Snorkeltown USA

We went on a crew-only snorkel excursion!


Home.


Some of the crew as we approached our snorkel spot.


The spot. Doesn't look like much from above but there is a gigantic colorful coral reef under there. Also under there: beautiful fish, sea turtles, and even a white-finned shark which both Brett and Jeff got to see!! I went back in looking for it but had no luck.



Lunch time!


Heading back after a fun day. (Oh yeah, my crappy snorkel gear broke because it's crappy and broken)

Snorkeling in Hilo 5-26-09

Brett and Mark walking on lava which makes up most of the coast line in Hilo and makes for beautiful black sand beaches.





Apparently I have red hair.


I saw a freaking sea turtle!!


Snorkel for life!!


Snorkeling. This last week has been all about snorkeling for me. It started with a breakfast conversation Brett and I had with some of the musicians last week. They told us about the snorkel hot spots on some of the islands and even where to buy decent snorkeling gear at a good price (Wal-Mart). Me, Brett, and Mark went to the black sand beaches of Hilo (on the big island) where I snorkeled for my second time. The first time I snorkeled was in Kona immediately after Brett and I bought our snorkel gear from Wal-Mart. The THIRD time I went snorkeling was yesterday, also in Kona, with most of the cast and a lot of the ship's crew. My snorkel mask ripped. Maybe Wal-Mart isn't the best place for snorkel equipment.
Anyway, I really like snorkeling!!
(Snorkel or Snorkeling was said 17 times in this post. 19 times.)

Oh crap

Terminator Booger Knife

It really is a cute little theatre.


Bottom right corner.


I know, too much.


The plan was to save one pack for the ship.


I ate both freaking packs of the Sixlets!!!!


I was sooo scared to take this picture. I knew I was committing a Federal crime.


Last night we went to the same theatre where we saw Star Trek a couple weeks backs. You remember, the place that hasn't been remodeled since 1989? Yeah, it's a great place. We saw the new Terminator movie, a movie (like the other ones we've seen) I wouldn't normally see in "real" life. Jeannie made the same point saying that we live such surreal lives on the ship and all that it makes sense to see any (crumby) movie we want.
My review: If you like metal and fire, you'll love this flick!
The title of this blog "Terminator Booger Knife," comes from a saying my friend Neil Sung's little brother used to run around screaming. Neil and his family are Korean (Yobosayo!) and his little brother Steve was super cute. Imagine a little Korean boy running around screaming, "Terminator booger knife!!". Well, my friends and I used to love it.

Haleakala I: The Getting There

Yeah! Convertible! (I made poor Brett put his hands up. I guess I thought the pic would seem more convertible.)


Couple of dudes, cruising.


Wait a second!! A FEW dudes, cruising! Jeff decided to come along.


These trees smell wonderful and the sign is very informative.


We saw a lot of horses and we even saw people setting up for a polo match.


Lots of winding roads. The scenery changed every 5 minutes.


Singing in Jeep



You can bike down the mountain/crater...if you're crazy.


Gorgeous trees everywhere.


Jeep!


The higher we got, the colder it got. Here's me putting on a second shirt.


It started to get pretty darn cold and then we started to see clouds so close.


Next thing we knew, we were IN the clouds!!


I didn't expect that the clouds would be playing such a huge part in our day.


They were awesome.

When we reached our destination we saw this. Unreal.




I mean seriously, Mars.


Thinking to myself, "Am I really going down into that?"


On a whim while in Maui, Brett and I decided to rent a Jeep and head to the Haleakala crater. We invited Jeff and he came along. We really had no idea what we were in for.

"The guidebook and rangers told us that the interior of the crater was the interior of a volcano and the surface was similar to the surface of Mars or the moon." (jeffgriggs.blogspot.com)

It's true, the surface was unlike anything I had ever seen before. We decided to hike around in and on the crater. It was freaking freezing and we were not at all prepared. In the end though, it was amazing.

Haleakala II: The Hike

Brett leading the way.





The hike downhill? Easy.


What are those figures in the distance?


Horseback riders! Poor horses.


Whose bigger, me or nature?


We tried to leave him behind. (not true)


We actually tried to leave Jeff behind. (also not true)


Beautiful view but we were dying by this point in the hike.


One of many stops on the way up. The altitude and sand bottom floor made for a tough hike.


Huffin' and puffin'! Glad I don't smoke anymore. (As of today it's been 5 months and 12 days)


At another stop. We were beat by this point and Brett cracked me up when he said, "This is like the Road to Hana on your feet." I died laughing!!!


We were waaaaaaaay down there.


Cloud factory.


After the hike we decided to drive up a little further to the crater's summit.


In an observation shack 10,023 feet above sea level.



The drive home wasn't too exciting but we got to see this beautiful sky.

THE HIKE!! Man, the walk down into the crater was nice and easy. The walk back up, well, sucked.
I would do it again in a heartbeat. (or in the case of the hike: rapid, chest pounding heartbeats)