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

Tsunami update

Evacuation sirens and evacuation will start at 6am Hawaii time. Civil defense is asking that locals limit phone use at that time. Anyone within the Tsunami evacuation zone should follow the evacuation route. 10-15 foot wave is expected around 11am local time, so it would be around 4 pm EST. 

10-15 foot wave won't be as destructive as the historical tsunamis that have hit Hilo Bay, but it is hard to say if the 10-15 wave will gain momentum or if it will fizzle out. Again, I will post anything I hear.

Forever seeking Aloha,

Britt

Tsunami headed to Hawaii?

The other day I was emailing back and forth with my mother-in-law who lives in Papaikou and she casually mentioned that as she was writing an small earthquake shook her house. Now, with the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, the news on the mainland is reporting there is a risk for a Tsunami wave to hit Hilo Bay. Since it is 8 in the morning here in Pennyslvania, I can't call Sarito or Tom (mother and father in law) to tell them about the warning so I'm blogging instead.  Their house is high enough that they aren't suseptable to any flooding, but Tom's shop is in downtown Hilo....I hope nothing bad happens. The Pacific Tsunami Museum streams a live webcam  http://www.tsunami.org/hilobaycam.html  incase you want to watch what may unfold.
Also, feel free to donate to the museum so they can keep the project alive.
Pacific Tsunami Museum-BayCam Fund

P.O. Box 806
Hilo, HI 96721

My husband's family has lived on the Big Island on and off for many generations, and we are hoping to become the fourth generation to call the island home. If Sarito or Tom tell me anything about a Tsunami I will post it. And if you happen to be in Hilo stop by Shark's Coffee Shop and tell them Brittany sent you.