Kayaking Adventure

At last, it was the day for adventure. We packed lightly, not being preparedness experts (like Laura is) and headed for the other side of the island. Went back up the Pali Highway since Dena had never been there and Rebecca has only been there about five times.

Kaneohe Bay, where we soon would be, from the Pali overlook.

Still a gorgeous view. Then down to Kaneohe Bay and Heeia State Park. When we walked into the big lodge, there was a staff meeting going on (this pleased Becca, to see real life activity in the same space the public visits) so we waited a bit for some attention. There is a small nonprofit that runs a rental business and some sort of educational program for kids -- they get a 5 on google and a 4.9 on Yelp. That's all we knew when we got there. It was a simple, inexpensive process to get two kayaks and some gear and a (somewhat useful) map.

Kaneohe Bay is quite shallow and rocky on the coast side, then there is a deep part with dark blue water and more choppiness and then there is a wide sandbar about a mile off the shore. We headed for the sandbar.

The yellowish line near the horizon is the sand bar we paddled out to and snorkeled at.

Out there you can get out of the boats and stand up and the water is about knee high.  We saw a big sea turtle immediately, paddling past us. We hung around on the sandbar and did some snorkeling (lots of sea cucumbers on the bottom and some fish, but nothing dramatic). It was fun to be in water that didn't swamp the snorkeling tube with waves. Lots more turtles but no manta rays (that was okay with me).  

It was a mild adventure, but it counted. We had to paddle against the current, we had to navigate our way back (funny how different it looks coming from the ocean direction -- Jon and Dena didn't realize we were almost back at the beginning until they were 100 yards away, but Becca and I knew where we were going so we wouldn't have let them go too far past), and we had to paddle together, not necessarily a native skill of ours.

We didn't take our cameras while paddling so this picture is at the end.

Some of us didn't have dry clothes, but we figured that if we wore them wet they would dry out pretty soon. We regretted not bringing at least one extra shirt (Dena did, of course, but the rest of us travel a little too light). Good Vietnamese lunch in Kaneohe and then Becca and I napped in the back seat while Jon drove us home the long way, stopping at scenic overlooks.

Looking back up the coast towards Kaneohe and Kailua. The hill in the distance behind Dena is the MCBH (Marine Corps Base Hawaii) which was convenient when President Obama stayed at his home in Kailua.

Shave ice in Hawaii Kai (which Becca agreed was pretty good, so we have two approved sources now) and home to get another leftovers meal on the table. It is a constant battle, keeping the fridge from overflowing, and rotating the stock.

Back at home, people are preparing to descend on the many guest rooms in our community, getting ready for the Women's March. I hope somebody writes a good report, since we will still be seeking adventure far away from the political realities that are unfolding.