Hanauma Bay!

This is the windiest January some can remember here -- all day and all night.  It blows and blows, then it rains some, stops raining the next minute, more wind.

This morning it wasn't raining, mostly, so we decided to try to go to Hanauma Bay. Haven't been there for years and years because of all the barriers to entry. First of all, the parking lot fills up really fast. If you happen to get in before it fills up, then you have to pay $7.50 for a ticket and then wait for the mandatory "safety" movie.  Everyone who goes to this beach has to watch a 9 minute movie on the importance of preserving the reef. It is an amazing beach, on the inside of a crater, filled with fish that live on the coral reef. The sand is nice, the water is lovely. It is the closest beach to Auntie Annette's house with nice sand. Some of the fish are unique to this bay -- the only place in the WORLD for these fish.  In the old days, the parking lot was just a cleared area at the top of the crater and you walked down a steep stairway and then down the rest of the road to the beach. Now they have paved a much bigger space and they charge for parking and entrance. The hill is still steep. We walked down and we walked back up, even though there is a tram that will give you a ride for less money than the Dulles Toll Road.

Classic view as you walk down to the beach. Not too many people in the choppy water.

It is all worth it.

The water was rough because of the wind, so there were big waves crashing on the reef, pretty close to shore.  The area for safe snorkeling was much smaller than usual. But still when you put your mask on and put your face in the water, there is so much to see right below you.  Just a few feet under your belly are all colors of fish, chewing on the coral, swimming in schools, swirling around. It was murky because the waves were stirring up the sand on the bottom and the sun was intermittent. And there were hairless beach apes all around. It was incredible anyway.  We stayed much longer than we meant to.

Hard to see in this picture but there were big breakers through the bay, some crashing on the rocks.

Then we came home and picked up Auntie Annette for an impromptu lunch at Aina Haina Chop Suey (her choice). I had saimin for old times sake but it wasn't nearly as delicious as I remember. Since the days of saimin there are so many new and interesting flavors. Pho is much more complex. Then we went to the Chinese deli that Babe says is the best on the island and got some char siu for dinner.

Home for naps and then we mobilized again. Went to see Auntie Pat and learned all about her boys and her life.  She is very easy to visit and very glad to be visited. Jon watched a golf tournament on her giant TV -- they were playing at Waialae, just miles from us. We had just driven past that golf course a few hours before, not knowing there was some national event going on right next to the road. Apparently the wind was a big factor today.

Quiet dinner with Annette and Fred, just leftovers. We made good progress on the inventory in the fridge. We talked about how lucky these two are to be able to eat what they want, compared to so many people we know with serious health issues. Auntie Annette pondered what her life would be like if Uncle Freddy didn't live here too -- she wouldn't be able to live by herself.  She thought about her friends who are living in senior housing. Somehow she wasn't horrified by the thought but she is glad to be here, living with her brother who does all the cooking, quiet and independent for now.