The Day We Snuba Dived

Snuba diving, the perfect marriage between snorkeling and scuba diving. You have an oxygen tank which is on a light raft and you have a 20 ft. tube attaching you to the tank. In theory this means you can dive and swim up to 20 feet under the water. And that was reality for one of our party... Annika. The rest of us struggled to get past the whole I really can breathe under water and I'm not drowning right now mindset. I think we all got it eventually, but I definable was not 20 feet under water at any point! I did, however, see amazing tropical fish and the coral reef. 

We were all so busy staying alive that there are no pictures. Next time I'll have Annika take them. Keith got motion sickness, which helped him decide that he will not be going on the sea cave exploring adventure we have planned for tomorrow. A raft along the coast for 5 hours would probably not be a good thing for him. We have tried all of the meds and tricks and he is just very susceptible to motion sickness. It is almost guaranteed he would be miserable for 4.75 of the 5 hours.

So I don't have pictures of an amazing under water world to share with you, but I do have a few from the Luau last night and from the little walk Annika and I took together this afternoon. The Luau was fun and the food was {mostly} amazing. There were a few selections that stayed on my plate. Mom, they kept blowing through a conch shell and I thought of you every time. 

I think that inside of each of us is a bit of wanderlust that causes us to be willing to trade the comfort of home for the inconvenience of travel. Just to see different birds and flowers and foods, it is thrilling and satisfies something deep within. The unfamiliar bird calls, the salt that only comes course ground even at Target, the comparison of prices and the excitement of finding exotic souvenirs all makes it wonderful... but it also makes us more grateful to return to the familiar, where life is predictable and comparatively easy.

And yet, it is not the sea birds that awaken us each morning... it is the crowing of many, many roosters. One of the funniest things to me about this island is the number of chickens, roosters, and chicks just roaming everywhere. They are in remote areas and in the Target parking lot. They are just everywhere.

So far we are having a truly wonderful, relaxing time. Our Airbnb has a kitchen where we are using so many delicious tropical fruits and fresh vegetables. They have an Instant Pot, so I made chili this afternoon because there are so many wonderful meals you can make with chili. The cost of food is definitely higher than we are accustomed to, but there are quite a few little stands selling fresh produce, so we are loving that!

Ok, I'm heading to bed soon. Early bedtime tonight because we have an early start tomorrow. People who just did this tour yesterday said they saw several whales. I'm soooo hoping we see one!

Poipu Beach {We Saw Seals!}

Yesterday we saw sea turtles. I was so thrilled to have seen them! When we were deciding which beach to visit today we read that people sometimes see Hawaiian Monk Seals on Poipu Beach. Obviously I was hoping we would see them. As we were walking down to the water there one was, gliding through the waves. Shortly after we saw a second one.

We saw them off and on as we waded and splashed and marveled at the gorgeous, clear, warm water. After a bit Eliana was the only one still in the water. The rest of us were soaking in the sun on the beach. And here came the smaller (I assume female) of the two seals. She waddled up on the shore directly in front of where we were sitting and immediately went to sleep.

It wasn't long before the larger seal (I assume male) decided to join her, but he didn't seem to be quite as ready to nap, much to her disgust. She told him exactly what she thought about him waking her up. And then told him exactly what she thought of him in general.

He seemed ready to fight back, but quickly reconsidered and decided he would nap later. 

It seemed like a good choice to me.

At least, I'm pretty sure that is what happened right in front of us. I may have gotten 1 or 2 details incorrect, but I know it is very close to accurate.

Tonight we are going to a traditional Luau. Hopefully I'll share pictures from that event tomorrow. We skipped lunch in preparation for the feast after reading about what to expect.

Kauai, Hawaii Tunnels Beach

I have to blog about this trip. I just have to. It gives me that place to return to where all of the memories are captured in real time. That is priceless. And I like blogging. I miss doing it. So I'll blog the trip then see where we go from there.

Yesterday was a loooong day of travel. We had two 6.5 hour flights plus a 5 hour layover in Seattle. By the time we got to our Airbnb we were exhausted and ready to sleep. And we did. I wasn't sure how everyone would handle the 6 hour time difference, but they all slept and have been busy all day today so I do not think it's going to be a problem for anyone.

We are staying in the Lae Nani Resort in an apartment that is rented out as an Airbnb. It's a great place. It is perfect for us. We can walk down to the beach and see it from our balcony. I'm planning to sit out there with a cup of coffee tomorrow morning. There is a huge salt water pool, where the kids are swimming and relaxing right now.

This morning I knew I needed to start the day with an aćai bowl. I mean, I'm in Hawaii. Do I even have a choice? So we stopped at this great little place. Annika and I tried out their {{amazing}} aćai bowls while the others ate bagel sandwiches and pancakes. 

Then we followed the winding road north as far as it would take us before parking in a questionably legal spot and heading to the water. The color of that water! It's hard to describe and absolutely nothing is as amazing as seeing it in person.

There were sea turtles we could see as the waves rolled in. And they would sometimes stick their heads up out of the water.The water is so clear that it was easy to see them just riding the waves.

Everywhere we look there are gorgeous flowers and exotic plants... oh, and chickens. Chickens are just strolling around wild everywhere. I have some pictures of chickens strolling the sidewalks in China so I told the kids I'm going to start a "chickens of the world" album.

I'm ready for bed early tonight. Ok, Ok, I'm ready for bed early every night. But tonight is no exception. Tomorrow is another gorgeous and busy day on the island!