Day 21

So today was our day off. We had breakfast and stocked up on foods for our journey, potato salad and olive rolls. I took a long relaxing shower to ready myself for the intensity soon to ensue. So we packed all our snorkeling gear and tons of water and we’re off. The trail is just a little clearing in some elephant grass field, across from three very tall palm trees. We started down and it was hot but all downhill. We saw and smelled a dead wild pig on the way. Also on the trail is tons of horse poop, sometimes it’s a farmy smell, but mostly annoying. It’s hard enough to find a good place to step, let alone avoid poopy piles. We knew going back up was going to be bad. It sort of goes from field to intense lava rock gravel, which means big chunks of rock and some flat step like terrain. We passed several people on horses, those poor critters, how treacherous. We finally made it down and geared up. To get in you have to jump off this tiny end of concrete jutting out, I have a picture. I hate jumping into water, oh its so scary1 but I mustered my strength, I think I was actually shaking, and it was fine. Plenty of people around to tell you where to get in and get back up so that was good. The snorkeling was very picturesque. Bright yellow fish, striped, big black fish, rainbow fish. The water was so blue and clear you could just look and see how deep it was, but so clear. We snorkeled for a good hour and half, with a lot of surface breaks and swimming. The brain coral was everywhere, oh and bright sea urchins. There were a lot of people on snorkel tours as well. Then when we were done we climbed a little concrete corner, which I think was so much easier then getting in : ) although it was very bright pretty snorkeling I think Kee’I is better because its not deep and surprisingly I see a lot more variety there, turtles, angel fish, schools of long silver fish, etc. We refreshed with food and drink and Eva showed up and snorkled for a little bit then we headed up. I knew it was going to be bad, and it was. So steep, Brianna I swear to you I have been to mordor claming mount doom and back. I mean straight out of hell climbing that rock trail. I think I might have shed a tear at exhaustion at one point or it could have been the buckets of sweat, never have I sweat so much in my whole life, it was just humid and overcast today anyway. Okay so I made it, I realized how out of shape I was. I think I would like to tackle it again though. It took us about and hour to get down and about a half hour more back up. The real clincher is Eva was booking ahead of us not even a sight of tire or out of breath on her. She is 65 and we hardly saw her the whole way up she was so far ahead. It was awful, but I am not going to have bad memories of it, the snorkeling was great and it is a pretty big accomplishment to actually walk to the water from where we live, its so far down, and we couldn’t be closer to this trail, its probably the most direst route except you cant drive a car on it, maybe I’ll invest in a donkey whilst I’m her e : ) So we got back and I showered again today, covered in sea salt and sweat salt, Elwood would’ve loved it. Oh I also wore rather improper shoes, keds, my only non-sandal shoes, with no traction, I did fall but I got blisters. Okay enough whining; really it’s a great memory and personal challenge. So we are back home and decided to finally go to the L&L Hawaiian Barbeque (Hawaiian McDonald’s). There are a lot of interesting things on the menu but all meat so we ate the veggie/garden burger and fries. It was good, I have the fast food drag now, so full and lazy, but much deserved oil and mayonnaise calories after such an exercisefull day. So now I plan to do the crossword I got from the paper at the restaurant and go to bed. Oh also had a lovely chat with Bri on the phone, having such a homesick week : ( So yeah happy New Year, its 2010, an even year, grr. Loves and kisses and hugs.