Clarity – Happenings in Guam’s Marbo Cave |

Have you ever had ‘one of those days’? You know the type I’m talking about. The type of day when you wake up absurdly early, feeling completely restless and indifferent with just about everything. I recently had one of these interesting days. It was all there – the restlessness, the indifference. But I found myself thinking of all the changes I planned on making…all of the plans I have had my heart set on, but never had the gumption to follow through with. These types of days aren’t necessarily bad. Sometimes they end up being days of reconstruction and development. I woke up that morning knowing I needed to change.

Since I was up so early, I was able to make a few long overdue phone calls to family back home. (The 14 hour time difference makes it hard to do sometimes.) We talked about life – work, obstacles, dreams, our hopes for ourselves and our struggles…all the things that make us human. That’s the great thing about family – in a world that can at times be quite chaotic, they always seem able to help make sense of it all. After our hellos, I miss you’s, and goodbyes, I decided I needed to get myself into nature and off the grid for a little while. Sometimes there’s no better way to replenish the soul than to be outside, filling your lungs up with fresh air, and disappearing for a while.

A couple of friends and I decided to check out one of Guam’s hidden gems – Marbo Cave. The descent down to the cave begins with a drive down a long, windy road that’s overgrown by the greenest of green leaves. Once you reach the small parking lot, you continue on foot down a steep but shorter hill, taking all about five minutes or so to complete. On our way down, we remembered to ask the ancestors for their permission to enter the grounds. Moments later, a black butterfly landed on my foot, and softly fluttered its’ wings. It continued to do so for almost 10 minutes and even let me place my hands beneath it. I took this as a sign that we were welcome and we continued on our way.

The entrance of the cave rises about 20-30 feet above the cave floor. An array of different stones covered by overgrown ferns led the way down into the cave. It was calm and peaceful. A natural pool of freshwater filled the bottom of the cave. Rays of light glistened on the waters’ surface, making it look like glass. At times, you couldn’t even see the water was there. It was that still.

Of course the only logical thing to do at this point was get into the pool. As I lowered myself in, I thought of all the ancestors who bathed here before me. The more I became immersed in the water, it felt as though all of my stress, frustrations and mixed emotions that led to that moment, were being washed away.

All of us swam in the water that day. And the coolest part? After only moments of being in the water, all of our dead skin cells began to shed themselves. What happened in the water that day…well, maybe it was all scientific…but to me it was so much more. It was everything I needed.

I left there feeling changed. I walked a little lighter, stood a little taller, and saw things more clearly. The cave was magic…but the real powers came from the people I was with. Never underestimate the power of sunshine, exploration and good friends by your side.