me to a tap after my feeble attempt at conversing in Spanish (agua?).

To return to town, I decided to waited for a bus. A taxi came along and offered me a ride back for USD 2. The driver did not ask me where I wanted to alight at and I ended up alighting at a random restaurant, which is actually amusing to me. It was convenient as I ended my day with a nice cheap meal from Restaurant Chitre.