Nicole, age 22, from Shoreview (a suburb of Minneapolis) was helping her grandmother here in Waikiki and attending the Ilikai Protestant Church, where the folks go while they're here. She had snorkeled and body-boarded with Michelle & Britta, and was willing to show us how it's done - and loan us her body boards. She was due to leave Monday, so we decided to go on Wednesday, and possibly snorkel on Friday. The sky was overcast, but we hopped in the car and Dad Norling drove us across the island via the Pali Highway to Kailua Beach. We drove by the place where President Obama spent Christmas, and parked near a beach that not too many people know about.
The rain had begun by this time and it wasn't very warm, but we decided that would make the ocean water feel warmer. Pete pulled his wet suit on and I zipped it shut as he held his breath. We grabbed the body boards and headed down to the beach. The ocean did feel warmer than it otherwise would have, and we slid in with no major problems. We chatted while waiting for good waves; there weren't a lot of them. But when we did get some, we were able to ride them well; it's a lot easier than surfing.
Only three other people braved the weather - young Hawaiian men. We felt triumphant, tough, and very Minnesotan. No one else dared go out on such a day! That was our first adventure.
This last Thursday, we again drove around the island, this time on H-3 - what gorgeous folded-mountain scenery! - and one of our stops was at Waimea Valley. This was a state park the last time Pete & I were here in 1988, but now is a private venture. The various palms, flowers, shrubs and bushes grew lush and large on the way up to Waimea Falls. In '88, they had a cliff-diving show off the Falls, where bronzed godlike creatures leaped into the 30' pool. Now, however, no jumping or diving is allowed, but regular folks can swim in the pool and under the Falls.
Michelle & Britta had swum under the falls, so of course we had to perform the same feat. The sun was shining brightly and warmly, so the water felt even colder than it actually was. We gingerly tiptoed in to our waists, then sank in to our necks - brrrr! I took off swimming as fast as I could toward the Falls, which warmed me a little. I couldn't head straight in, because the current pushes back, but the lifeguard haed given us the tip to use the rocks on the right side to help ourselves along. Pete went right under, and I gradually inched my way to his side.
Standing or sitting behind the falls isn't an option - there isn't any room - so we sat under them, with I-don't-know-how-many gallons of water pouring on our heads per minute. At first I thought I would suffocate, but as long as I kept my head down I could breathe just as I do in the shower, except a little more nerve-wracking. After sitting there a few seconds, I felt a pocket of air behind me and leaned back into it. It made breathing easier, but the water was still gushing over my head so I couldn't open my eyes. The fun was in the thought that we did it, so we got out right away, swam around a while, and picked our way out through the slippery rocks. That was our second adventure.
Our third adventure is described below, in "A Climb of Faith." We've also had wonderful times of relaxing, connecting, eating, walking, shopping, praying, reading and sight-seeing. God has been good to us these two weeks!
No comments:
Post a Comment