Kailua-Kona: Part 2

On Tuesday we had scheduled a snorkel/sail trip to a marine wildlife refuge at Kealekekua Bay.  This is where the famous explorer, James Cook, met his demise.  There is a monument to Cook on the shore and the whole area is protected.

The boat we boarded was a 66 ft. trimaran.  Very cool.  There were only 17 guests and 3 crew so it was a nice small group and I didn't get hit in the face by any fins, either fish or snorkeler.  There were a ton of beautiful fishes to see. 

Jeff enjoys his morning coffee

Off the bow

Off the stern-coffee and snacks

They actually raised the sail

Kealekekua Bay

Loving being on and under the water

It was wonderful to get under the waves and snorkel, but we wanted more beach time.  We decided to go to A Bay (the Hawaiian name is too long to pronounce). This bay has a long beach, small waves, and is backed by ancient fish ponds and two big hotels.  We spent the whole day swimming and basking and then decided to take the trail around the fish ponds.  So peaceful and relaxing.  We had dinner and watched the sunset at the Marriott while listening to music from the Luau nearby.  We walked back on the trail in the dark using the light from my phone.  What a marvelous day.

Driving north through the lava

the airport

"A" beach 

Our beach gear ready for our butts. 

a long and lovely beach

fish ponds behind the beach

Ferrel cats live on the property and are well cared for

A mongoose likes cat food too

The biggest fish pond.  Ancient Hawaiians made the ponds

An ancient dwelling

petroglyph

Overlooking the pond

One day we wanted to go snorkeling.  We went to Kahalu'u Beach Park where we had enjoyed the people watching and amenities (food truck, restrooms and showers) as well as the underwater life.  When we got there we were surprised at the lack of people.  It was high tide and the water was rough, but not breaking.  The lifeguards were warning people to be careful.  There is a ring of rock and coral where you can sit and get in and out of the water, but that was covered with with surging water.  It was challenging to get in and follow the channel to deeper water.  Lots of people were getting pushed by waves into rocks and coral and at risk of falling on the rocks while getting in and out. 

After watching for awhile, and remembering the drill from our last visit, I accepted the challenge.  I made it past the rocks and down the channel and enjoyed a rough 30 minutes in the water.  The fish didn't care that the water was surging above them......they went with the flow and there was lots to see. When it was Jeff's turn, he also made it in and out unharmed.  It was a lot of fun, but physically challenging.  By my third time in the water, the tide had turned and it was a lot calmer, and I was a lot more tired. 

While we were resting on the shore, we heard a man shouting and pointing and saw a woman floating sideways in the water.  The lifeguards sprang into action and pushed the surfboard into the water and quickly paddled to her and got her on the board and to the shore.  She was pale and lifeless looking, but still breathing.  They gave her oxygen and called the EMT's.  Little by little she started feeling better.  What a close call.  Never forget the power of the ocean.

The bay

Snorkelers getting in and out

pretty rough out there

So happy

The fish under the waves

Kailua-Kona: Part 1

Jeff and I were happy to get out of cold rainy Oregon, but were sad to leave our loved ones.  Nonetheless we said goodbye to the kitties, and hello to Fred and drove to Portland for the night before our 8:45 am Saturday flight.  Luckily we were able to book a flight direct from Portland to Kona and we settled into our seats in the back of the plane, ready for the 6 hour trip. 

We arrived right on time and after the usual scramble to get to the rental car desk before everyone else on our plane, we found ourselves on old familiar Ali'i drive and looking for food.  After some sandwiches and a mojito (thank you, Emily), and a stop for groceries, we found our condo.  We opened the door of apartment A6 at the Kona Reef and gasped with joy.  The ocean was directly in front of our house! As we unpacked we kept going out to look at the gorgeous sunset.  It seemed to good to be true!

My mojito--the mint was not muddled enough (#firstworldproblems)

The amazing sunset

View from my chair on the lanai.  

Unfortunately, as we both turned our phones to the amazing scene for pix, Jeff shut the slider and it locked.  We were locked out of our condo.  The only way in was through the front door where you had to enter a 6 digit code, and my travel numbed brain couldn't remember it.  The paper with the code was locked inside. We couldn't even get to the front door because we needed a key to get through the gate by the pool and it was also inside the condo.  Waaaaaah!!  We begged the folks at the pool to let us into the complex and then went to the office, but they couldn't help us.  After 30 minutes of panic, we finally found the number of the rental agent in one of our emails and she texted the code.  Whew!  We were finally home at last!

We were exhausted from the flight and the panic, so we spent our first day by the pool and enjoying Kailua town. Our condo is centrally located on Ali'i drive which is 6 miles long but has most of the attractions, lodging and tourist traps.

Breakfast at Huggos.  We had forgotten to buy coffee

The pool at the Kona Reef

The front yard looking north

Jeff finds his spot

 Later we walked south of our condo to a lovely little park and beach.  The surf was rough so we didn't swim, but had fun watching the surfers and walking.

Sunset day 2.

The next day we decided to drive north past the Kona coast to Kohala and a beach we missed last time we were here.  The guidebook said that Spencer Beach Park was a good place to swim without big waves.  We were surprised at the lack of people and settled down for swimming and relaxing.

What a wonderful day.  But clouds were building behind us over the mountains and it started to sprinkle.  We decided to drive 9 miles up the mountain (and 2000 ft elevation gain) to the town of Wiamea.  Wiamea is the cowboy town of Hawaii.  Anyway, the town was cute but wet.  We pulled over for a cup of coffee and croissant and explored some shops and then drove back down to the shore.  We caught the sunset and admired the colors in the changing scenery all the way back to Kona.

The weather has been hot (80's) and steamy, but luckily our condo has air conditioning.  It makes such a difference, especially for sleeping.  It also has a well-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer and a recliner (we've been taking turns). And of course the most beautiful view ever. We have been careful to not get locked out again!