Anyway, the first few pages can be found HERE. I’m not posting it to the main page because of extreme profanity, vulgarity, and other fun things.

We started the day by heading to the large harbor to the north for our submarine ride. We were very early, and consequently had quite some time to wait around. This we spent watching the ocean and surmising on the possible presence of sharks (which my dad hates). When the guides arrived, they told us that they only saw a shark maybe once every month which set my dad at ease, but slightly disappointed me. We were soon on the short ferry ride over to our little submarine, and after a five minute ride, boarded the undersea craft.

Immediately when we got underwater, everything turned blue. As we dove deeper, this simply intensified, and at about 60 feet under we basically lost the color red. Throughout the entire trip, we were followed by many Sergeant Majors (a small black and white striped fish which apparently like submarines), and while down on the sea floor, we saw approximately seven species of fish by my count including surgeonfish, yellow tang, pufferfish, and at least one eel. These were all most common among the several shipwrecks we passed.

We eventually got down to 108 feet below the surface, which is apparently a depth which only 0.5% of humans ever experience. It is indeed rather odd-everything turns blue. I was, in fact, rather surprised that we could see much at all down there. There was considerable particulate matter in the water which created a haze and made it impossible to see much further out than 10 or 15 feet. When we surfaced, I found myself wishing that we could have stayed below for hours–this ride felt like only a small taste of the ocean, one I enjoyed quite a lot.

Back on shore, we made our way back to the submarine headquarters, where I found and purchased a small plush submarine called “subbie.” I was particularly drawn to subbie for two reasons: first, he has an entirely dopey expression and weird googly eyes, which, though subbie is an inanimate object, I find strangely endearing. Secondly, “subbie,” or more accurate, “subby,” is a term used in the forums of my favorite online news aggregator, Fark to refer to the submitters of articles. Subby can be either a term of endearment or a pejorative depending on the context, and in Fark, it is typically used to berate the submitter for a mistake in the headline, a weak joke, or simply an inane article. Couple this with the aforementioned dopey expression, and you begin to see how I was drawn to subbie.

We then drove up the coast to see if a seahorse farm we had heard of was open. Unfortunately it wasn’t, so we drove back to a picturesque lava beach where we had seen large waves breaking earlier. In exploring this beach, I found several fascinating little black crabs, which scurried across the rocks and seemed to battle each other before getting swamped by the incoming surf.

I also found a tiny little crab in a tiny shell, scuttling along a small crack in the lava which was half filled with water. He was a dark red with bright white bands across the legs, and each time we reached down to get a better look at him, he withdrew into the shell and wedged himself into a crack. Eventually, the tiny little crab disappeared deeper into the water, and we moved on to watching the waves crash in over the rocks. A small tide pool housed several small brown fishes of indeterminate type. After an hour or two of exploring this incredible beach, we left to look for our Luau.

We eventually found it, and went in to wait to be seated. Like nearly everything in Hawaii, the Luau was held outside. We watched a slightly kitschy Hawaiian/Jazzy band, then followed our hostess towards the cooking pits to watch the meat being extracted and prepared for our consumption. We soon got into line with large plates and were set loose on a buffet-style selection of Hawaiian fare. I can hardly describe the food except to say that it was delicious, though all agreed that the beef was exquisite.

The best and most interesting part of the night finally began when dinner was cleared away, and the dancers came out. The dancing seemed to alternate between very old traditional dances and the typical touristy style dances you might expect. Whereas the older dances seemed to have a very primal power and intensity, the more modern pieces appeared to be simply put on for the benefit of the tourists-the dancers didn’t seem to be as focused on those. It strikes me that this could describe the entirety of Hawaiian culture. There is a fundamental conflict between the traditional island culture and the culture that has been encroaching because of the rest of the world. I also note that this parallels the Island’s biological development. All I can really say is that I preferred the older dances, the traditional ones. They were eminently fascinating, and genuinely made me want to learn about the history of this culture.

The show ended on a spectacular, if anticipated, note. For their finale, they brought out a firedancer-a guy who lights sharp knives on fire and spins them around at blinding speed. If you haven’t seen a performance like this, it’s really hopeless to try to describe it, so I’ll let a picture do the talking:

And that, essentially, ended our day. Back at the condo, I had a beer on the patio and reviewed the day’s events. Today was busy-full of fascinating events, sights, and new thoughts. Tomorrow promises to be a bit slower, thankfully. Maybe I’ll be able to catch up.
LJS-12:30 AM

We went for dinner at a wonderful restaurant just up the coast, and had seats right at the water’s edge. Periodically through the meal (which was excellent), large waves would crash into the rocks below us and shower us with sea mist. We watched an incredible sunset over the western pacific. The golden-red sunlight reflecting off of the water, the light blue of the foam, and the sea-green of the ocean contrasted perfectly. I’m still kicking myself for leaving my camera in the condo.

Eventually, the sun went down and we finished dinner. I had a coffee with desert, and it turned out to be one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had (french press 100% Kona coffee, which I’m sure was completely fresh). I’m going to have to bring some back.

And now we’re watching Mythbusters on TV before bed. Tomorrow we’re taking a submarine ride and going to a Luau. I, personally, can’t wait.
LJS-8:40 PM (HI)

12:30 AM (HI)

Let me just say this in my defense: I would have updated sooner, but my computer was practically dead. In other news, Happy Apple Day, everybody! First, though, I should catch you up.

I last left you in the Tucson International Airport, headed for LAX. The flight was uneventful, if slightly filled with a strange fishy smell. When I arrived at LAX, the usual smog haze on the skyline was surprisingly low, which bade well for our several hour layover. I quickly located my family (whose plane had just docked one gate down from mine), and noted that-poetically-my plane would next be flying to Albuquerque.

Luckily, we happened to be near a relatively good mexican eatery, so we settled down there for lunch. This initiated a period of time which was amazingly uneventful, though my stomach did settle down quite a bit with food. Following this, we located our terminal, and I set about trying to find somewhere to plug in my ailing computer (my dad had checked one of his bags, and as luck would have it, the new, fully charged battery he had brought for me was in that bag). Unfortunately, the only open plug was so over-used that my power cable kept falling out and refused to stay in. Of course, five minutes before boarding the plane, we discovered another power socket.

So we boarded the plane and took off, again without incident. I noted, however, that the 767-300 we were flying in was nowhere near as nice as the 747 we flew to Australia. This fact soon proved itself, as the climate control in the passenger cabin was discovered to be entirely ineffectual. We were in for a hot, sweaty, and stuffy 5.5 hour flight, which made it impossible to sleep. Certain members of the family who were not so used to long flights needed to be fanned periodically to counteract the temperature. My dad and I both agreed-this flight felt longer and was far more taxing than the flight to Australia, even though it was only a third as long!

The in-flight movie was Up!, and though we didn’t buy headphones, I still enjoyed it. I may have enjoyed it more than some people with headphones, actually, because I got to fill in my own dialogue and storyline. I must remember to watch more movies without the sound on-it is a fascinating exercise.

We did eventually arrive in Honolulu, a bit worse for the wear, and we took a shuttle bus across the airport to the inter-island terminal. I immediately noticed that the air was denser than I’m used to. It is sodden and heavy, which sounds much worse than it actually is. The humidity isn’t that intrusive-it’s just another causal reminder that you’re right next to the ocean. We took another plane on a very quick hop across the islands to Hawai’i itself-the big island, and landed in a tiny terminal which really reminds me of a weird cross between Burbank Airport in Los Angeles, and the Alice Springs Airport in Northern Territories, Australia. It is a bit different that both though-as far as I could tell, it was entirely open air. We walked directly outside, picked up our bags, then headed straight for the rental car place. A few minutes later, we drove away in a typical midsized rental car.

By the time we had landed in Honolulu, it was entirely dark, and in Kona it was no different. I had fun reading off the streetsigns and mangling the pronunciation of the local names-things like Wa’aki’kilualu’alopoko and Hiluikapo’oapoae or some such suitably ridiculous spellings.To the right of the car, the few lights I could see would suddenly end, demarcating the coast. We turned slightly, and I caught a sight I think I will never forget. The yellow half moon was at about 40 degrees in the sky, and cast a shimmering sheen across the ocean, leading directly to the horizon. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it, but I think the mental image will probably stay with me for quite a while.

When we arrived at our rented condo, things seemed to keep improving. Not only is the place amazing inside, we have a deck which must be no more than 100 meters from the bay. Sitting outside, stargazing, and watching (and especially listening to) the breakers roll in in the dim light of torches across the bay is simply stunning. I have no words for it now, so I think I’ll stop and say just this:

Merry Christmas.

LJS-1:00 AM (HI)

I also have some side projects going this semester, such as growing various plants and herbs. Several of us Physics/Astronomy majors decided it would be interesting to see if we could grow living things, so we got pots, soil, and seeds for various things. I’m growing basil, oregano, and tomatoes so that I can make my tomato sauce out of homegrown ingredients. Pete chose to grow corn, pumpkins, and watermelon, which should be interesting. Several of us are also considering trying our hands at homebrewing beer. The equipment is rather expensive, so we’ve decided to split it four ways. Still, the kit is supposed to produce about 5 gallons of beer, so we’ll end up with an excess.

In other news, I’ve finally figured out how to use my camera to take nice long exposure astrophotos. Although I don’t have a tracker, some of these photos turned out pretty well. I’ll post some in my next entry.

Pete lobbed several rocks from a good distance away, but failed to dislodge the bug. It was at this point that he requested that I retrieve my sword. I dutifully retrieved the weapon and handed it to him, keeping the scabbard for myself to use as a makeshift bat.

Pete swiped at the bug a few times and managed to get it to move a little. He then gave me the sword back and went to fetch his groceries. When he came back, he somehow annoyed the bug and it began to fly, buzzing angrily. I believe it was at this point when I took off running, shouting “It can fly?! That’s not fair!” and Pete started spazzing out, waving his arms and yelling wildly. Keep in mind, I was armed with a large sword and Pete was carrying his Glock 19, a 9mm pistol. We are two, fully-grown, capable, well-armed, rational human beings, and we freaked the crap out.

I think I need to go destroy some stuff, pound a six-pack of bud light, and play some injury-intensive sports to regain all of the manhood points I lost. At least I won’t be alone.

Note: We later found out that this bug is a Palo Verde Beetle. They can apparently get to be 6 inches long. Pete has another, slightly different account of the incident here.