Thursday: Dream of the green turtles.
Our day began with two options: a short hike or ride in the minivan to Hapuna Beach. The land between our Hale and the beach is wild, criss-crossed with dirt roads, scruffy grasses and trees, a section of a longer trail called Ala Kahakai. It’s one of those rare places with open camping and no rules. There’s a nude beach and at least one abandoned vehicle. That kind of place. We are well behaved anyway, and find our way to the soft sands of Hapuna.
Chef Clare had joined us on the hike, and cooled off with a splashy dip in the gentle break. A rare sight to see our chef in the ocean with us!
Turtles were the theme of the day apparently, as immediately one came to play. Photos, of course. Ryan swam us to a cave on the rocky southern end of the beach, where we entered a big cave and scouted around for cute little seashells. Done correctly, the entry and exit to the cave is less than graceful, but we completed the task egos intact. We enjoyed a 1/2 mile of uninterrupted swimming to the north end of the beach, where another turtle came out of its own little cave to join us. Another 1/2 mile back to the starting point, another turtle, and our job here was done. We were down to only 2 hikers for the trip back to the Hale.
Naps. Am I right?
We spent the rest of the day here at the Treadwell House, a cool breeze coming off the ocean as sunlight filtered through the Kiawe trees, birds singing. It might be one of the most relaxing places on earth. Our afternoon swim morphed into a photo session, where Heather does her famous swimmer portraits. Two more turtles showed up, photo bomb style.
We’ve been enjoying bringing our little hula girl along on our adventures this week. Who knows what she’ll get up to tomorrow…
After that, our massage therapists arrived. Crackers, cheese, and fruit were washed down by a light red wine. I made daiquiris and guava rum punch. Clare and Dan arrived with seared Halibut that Clare caught in Alaska and salad of locally sourced ingredients. As she describes what’s in the salad, Clare uses the names of the farmers she procures from. A very personal, o’hana touch.
Early to bed for this gang, as we have a big swim tomorrow at the Iroanman course in Kona. Over dinner, we discussed the plans. Ryan reported a swell coming in tomorrow morning, so we could be in for a bumpy ride. We joked about whether or not to applaud for one another as we finish. Applause or not, we tacitly agreed we’d get it done, together.
Hopper
