January 6, 2001 - Saturday

As I was updating the journal today, I found a flea on me. It was from Maria's cat and there were many more to come. I had to get out of the apartment.

I took a ride up to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. The bus was packed with beach-going tourists and it dropped us off close to the entrance of the park. Its no wonder the bay is an ecological disaster in the making with so many tourists being dropped off to go snorkeling and swimming around the hour.

Hanauma Bay (after the people left) (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

The beach far below was already crawling with tourists. There was a sign at the gate with pictures of people standing on the live rocks with a big red X through it, warning people not to step on the live rocks because it kills the invertebrates growing on them. When I looked down on the bay and saw the tourists standing in almost the exact same pose as the ones in the picture, it was obvious that the bi-lingual sign was being ignored.

I paid the $3 admission fee and walked the 100-meter road to below. You can pay $1 and be shuttled each way. "Tourist Trap Alert!" - The beach had hundreds of kids there. Snorkel rental starts at an astounding $30. The water was calm due to the semi-enclosed bay. The green water lapped lazily against the long stretch of sandy beach. The water was green because you get green water when you mix turquoise water with yellow water. The turquoise water was supplied by the Sea God, Neptune. The yellow water was supplied by the screaming kids.

Since I got this far, I took the chance and plunged into the chilly water. At first, I didn't see much. All the kicking and stirring from other snorkelers stirred up the water and scared many fish further from shore. As I swam out further, I started seeing some reef fish among the gray rocks. These rocks looked totally dead with no visible organisms growing on them.

Witch's Brew - Hanauma Bay (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

I swam further out and saw some red-stripped surgeon fish, white spotted puffers, and some butterfly fish. The sightings were infrequent though and I got out after about half hour. After eating lunch, I got dressed and headed along the right side of the bay out to an outcrop encircling a large pool of water called Witch's Brew. The water here swirled and bubbled, creating an illusion of a bubbling cauldron.

On the other side of the jetty that partially framed the brew, the bay was calm and a lot more fish could be seen in the water, such as large bright yellow tangs. I should've started my snorkeling here. I then walked back to the main beach are and walked along the left side of the bay.

Toilet Bowl - Hanauma Bay (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

At the end of this trail at a small inlet, a hole has formed by the rocks and seawater fills this hold from underneath and then sucks it back out on a regular interval. It earned the name "Toilet Bowl". A group of little girls laughed gleefully, treading water in the bowl as the water level raises and sinks several feet every few seconds. There's some good snorkeling here too where the inlet fills the bowl.

I left the beach after that and took the bus to my next destination - Sandy Beach. Between Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach, there are dozens of small inlets with turquoise water and people snorkeling in them. I think this would have been a better choice for me than the bay.

Hanglider - Sandy Beach (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

Sandy Beach is a long stretch of beach with neck-breaking waves. Swimmers, surfers, and boogey boarders congregate here to brave the waves. On the other side of the beach, a few people were practicing their hang-gliding skills. Beyond them, above a mountain range, hang-gliders soared effortlessly like circling vultures.

Light House (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

I continued on along the coast for a few miles and then turned northward to go up to the lighthouse. It was a long, hot hike through dry scrublands. I had to do the hike fast so I could catch the bus and meet up with my cousins for dinner at 6:00.

North Valley (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

I was rewarded with an incredible view of the Waimanalo Bay and Pacific Ocean south of the lookout. I came down from the lighthouse after that and tried to hitch hike for about 5 miles before giving up and finally reaching the bus stop and caught the bus.

North Valley (Oahu), Hawaii, USA

My "cousin-in-law" Kelii picked me up outside Maria's apartment and took me to their house north of the University of Hawaii's campus. They live in a large ranch and the kids greeted me at the door. My cousin Patty showed up a few minute later with a baby in her hands.

I sat and talked to them for a while and found out that Kelii is a directory for a large Christain organization while my cousin Patty works at home as an accountant for a law firm. They have 4 kids and they were all very well behaved, the most well behaved kids I've ever met.

We had a vegan dinner but the soy meat tasted really good. The kids helped out with the water, salad, and cleaning up afterward. They were so well behaved, It was a little eerie. I found out later that they weren't supposed to play with Magic cards or read the Harry Potter books. Oh well. I guess that's the trade-off.

They offered me a place to stay if I needed and Kelii dropped me off at Maria's after that.