Honolua Bay

Honolua Bay one of three bays that make up the Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District.  A twenty minute drive from our hotel, it offered an opportunity to snorkel away from the usual tourist crowd.  Sue (from Florida) had snorkeled here with Kathy (from Québec) earlier in the week and wanted to return with us and her husband, Henry.

After parking on the side of the highway, we made our way down through dense rainforest to a rocky beach.  A few snorkelers had staked claim to some dry rocks and we stashed our stuff nearby, having left our valuables in the trunk of Henry's rental car.

We scrambled over the slippery rocks until we found a place suitable to enter the water which we did on our butts.  The surrounding hills shaded the bay as we groped our way out into deeper, sunnier water.  I soon lost sight of everyone and began to panic remembering the first lesson of snorkeling was to stay with a buddy.  Well, my buddies had vanished and not having my glasses made finding them impossible.  However, a tourist catamaran lay anchored in the bay and had just disgorged its compliment of snorkelers so I was not alone in the water.  Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself to relax and enjoy the view.

Since Honolua Bay's waters are protected, the fish haunting the coral reefs are abundant and varied.  I saw Morrish Idols, Needlefish, Reef Triggerfish, Sailfin Tang Surgeonfish (photo), Black Dragon Triggerfish, Peacock Grouper, and Yellowtail Wrasses to name a few.  Glen also saw a flounder and Sue, a moray eel.  I may have seen a Bluefin Trevally which is a very large fish but I couldn't photograph it so can't be sure.  It was pretty exciting and I actually swam quite far out on the reef before realizing I had done so.  As I made my way back, Glen called to me so we could swim back together.   Getting up on the rocks proved to be a challenge and I ended up cutting the palm of my hand on some barnacles (I think).  It wasn't a serious wound but bled enough to be a problem.

Sue and Henry left us at the hotel and went off to pack as they were departing on an afternoon flight.  Also leaving, but in the evening, was Tim.  He joined us for lunch at the Hula Grill where I enjoyed Maui ceviche and a chicken salad while Glen had a cheeseburger.  Tim had a cheese pizza which did not appear on the menu so he was surprised when it arrived.

After saying our good-byes to him with promises to meet him in San Francisco, we walked to the golf course.  We wanted to know how long it took as well as check out the first hole.  Now, I was getting excited for tomorrow, Glen's birthday, and our game on a championship course.

We returned to relax on our lanai until suppertime.  We were tired of making the walk down to Whalers Village so ate in Japengo, an east-meets-west restaurant in the Hyatt.  Not knowing the size of the portions, I ordered a Big Roll (sushi roll) and a mahi mahi dish and Glen had calamari followed by a cashew-coated chicken.  I couldn't finish my forbidden (black) rice and Glen had no room for dessert.

As we left the restaurant, we heard someone calling our names.  It was George and Martha enjoying a drink on Japengo's patio.  We joined them but had had enough beer with supper so just chatted.   It was a great end to another day in paradise.