chase the light

This morning I had to get up at 6:00 to get to Hanalei Bay by 6:45. The catamaran trip around to Na Pali is on. It was cancelled on Wednesday because of a boat problem. The night before I charged all my batteries and got packed to check out of the hotel bright and early. Slept terrible knowing what time I had to get up but I was able to grab my stuff and hit the road on time. I was the first one at the check in counter and she gave my a dry bag to put my stuff in. As I went back to the car to grab my underwater camera I realized I had left the battery charging in the wall back in my room. Crap.

There was just no time to drive all the way back and get it so I had to go without it. We took a little outrigger canoe out to the catamaran and as we were waiting for the second group to arrive there were 4 or 5 sea turtles popping their heads out of the water all around us. We took off and the trip was amazing. Gorgeous coastline and we ducked in and out of some caves on the way down.

After Kalaulau Bay we stopped for lunch and to do a bit of snorkleing. So, right now either it was going to be cool not having my camera battery because the reef is lame or I was going to be completely heartbroken. I hopped in the water and started swimming around and honestly it wasn’t all that amazing. Some fish here and there but overall not any better than Tunnels Beach. Until… SON OF A BITCH!! I head out off of the reef into about 30 feet of water and there swimming underneath me are 3 sea turtles. Not just swimming by but hanging out and gliding around being bitchin’ turtles. I dive down to one and swim up right next to him and pet him on the head. He looks at me and just hangs out and continues gliding around. I hang out with the turtles for about 45 minutes just swimming with them and watching them hang around. I notice a pattern though that they have to come up for air every once in awhile. So instead of divng down to them I just wait at the surface as they swim up right next to me and poke their heads out of the water for air. Amazing. The water was totally glassy and clear for about 100 feet so the visibility was perfect. And there I am without my camera. So sad. Just a memory, but one I’ll never forget.

After lunch we headed back to Hanalei, but first we stopped near a beach to pick up a Hawaiian guy who lives on the beach along the Na Pali coast He does so illegally but he just keeps going back each time he gets booted off. He was funny and told some stories abut the area. After getting off the boat I repacked my packs and grabbed a final Shave Ice at Wishing Well and headed to the airport.

Returned the car. Got on the delayed flight. Sat next to some honeymooners from Georgia who couldn’t be a day over 19. The flight seemed waaaay long. Touched down about midnight. Got a cabbie who somehow misunderstood me saying “Can I get some change?” with “Keep the change.” Selective hearing. I vastly overtipped him but whatever. Got home about 2am. The end.