Hawaii, Days 1-2

Day 1, December 1: Big Island, near Kona

Mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua

Pics: Condo inside and out (including local insectopedia shots), bird preying on wrapped baked goods (as always, bonus points for being first to identify birds), views from the boat

Drive to SFO because our flight is leaving at 8:40am, too early to really use BART effectively. Get there in plenty of time, they board us early, we’ve got plenty of legroom in the premium economy seats, and then we sit….and wait….and sit….to find out that the captain is now informing us that they have found a few screws missing (hmmmm….sounds like a THB story, right?). An hour late, we’re up and over the ocean amidst some pretty strong winds. Later we find out how lucky we were, as flights were being cancelled all over due to high winds.

Land in Kona, spend a half-hour getting a rental car, then drive ever so slowly on Highway 19 (or is 11?) about 14 miles south to our house exchange condo overlooking the 8th fairway. Find a local market (pretty decent) a few blocks away and stock up on the essentials: Peet’s decaf French roast, New Zealand sauvignon blanc, local brewskies, POG, fancy crackers.

And, we are less than a mile from one of the best snorkeling beaches on the Big Island! Amazingly, our old masks and flippers still fit and appear to work as we take twenty minutes to give them a test.

Dinner at Sammy Choy’s, just up the hill from us, where they have an open dining area with a great view of the water and sunset. We get a real shocka: there is a green flash tonight!!! Damn…a first for us, though we were nearly there for one in Bonaire many years ago with S&A (A was there, the rest of us were off getting pizza). Hummus and pita chips, trio of seafood with brown rice for DB and an seared ahi salad for DB, three drinks (total, not each, that would’ve been another shocka), $90.

Day 2: Same-same

Aloha kakahiaka

Weather: intermittent clouds and blue sky, temps in the mid-80s, light winds

Ahhhh, imported breakfast items from Arizmendi and Acme…$10

At 8:30, right down the road from us, we board the Sea Paradise catamaran, with one other couple and a single woman who seems to know the crew, practically a private charter. Takes about an hour from here and we are at Captain Cook’s Memorial (see pic), a great snorkeling spot that comes with a bonus of leaping baby spinning dolphins (sorry, these fish are too fast for pics) and a profusion of Yellow Tangs, spectacular against the coral. Tons of other fish and, by the time we are ready to leave, tons of people. The snorkeling is about as good as THB has seen outside of Bonaire and a few choice Maui spots. We wear “skins” from the Bonaire era (15-20 years ago? In any case, before THB was THB), which both makes us more buoyant and provides sun protection. Will there be pics….hmmmmm…it ain’t pretty, our bodies are no longer the 15-20 year ago models.

The second stop is not near as successful, rougher and a bit cloudy and not near as shallow, and thus is a shorter snorkel. Plus, THB is starting to realize the mistake of eating a tuna fish sandwich between the two stops. Fortunately, it does not turn into a disaster. Breakfast and lunch included. Total for two of us: $125 + $25 tip.

Now the environmental update: in 2008, along with the rest of the world turning to financial shit, a vent opened up at the nearby volcano (where THB and DB visit in a few days) and has been spewing ash into the sky ever since. Unless the trade winds are favorable, there is a lot of haze("vog") in the sky, preventing things like good visibility, green flashes, and improving tourism. Now we understand why Sammy Choy’s staff was so impressed with the sunset last night and how we thought they were saying it was great that the fog cleared up…fog, vog, fog, vog, my sister, my daughter, my sister, my daughter.

Back to shore at 1pm, and then a rest before dinner. We try an early dinner at Huggo’s in Kailua and hope to catch the sunset. Vog!!!! Lot’s of vog (similar to a massive Monterey Bay marine layer) and.…no sunset. And, dinner is not so good: arugula salad, over-sauced ribs with mushy special fries and slaw, mushrooms and four drinks: $93. About every two minutes (sometimes less!) somebody comes by the table asking how we are doing, do we like the food, is everything okay...sad, trying to hard is pretty much worse than not bothering to ask. Plus we have to work hard to have them not rush us...and the place is over half empty when we leave. THB is having flashbacks (not so fond flashbacks) of how hard it is to get a good meal in Hawaii. Toto, we aren’t in the Bay Area any more.