There are so many awesome adventures to be had in Hawaii. The latest was a trip we took with a few of our friends down to a place called Hanauma Bay. It is a place on the southeast side of Oahu where long ago a Volcano exploded and the lava of course went everywhere. The lava rock that formed under the water is now home to about a million HUGE fish. It is a lovely Reef that is famous for snorkeling. We took a trip down because we were sick of the stormy rain clouds that were covering the North shore. When we got there the sun was shining and it was a very pretty day. It turned out to be an awesome trip, one that we will not soon forget.
Here is Matt. He is quite nice to look at if you ask me. :) Oh and the reef behind him is kind of pretty too.
Here's Me! Before we got to go down and have fun in the water we had to stick around in the entrance area for a few minutes to watch a short movie about the history of the Bay and the rules and regulations and everything. Looking down on the Bay was Beautiful. Definitely a little piece of paradise.
I am funny when it comes to snorkeling because I have been taught my whole life NOT to try to breath underwater but in snorkeling you have to go against your gut instinct. The first few times I had a mini freak out moment and had to just relax and try to breath. Easier said than done I might add. Although, it is now something that we love to do whenever we have the chance. The fish at Hanauma are very big because it is a protected preserve. There are a wide variety to look at, everything from yellow and black to rainbow colored. They are gorgeous! The only down side that day was that the water was a little foggy because there was more surf than normal. It was still an amazing experience.
These are our friends that we went with, Zeth and Chelsie. They have been here quite a bit longer than we have and know all the cool places to go on the island. They are also leaving at the end of this semester to move back to the mainland so they are trying to make the most of the last few Saturdays they have left. Luckily we have been invited on some of these adventures.
After we went to Hanauma Bay and were heading back home, Zeth and Chelsie had a surprise they wanted to show us, something that a friend of theirs had showed to them. I don't know for sure how it works but there is a natural tunnel that goes under the road and out onto a rock ledge where you can sit and watch the waves break on the rocks. They call the tunnel a Lava Tube because it was formed by Lava and now works more or less like a drainage pipe when it rains a lot. But it just so happens to be big enough for people to walk through.
Here we are about to cross through the tunnel to the unknown on the other side. Luckily there is a light at the end of the tunnel. What was waiting for us on the other side was Beautiful...
There are huge lava rocks everywhere and the waves come in and smash against the rocks, sending huge sprays up into the air. I cannot even being to describe how beautiful the whole scene was. I could have sat there for hours just taking it in.
Here comes a Wave!! Now imagine a huge SPLASH! as soon as it hits the rocks. It was gorgeous! One of those things that just, unfortunately, cannot be captured on film.
This kind of looks like Matt is going to die. Good news! - He didn't. There were really cool lava rock formations all around us and Matt decided to go take a look around.
Matt and Zeth climbed down the rocks and when to go exploring a little bit. There were some really big waves that kept coming in, so I guess it could have been dangerous if they had gotten stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it all worked out. This is one of the most beautiful places I have seen here in Hawaii.
At a place just down the road from the Lava tube is this lovely place. It's called a Blow Hole. There is a hole in the rock down there, naturally formed of course, so when big waves come and splash in underneath them it shoots up water out of the hole above. It's one of those places where if your not watching carefully you will miss it all together. It was interesting too, we would see a big wave coming and think, Yes! This means it's going to be a big one! But the size of the wave didn't seem to make much difference at all. It seemed completely random. I'm sure there is a method to the madness but I am sorry to report that I do not have the time nor the will power to find out just exactly what it is. If you are curious and feel motivated, feel free to research it and leave a comment filling the rest of us in :)
Bahaha!!! This is so funny! Apparently not everyone in Hawaii has learned how to read, give them a break, it's a lot more laid back here than the rest of America. These signs are clearly put up for tourist who come to visit.
School has been very busy so any opportunity we have to get out and have some fun is very much appreciated! School only has about 2 more weeks. It's the last stretch of the semester! Wish me luck! Maybe I will catch up on blogging after finals when I have a tiny break. Let me know if there is anything specific you have been wondering about. If you don't ask, I won't tell!
