On day 2 we woke up and decided that we would just hang out on the beach. Last year we packed our schedule so full that we spent our final days wishing we had swam more and sat on the beach with books in hand. We didn't want the same regret this year (but strangely--ended up with it).
I spent the morning making phone calls: Helicopter company (what? you want our weights? let me go in another room to tell you that....), Catamaran company, Hindu Temple (tours booked 'till late August? sad panda...), local garden, and resort spa. After throwing down a ton of money to hold reservations, we showered and grabbed coffee @ the resort. So began day 1 of my island conviction: "I'm drinking a coconut mocha every single day that we're here."
By the way, I gained somewhere between 3-4 lbs on this vacay. Good thing I had lost over 10 before going on it...
We headed to Hanalei from Princeville to rent snorkel gear before hitting the beach. Paul, my friend's husband, made his position of refusal to ride in my Jeep known to all ("she's going to tip it, those things aren't safe...") and so we took 2 cars. I somehow convinced my friend to ride in the Jeep. She struggled to get in--in the most unlady-like fashion. There were underwear and arms, and there was laughter and shame at modesty foregone. Kat is probably one of the most modest people I know, and so it became my mission to get her to ride in the Jeep as much as possible. Last year it was my mission to get her to pee in the ocean...she had gone her entire life without urinating in open water (who does that)??
We got to Hanalei and believed that the boys (save my fiance, who was with us) would follow us into the parking lot. They didn't. We later discovered that they had followed another white Jeep, and that Paul had spent the trip marveling at how safely I was driving until he watched the Jeep park and observed an overweight and rather burly man in his early-50's got out.
We rented snorkel gear and PS bought an incredible "tourist hat" for our hike (Napali coastline) later in the week. Then off we went to Tunnel's Beach for our first snorkling adventure of the trip.
We couldn't swim without first having Shave Ice at the stand...I opted for Coconut and Passion Fruit, PS went for the banana coconut smoothie. We all sat in the shade and watched tanned tourists of all sizes mozey by.
(The sun through palm trees at Tunnels Beach)
The beach was beautiful but there were "high tide--danger" signs everywhere. I recklessly jumped in and swam out until the waves weren't pushing me around so violently. I looked back to see that the rest of my party had abandoned the quest, so I decided to just stay out for a few minutes...or until I saw a turtle.
30-45 minutes and 1 turtle later I returned to a party who were reportedly "starving to death" and very bored. They asked if I had found Atlantis and insisted that we come back to the beach when the wind was down and visibility was better. Admittidly, it was the worst visibility I've ever encountered at Tunnels.
We headed back to Hanalei where we made our first of 2 stops at Tahiti Nui to eat what all of us have determined is the Best Pizza We've Ever Had. EVER. Fresh pineapple, sweet and smoky ham, a sweet crust dripping with flavorful sauce and cheese that melts and slips around (as opposed to whatever stationary cheese product it is that they put on pizza's these days). We chased it with Mai Tai's and Passion Fruit Martinis before heading back to the resort.
I don't remember what we did that first night...chances is that it was Carcassone on the 2 I-pads & smart-phone, followed by swimming. That was the routine for much of the trip. I do remember that we all went to bed relatively "early" so that we could be refreshed for our helicopter tour the next day. And that we slept like babies.
No comments:
Post a Comment