camanoescape – The Wagnerson's Travel Adventures

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Yesterday, Sunday, was a day mostly devoted to shopping.  I think I’d rather run 3 miles than go through that again.  On the bright side, we did some shopping at a local farmers market and saw avocados that were massive….about the size of two softballs put together.  It wouldn’t take but one of those to make a bowlful of guacamole for a big party.  After our shopping excursion, we made our way back to the condo and swam in the pool.  The scenery here is pretty hard to take.  One thing that my camera doesn’t capture well is the profound aqua blue color of the water looking out from the condo.  It is just brilliant.

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Right now it’s 9:00 am and we’re watching spinner dolphins leaping out of the water off of our condo.  It’s a very cool sight to see.  Our plan today is to hang out by the pool and then head out for the harbor this evening for our scheduled night dive with the manta rays tonight.  Should be fun!

On this our seventh day in Hawaii, we all are noticeably wearing down a little with the collective energy level running a little low. I guess “amazing” for seven straight days can just wear a person out.  After enjoying one of Doug’s breakfast scrambles to start our day, we loaded up the rental car and drove the three miles south to the local ocean park we went to on our first morning in Hawaii. Rubi had previously asked us if we got to see a “Humuhumu Nukunuku A pua a”, a lagoon trigger fish. Actually we did. There were plenty of photo opportunities to catch a shot of this fish and both Doug and I did.

After our morning snorkeling session, we came back to the condo and laid low.  Barb did some beach walking while we watched the sea turtles from our condo grounds.  The weather here has been fabulous, however it is now lightly raining.  It hasn’t stopped the surfers outside our condo whatsoever.  We’ve watched surfers of all ages and abilities.  Most are very accomplished…..from 8 year olds to adults, males and females alike.  It is very fun to watch.  We’re now thinking about dinner plans at some new and as of yet untried Kona Kailua restaurant.  Another “exploring adventure” we enjoy!

This is Friday and we set off about 9 am to find some different beaches for snorkeling.  Turning our rental car south, the Wagnersons made it about ten or fifteen miles before we had to stop for breakfast nourishment at the Coffee Shack.  Thanks to Kathy Anderson for this breakfast recommendation.  Our meal was excellent and we were soon headed off with new zeal for Pu’ uhonua o Honaunau, a national park and a Place of Refuge, with reported excellent snorkeling north of the park.  It did not disappoint.

Making our way out into the crystal aqua blue water, we were again inundated with beautiful tropical fish and majestic coral formations.  As I headed farther away from shore, I soon came across 15-20 dolphins swimming underneath me.  Dragging my camera out of the pocket of my swimming suit, I began shooting pictures as they darted and turned below me.

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It was so cool.  That went on for several minutes and Doug and I headed back to shore to check on Barb and Lynda.  http://youtu.be/eP4ob_wekVw

Barb and Doug headed out into the water while Lynda and I watched the dolphins from shore.  These were spinner dolphins and there were babies who would fly straight up out of the water about five feet in the air and then tumble around through the air and splash back down under the water.  They were putting on quite a show.  Lynda was anxious to get back out and get an opportunity to swim with the dolphins again.  She and I went back out and before you knew it, there were dolphins all around us. Lynda was leading the way back to her dolphins.

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I tried to get a video shot of the dolphins with Lynda in the foreground (If you notice in the video I turn the camera to make a longer picture to get both the dolphins and Lynda who was right next to them in the frame…..it didn’t work and only makes the video confusing) but it is what it is…….Amazing!!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBbYXofM5FU

I have been asked by my traveling companions to come up with a different descriptive word.  Kona has been almost magical.  Incredible, awesome, unbelievable are all possible replacements but……..sorry, Amazing works the best!

Since she asked us about it, tomorrow we plan to return to the local neighborhood park to get pictures for Rubi of a “Humuhumu Nukunuku A pua a” a lagoon trigger fish.  We’ll do our best Rubi!!

Short post tonight as the four weary travelers return to Belfast and prepare for our journey south to Dublin and then home on Friday.  Our stay at the Sea Vista Bed and Breakfast was rocked by wind in the middle of the night as the weather here in Ireland turned much more stormy.  Fully embracing the Irish breakfast this morning, I ordered and ate not only black pudding, but also this time “white pudding.”  Not really sure what it was, but the white pudding was tasty as well.  Climbing into our rental car we drove the 2 hours east to return to Belfast.  The roads were much wider and less exciting than our previous two days, although Doug still giggles when he recalls my reactions to some of our close calls in the car.  He insists that we still had 2 inches of clearance at 50 miles per hour.  Turning in our rental car, Doug was especially glad that the driving duties were over.  We had a little bit of Tequila that was purchased last week that he and I sampled back at our Belfast hotel to celebrate his fine but thankless task of driving on the wrong side of the road.  The rain cut loose as the four of us walked around Belfast.  It was like the rain was beckoning us back to Seattle north.  We met up with Kat and her parents Ronnie and Laura for our goodbye dinner at a local restaurant where Lynda again had lamb.  I’m sure all of the sheep around here will rest easier knowing that Lynda is going to be leaving this country with her new found appetite for lamb.  After dinner we headed to a bar where Ronnie treated us to a round of Irish Coffee.  Stellar!!  Tired but thankful, we said our goodbyes and retreated for the night to rest up for the next day in our Ireland adventure.

We said goodbye for the next couple of days to our Irish hosts and the four of us headed out Monday morning for the County Donegal and the northern most part of Ireland in the north Atlantic.  This is a much more remote place.  As Kat warned us the roads are much narrower here.  It is sometimes inconceivable that two vehicles traveling in opposite directions can actually pass the same point without collisions occurring.  This is especially true when a bus is coming at you around a corner and he is 2-3 feet in our lane and we’re traveling about 50 mph.  Our steadfast driver, Doug has done a masterful job, even when the hedges on our edge of the road are coming directly at me as he tries to move over to save the lives of the vehicle occupants.  As Doug patiently explained to the three of us, don’t worry, he’s only caressing the hedges with the car.  Or as he put it another way, the secret to successful driving over here is to “brush without scratching!”  From Stroove to Moville we traveled and the scenery did not disappoint.

We made it to our hotel in Culdaff this afternoon in one piece.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many sheep in my entire life as Ireland.  They are everywhere in the fields and hillsides, even across from our hotel in Culdaff.  After lunch and checking into our rooms, we headed off towards Malin Head in search of Ballyhillin beach.  A beach known for agates and jasper.  This is an unmarked beach in a remote location and the four of us had only a general idea where it was.  Setting off on a wing and a prayer, we “happened” upon a gentleman who was stopping along the side of the road in his car.  I approached him and he said yes he knows of the rock beach but he is horrible with directions.  He said, “you know what, just follow me.”  Driving down gravel and dirt roads and making turns in places we never would’ve found, we arrive at the rock beach.  He said he has lived here all of his life and has never been to the beach but he pointed up the hill and said, “That house up there is my Granny’s.”  He wished us well in our travels and was off.  Here is a photo of us with our new friend.  Serendipity again!!  The beach was a treasure trove of semi-precious stones.  We even had a cow welcoming committee to greet us as we returned to our car to travel back to Culdaff!