Succeeding at not drowning

Second morning in Praja a Mare. Yesterday was a nice day at the beach. Grace and I went swimming as Martina sunbathed, after pointing us towards a cave that we could go to. The beach was all pebbles and the cliffs were walls of dark grey rock. I hadn't gone swimming in a mighty long time, but after I started getting adjusted, Grace and I decided to find this cave. We found a niche in one wall and decided to try to get in. The water was a bit choppy, so it was somewhat difficult: ride a big wave so that you can grasp a higher rock, and hold on tight so as not to be sucked back into the sea. It took Grace a couple of tries, but I must have gotten the timing just right, since I made it up the first time. The niche proved to be rather small, though I wondered if you could actually climb further up if you had the right gear and the guts. After I got out, Grace pointed me around the corner to what we figured out was the actual cave Martina had told us about. With my claustrophobia mostly suppressed, we swam in through a little tunnel into a bigger space, lit by some sunlight reflecting in the blue-green water.
We exited through the other side of the cave and swam back to Martina. She told us that there was another little beach on the other side of the mountain wall, so we set off. I think we got a little off the path as we scrambled up the mountainside, getting scraped by the rocks and plants as we tried not to slide back down. We found a spot with a nice view to rest for a while before descending to the beach. We swam out below the cliff-jumping arch (22 meters high, they say) to verify that it was deep enough. Grace was convinced, but I knew I would have to see some one do it first.
After relaxing in the mesmerizing waves for who knows how long, we went back to Martina to take us up to the top of the arch. It didn't take long for Grace to decide to jump. I went down back into the waters below, "just in case." Martina told Grace, "even if you don't hurt yourself, you won't be able to breathe once you come up. But don't worry, it's normal." I got into position, and when all were ready, Grace launched herself from the arch, plummeting into the water with an enormously loud splash that took me by surprise. I swam to her and asked if she was alright, since she had let out a huge gasp when she resurfaced. With an affirmative response, we swam back to the beach and climbed back up to meet up with Martina. That's when I noticed blood trickling down Grace's leg. At first she told me that it didn't hurt, but after we got down to the next beach and she washed off the blood, she noticed that there was something wrong with her knees. They sure didn't look right to me, but Martina was convinced that if it were serious, Grace wouldn't be able to walk. "100% of Australians jump," Martina tells us.
We get back to the hostel and all take a little siesta nap. When I wake up, Martina asks if I want to go downtown to get a gelato and so that she can find a girl to ask her some things about a thesis she needs to write. I asked her what class it was for. Making me promise not to laugh, she tells me that she needs to graduate high school. It turns out that she dropped out of school to travel the world when she was sixteen. I don't know how old she is now, but she sure has an amazing life story so far. If you're born in Praja, it's expected that you stay in Praja. Martina's known around town as a bit of an oddity, but maybe things are starting to change. After 27 years of one mafioso mayor, they finally elected a new one, who might be able to boost tourism and turn Praja around. Martina's optimistic, but I cautiously worry that the battle for progress is far from over.