Today we got up early (and by early I mean 6 AM and not my usual "I'm a night person" brand of early), donned our swim apparel, and drove to the port at Eleele for our big adventure: a 5-hour sail and snorkel cruise along the Na Pali Coast aboard one of Captain Andy's 55-foot catamarans.
Although neither Brady nor Isaac particularly enjoyed the snorkeling stop --neither could quite master the concept of mouth breathing-- and Abby and I opted out of it entirely (we took vibe'y photos of each other instead. I deliberately excluded those from the college), the rest of the voyage was a hit. The boys (including Adam) had a blast sitting in one of the bouncy hammocks in the front and got soaked repeatedly. (At one point Brady even moved out of the usual wet-zone and got smacked with a significant firehose-like blast of water that went between Adam and Isaac to get to him.) We got to see several dolphins, some just a few feet below, and Captain Lynn did an excellent job of sharing local lore. And the food served, especially the house-made coconut pineapple muffins and the white chocolate macadamia cookies, was excellent.
The Na Pali Coast was, as anticipated, absolutely stunning. The sky was a bit overcast, but the magnitude of the bluffs and the height of the cliffs and the greenery and the waterfalls and the caves and the private beaches were intensely beautiful. I kept thinking "wow, God made all of this" and the thought re-amazed me over and over again. I stood there clutching the handrail, trying to take in as much of the scenery as I could as the boat traversed the waves. Save one moment when I lost my balance and my foot came down on some poor girl's toe (and fortunately she was extremely forgiving), my sea legs (and stomach) were surprisingly steady, which gave me hope that my early-stage plans for a cruise some day may pan out.
After we disembarked, our damp, salt-crusted selves headed back to the house, where Abby and Adam's mom decided to make banana bread and Adam, and boys, and I went over to the club pools. I'd had more than enough water for the day, but I did enjoy sitting under an umbrella while watching them do their aquatic thing. (It's a good thing we have a pool at home because they are total water boys.) Following pool-time we all realized how sun burned we'd gotten (well, except for Abby) and cringed over our red knees (because somehow several of us missed our knees, of all things) and faces. A little later, dinner was chicken and rice, and then, well, then it was about 8:30 and we were all pretty tired.
It was another lovely day on Kaua'i, and I am thankful for the hours and for the blessing of seeing the beauty and majesty of God's creation up close.
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