To the beach...

Monday, Dec 26
We slept in this morning, getting to breakfast a little after 9am. After breakfast, we went back to the room to laze around a little more and discuss what we should do for the day. There has been a barge of some sort parked in the bay, and we finally took binoculars down at breakfast to satisfy our curiosity. Upon learning that it's a jet-ski rental establishment, Rob expressed an interest in renting jet-skis. The other options for the day were to drive north to find a sandy beach, or drive south to another snorkelling spot. Eventually I made the executive decision to go to the beach. So we suited up, lathered up and hit the road.
I seem to have lost my funky black hat from MEC, so we stopped at Target to buy something to cover my head. I picked up a white baseball cap with "Aloha!" written across it in bright colours. Because, you know, I didn't look quite enough like a tourist before. The price on the shelf was $6, but it scanned at the cash for $13. It turns out the hat was put in the wrong spot on the shelf, but the cashier gave it to me for $6. Score! We also picked up a beach umbrella.
I was looking for a beach called Kua Bay. The directions in my guide book took us to an unmarked road which led to one of the most crowded parking lots I have ever witnessed. It reminded me of signs in a parking lot in Northern Australia at a popular swimming hole, "If this parking lot is full, Buley Rock Hole is crowded. Please come back later." Cars were parked all along the road, to about a 20 minute walk from the beach. I decided since I wasn't even sure this was the beach recommended by the book, we decided to keep moving. The next stop would be Hapuna Beach, lauded as the most spectacular beach on the island, but another 20 minute drive away. Along the drive, it started getting really windy. Once we arrived at Hapuna Beach, the wind was so strong that not many people were hanging out. We got in the water, but there weren't any waves to play in. Plus, the wind was lifting sand from the beach and tossing it in our faces. So we got out of the water and sat in a protected cove on the beach for about another half hour before Rob pointed out that the hotel pool had better seating and alcohol for sale. Back to the hotel!
On the way back, I suggested we take another look at Kua Bay, hoping that at 2:30 in the afternoon, the crowds would be starting to thin, and we'd be able to see if it was worth going back in the morning. This time, while it was still very busy, we were able to snag a decent parking spot. Once we walked down to the beach, we discovered why it was so busy. The waves were perfect for boogie boarding, and the whiter sand made the water appear much lighter. We stayed for about an hour, playing in the waves.
For dinner, we had reservations for the hotel luau. $58/person for all you can eat, all you can drink and a Polynesian dancing show. Line ups for the bar were long, cups were small, and Hawaii state law apparently limits each person to 2 drinks at a time. So we essentially got back into line as soon as we got our drinks. The other people at our table were a retired couple from Alberta now living on Vancouver Island, with their 2 adult children still living in Alberta. Calgarians are everywhere.
The food was excellent. Rob and I had more than our fill of fish, beef, chicken, pork, coconut and pineapple. Finished off with pineapple upside down cake and coconut cake.
The show included dances from various Polynesian islands, including Samoa and New Zealand where Rob and I have visited before. In New Zealand, we attended a Maori dinner, similar to a Hawaiian luau, and were seated at the only table with other English speaking guests. As a result, Rob was brought up on stage and learned the haka, the New Zealand warrior greeting, designed to intimidate. At the Hawaiian show tonight, the man doing this part came through the audience and gave his scary, tongue hanging out growl to various men. He gave it to Rob, who returned it with an equally scary growl and tongue. He was probably the only person in the crowd who has learned the Haka from actual Maoris. He suprised the guy and earned a laugh from our table. Later in the show, a man did a Samoan fire dance. It was slightly less impressive than the 11 year old world junior champion that we saw in Samoa, but good nonetheless.