kealakekua bay and white spotted sea cucumbers

Yesterday we packed up the PB & J's, a few brewskies and a bag of jalapeno chips and headed to kealakekua bay to see the house that washed into the bay. It was pretty packed with tourists when we got there- all of them trying in vain to kayak for the first time. (really they should make ones with motors) And we even came across people trying to snorkel the entire way across which is not only dangerous and stupid, its DANGEROUS and STUPID! We went over and sat on some rocks along the shoreline away and noticed that there were people (most obviously locals) kayaking with drawers and debris on their kayak. We saw over on the back end of the bay a roof and more debris.  After finishing our sandwiches we (well me first) hiked in our bathing suits and slippas as close as we could. Bodhi came across a hard wood floor, subflooring and all washed up along the shoreline. These people are picking up whatever is left of their home one kayak full at a time. It became incredibly sad to know that not only did their house wash away, they had to pick up whatever they could via a kayak. And these weren't very big kayaks either.
Yes, Japan is in way worse condition, but we have to remember that there are businesses in Kona that are completely devastated and a family had their house picked up and sunk in the bay. They aren't getting any help, they are picking up the pieces all by themselves. The retaining wall was damaged in Kona and the entire down town was shut down to traffic. We haven't seen a cruise ship in a while which also means that people aren't making much money either. It just kind of hit home for us yesterday.

This morning I played in some tide pools while Bodhi was at his lecture. I love tide pools!

I found a pretty good reference tool for tidal pool life. I even found several types of sea anemone. Ok Well Bodhi is done talking on the phone so we are going to make some PB&J's and head out!

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

Monday Monday

Last night we went out to see Manta Rays feeding off the deck at the Sheraton at Keauhou Bay. The shine a light into the water, which draws the plankton and little fishes in.  The rays glide through the water with their mouths open and you can actually see them from the deck. It was pretty neat. There were snorkelers taking their chances which is NOT recommended. I mean really- the water smashes against jagged lava rock cliffs, there is little to no visibility out of the reaches of the light, and there are eels/stinging worms/umm sharks! to worry about. If you want to go watch Manta Rays feeding at night I would highly recommend paying for a guided tour- http://www.mantaraydiveshawaii.com/nightdive.html

We had some pretty good Tai food last night from Original Tai. We got our usual- Green Curry and Red Curry. The medium spice on the red curry was nice and spicy and we didn't need any of the extra Hot spice we got on the side. The green curry was a milder medium which was actually very welcomed after the Red Curry. We chose the brown rice which was a nice hearty brown rice- probably the best brown rice we ever had. We washed it all down with some Tai Iced Tea!

The sun is getting pretty high in the sky and it is only 9am. It's a bit hot in the sun right now and it is only going to get hotter. The Kona side is known for the unforgiving heat and boy is it hot already! We've already done some running this morning, before it go too hot. We drank CRAP coffee- I can't wait to get to Hilo to have Tom's coffee. We went out to the harbor area mainly because there has been a sign there the past few days that read " KEEP OUT!" I couldn't keep Bodhi away from it for much longer anyway. Once we got closer to the water you could smell that unmistakeable raw sewage smell- the kind only a person who's been to a waste water treatment plant in 100+degree weather can know- and then we were hit by the dead fish smell. We found a HUGE fish moving from maggot infestation and three buildings just torn apart. They are trying to clear most of it away but you'll find these little low lying spots completely devastated along the Kona side. In Kona the retaining wall was ripped apart and some of the stores are boarded up because of the damage.

Oh, almost forgot to mention that our secret beach has officially become a tourist spot. The first time I went to Mahaiula Bay there were maybe 6 people there. You have to drive over a lava field (not active lava dummy!) on a one lane road carved out of the lava only by people traveling it over and over. Driving out in a rental sedan is NOT recommended (but we do it anyway) but that is half the fun. It is a quiet white sand beach dotted with tall palms completely secluded...or at least it used to be! We took Emma and Chris out there when we were out for our wedding, and then there was a parking lot carved out and even a gate. NOW there was a pretty big parking lot and a little too many tourist types for my liking. We had some great memories of grabbing Corona's, an avocado, chips and some salsa out of the truck and feeling like we owned this little slice of the paradise pie. We'll just have to find the next secret beach- which I am working on as I type ;)

Well, I've go to go load up some Longboard brews into the trashcan cooler and make the PB&J's for our next expedition so until next time-

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

On the Road again!

Here we are in Kona!

We made this video for everyone. Hope you enjoy our banter. After the video we put on some running gear and headed South where we came to a burial ground. We took the path past the burial ground where over 300 people died fighting in the late 1800's after King Kamehameha I died. We walked out to some lava cliffs and watched the waves crashing. It was incredible.
We just got back and did some ab ripper X (that's right, we are even doing P90X on vacation because we are hard core like that.) Had some banana and peanut butter, now it is off to the beach or pool or whatever we want! Oh, and it is only 9:40 am here!

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt