Just Beachy.

This morning we headed off to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling. It's a beautiful nature preserve inside a cove. They have a giant reef and a lot of fish. And they make you watch a dumb video before you go down about not touching. Look, but don't touch. We rented snorkels and fins and did some splashing around. The reef wasn't teeming with fish, but there was definitely some interesting wildlife. Tim and I did a lot of pointing and then grunting at each other behind the snorkel.

We stayed there until about lunch time and then headed back to Waikiki for... what else... PUKA DOG! Then it was off to the North Shore. We went and hit up a lot of the local places that we'd missed the first time around. Giovanni's is a roach coach that does garlic shrimp. I had a few bites of the shrimp but mostly ate Tim's garlic rice. Then we went to Matsomoto's for a fabulous shaved ice. Behind Matsomotos were a bunch of half-feral cats and chickens. I got one cat that would let me give her a little love. Today is apparently cat day - we saw a random cat outside the nature preserve and I gave it some of Jesus's muffin to get it come over for a tiny bit of love. It makes me miss our kitties.

Right before we got to Turtle Beach, my camera battery died (I blame the fact that Tim took 230 pictures at the wedding ceremony.) So I missed the photos of the two turtles and the seal who had beached themselves for a little warming. They said that seals came up to the beach rarely, so that was a special treat. Then we moved on to Waimea Bay because everyone wanted to see the giant waves. They weren't as big as when Tim and I were there the other night, but it was absolutely gorgeous out, with the sun setting in the background. I ended up going back into the waves, to the chagrin of the rest of the group (seriously though - I am the only person who is not natively from California or an island nation, and I am also the only one who's not scared of the water. Jesus and Jasmin flat out can't swim, and the other three are freaked out by waves. Meanwhile, this little Wisconsin chick was out there floating and crashing around for a good half hour.) It was really beautiful - the white surf and then pink and purple sky. It was one of my favorite moments of the trip, definitely.

We're home tonight and getting ready to go meet the boys for a little wandering. They have some last minute present shopping to do. I am looking to get another Dole Whip, possibly. Alfredo and Jesus are heading back to LA tomorrow, so we'll have the day to ourselves. We're planning on hiking up Diamondhead, and then I'd like to go back to Waimea. If Tim isn't too skerred of the big scary ocean.

The cove.

Us after snorkeling.

I order mine with hot-hot garlic sauce and yellow mustard.

The kitties at Matsomotos. I petted the calico sitting on the bench.

So excited for Hawaiian shaved ice!