Hawaii-Saturday, Day Eight

We went snorkeling today.

If you know me, you'll know that I can take anything as long as snorkeling and water play is involved. Today I was ecstatic to find out that we would indeed be going to Hanauma bay!! But first, Kate and I made a delicious welcome home breakfast for George and Arnheidur-eggs, toast, bacon, fresh fruit (kiwi, mango, and pineapple), and french breakfast muffins. They really enjoyed it, and even the children ate some!

While Kate and I were cleaning up, Cousin George brought us a nature guide from the big island and showed us some of the pictures of the amazing fauna and flora they have on the island. George was talking about the way that animals adapt and that this particular bird which changed its feet to make them easier to walk on lava was kind of like evolution."

Gulp. I had an irresistable urge and a quiet voice inside that I must say something about how animals adapting to their environment is not evolution. So I said "Yeah, that's neat how they adapted to their environment, but that isn't Evolution, because they are still birds, and give birth to birds." He didn't seem to want to continue the discussion, so the subject got changed to what snorkeling gear we needed to gather for our trip.

After packing up all the snorkels and lunch stuff we hit the road. After our beautiful drive through the Hawaiian mountains, our first stop was the 'blowhole' which is a neat rock formation that looks and acts like a blowhole, and the north shore, where we watched people try to kill themselves in the 7 foot waves in 3 feet of water. Kate and I got pictures of our Hawaiian version of the Sound of Music. Then we went to the main attraction, but the parking lot was closed because it was full!! We didn't know what to do. But, miracle of miracles, we came back around and it was open!! I was so happy, and we went right away to take pictures of the amazing bay. After watching a short film that you are required to watch in order to snorkel there, you know, the one that says, "Don't touch the fish, don't touch the coral, don't touch the turtles, just DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING," we found a spot amid the other beach-goers and ate a quick but healthy lunch I had packed and went right to it!

I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. Okay, well maybe the mountains in the spring, but this was like swimming in a dream! I kept saying that it felt like that I was inside a National Geographic magazine on the ocean! The colorful reef, the vibrant fish with so many colors, and the turquoise and clear water that lapped at it all. It is really and truly an awesome witness to our God's creative design. Kate and snorkeled together for the most part, but sometimes we would accedentally get separated. Or, the chain of events would go like this-Margaret (in front) accidentally kicks Kate in the shoulder while trying to catch up with a big fish. Margaret stops to apologize, but while she is stopping Kate knows it didn't hurt her, so she just starts to laugh really hard and consequently gets her mask suctioned to her nose and eyes. Margaret, laughing now as well, stops to help Kate, and a fluke wave bops her over the head the minute she takes her mask off. Margaret feels stupid after all that and so dives 4 feet to the bottom and chases the fish she had originally been pursuing when the above incident occurred. He responds by fanning out his top and lower fins making him look bigger than he was. Kate gets to see the fish, Margaret doesn't feel quite so stupid.

It was great fun. :-)

Kate and I snorkeled for a total of 2 hours and we also saw not one, but two, sea turtles-in separate places! It was amazing to see them in their natural habitat. They are so graceful, even as they crunch about the coral. I really wanted to go out far where it was 20 feet deep, but the wind was whipping and the sea was rough way out ther and I didn't want to have to be rescued or get drowned. That would be a lovely end to our trip! Besides, the lifeguards already had enough on their hands. :-)

We went to a nice beachside restaurant at a local resort and had a delicious dinner with music and a sunset to boot!! Poor Embla was so worn out she slept on a beach towel in the nearby patch of grass nearly the entire time we ate, but Ellert was still full of energy and liked to run around next to the band stand and dance to the music.

After dinner Arnheidur wanted to go see what was on at the movie theater and Kate and I exchanged looks in the car. We were so tired and it was already 7:40 at night! Nearly all of the movies showing were PG-13 and R rated, but then only one we thought we would like to see was Knowing, with the guy from National Treasure in it, Nicholas Cage. I must confess that it was horrible standing there, not really wanting to see a movie so late, but waiting to see what our hostess would decide. It was determined that most of the movies' next showings were far too late, and that we might be able to do that tomorrow night instead.

A big sigh of relief went up from Kate and me. We're not big stay-out-all-night-and-see-movies sort of people. We were perfectly happy to be at home and write, read or just relax. I am the go to bed early and get up early type anyways, and don't do well with staying up late and getting up late.

Ah, and speaking of which, góða nótt!

;-)