Thank you, Vicki, for this inspiring reason never to go to Hawaii, at least near the water. Isn't the whole place surrounded by water though?



The aquatic portion of your story, did remind me of my only warm-water vacation, in Acapulco, years ago.



Too skinny to swim in frigid NW waters, I was thrilled, arriving in Mexico, to find out that one could swim without dying of hypothermia within minutes. I snorkeled and snorkeled in a quiet clear cove south of town, seeing many wonderful fluorescent fish, spiny puffer fish, and many other wonderful creatures, including a Sea Snake (actual reptile - very poisonous) which caused an exciting episode of "everybody out of the pool!". The snake was down on the bottom, minding it's own business.



Anyway, a few days later on a "Lagoon Trip", north of town (where I saw my first and only Jacana), we parked on the barrier beach on the Pacific- an open ocean sand beach. After having a nice roasted Tilapia lunch, along with several coconuts full of a concoction known as a "coco loco"- an insidious cocktail- I was reduced to a near Invertebrate condition in the high heat and humidity.



In the wonderful Pacific surf I decided to try body surfing, for the first time in my life. Relaxed by them Coco Loco's, I caught my very first wave perfectly! " I'm a Natural !" I thought. On my second try, still feeling no pain, I was slapped face down in the sand, and drug up the bottom of the beach. I was still smiling when I stood up with ten pounds of sand in my shorts. Luckily I thought I'd had enough at that point, my surfing career finished, to date anyway. Lucky to be alive.



Jeff Gibson

Everett Wa






> From: vickibiltz at gmail.com
> Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 09:57:47 -1000
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: [Tweeters] Nene's on Saddle Road, the big island
>
> I came here to visit my son for his birthday. Leaving Hilo, we took the new road. In very sparse vegetation we had one pair, actually feeding along the roadside. I was so freaked out about this unexpected sighting, I didn't even think about getting a photo. I've looked all over Maui several times, to no avail. And I was not even looking for them. We head back over that road this afternoon, and you can bet that I will be ready with my camera. Several locals said this newly paved road is a great spot for seeing the Nene.
> On the down side, I snorkeled twice, first at Two-Step, which was great, not much for turtles. The second time I swam too far out, got pulled into some pretty large swells, and would crash against the volcanic rocks, got pulled out and pushed back in. I had divers gloves on, and would take huge breathes through my snorkel as I heard each wave coming. I finally was able to grab rock, and hang on when the wave was pulling me out. After a little of this excitement I decided I was bored and wanted to move on. And get the heck outta there of course! So, worked my way closer to shore, although the waves kept grabbing my mask and snorkel, and I would have to try to get them in place before the next wave. Finally, a huge wave ( I was wondering where the surfers were at this point) knocked the you know what out of me, and crashed me into some urchins. Okay, time to find something better to do. I needed a strong drink, but of course I was still in, screaming at the top of my lungs, swallowing water, blood gushing from my thigh. I just knew Jaws was headed my way.
> I finally worked my way up to where I could stand and not have the swells knock me down. I limped to the sand, and they thought a shark had gotten me, because of the wound.
> This was waay too much excitement for me.
> Next time I will make sure there are a lot more snorkeling where I go.
>
>
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