We drove back over Kilauea to Na’alehu scrapping our plans to hike to the summit of Mauan Kea as it was socked in by rain and the forecast was for more rain. We stopped and cooked dinner at the Wai’ohino Park, Fishermen drove up and washed down their gear and a couple showed up to set up a NA meeting in the shelter and shared their starwberry crisp dessert with us.

We then drove back down to the land because Ben had texted me the location of the hammer in case foul weather led us to reconsider our plans to hike Mauna Kea. I pulled the plywood off the door and we bedded down in the shack for the first time ever in the four trips we have made here in the past 12 years.

On Christmas morning Jakobi retrieved her stocking which she hung on the same tree as 4 years ago. Santa Colleen filled it because I would have given her a lava rock after all her nasty behavior every time she gets frustrated with a word but Colleen better nature prevails and she got a guava and a quarter. I ran up the hill and 2 laps around the park for the 4th and last time this trip loving the trees on the hills of Wai’ohino as I made my way up around and down.

We then packed up and headed north to Ho’okena where we hope to camp the next few nights

Ho’okena Beach

It is Christmas Day and we drove the 50 minutes up the coast to the beach at Ho’okena. We enquired about camping and were told it would open tomorrow. So we decided to spend the day, go back to Na’alehu for the night and return tomorrow to camp.

The dolphins were in the bay so I grabbed my mask and fins, banged another toe getting in and swam out to meet the dolphins. I had a good swim with them but got tired of the other snorkelers reaching out to touch them, diving down and crowding them so I cut my swim short and headed back in to break my fast.

It was a nice beach day, cloudy and drizzly at times but the waves were fun to ride and Ambiana and Jakobi perfected a tandem boogie board technique.

We read and played in the waves and people watched; in particular a trio of Hawaiian boys who boogie boarded off to the left among the rocks.

When I spied that the dolphins were still out there in the bay and no snorkelers were around them I went out for a solo swim with no camera, just me and my soul and the blue sandy bottomed bay. I looked around and determined where the dolphins were and positioned myself to let them come to me and soon they did; a large pod, probably 50-60 dolphins and they were all around, beside and below me. It was a blissful swim with a few couples coming in close to have a better look at me then drawing away and fading into the blue. After awhile I sensed they wanted peace so I began the long swim back in. I stopped 1/2 way back and turned and saw the pod again approaching and soon I was in their midst again. It was sweet. Two came real close and with one of them we gazed deeply into each others eyes.

We headed back to Na’alehu for the night and woke to pouring rain, out on the porch there was thick gray sky all around and it did not let up as we packed up the shack for the 2nd time and crammed into the car and drove North lamenting all the rain. But as we headed North the sky lightened and by the time we were above Homomolino there were patches of blue and you could see ahead where the thick cloud cover ended.

Once back at Ho’okena we enquired again about camping and were overjoyed to get 2 nights for $105. We pretty much had the camping to ourselves until a large party of Czech’s arrived around sunset,

We hung on the beach all day, I had another dolphin swim before breakfast

It was a great beach day, reading snorkeling, body surfing, watching Ambiana and Jakobi play in the waves, people watching, sunset watching. The sea had a big swell in it which made swimming like rolling between mountains.

We ate pasta dinner around 5pm and lolled about in the sunset light. I wanted to stay on the beach at night but rain rolled in and we headed into the tent to read before sleep

Day 2 @ Ho’okena

December 27th was the perfect day on a beach in Hawai’i. Woke up with the sun and sat on the beach as the sky lightened watching the swell. The dolphins came in and I had a brief swim with them before breakfast and a nice long snorkel over the reef.

Three times in the sea before breakfast then it was chill in the shade of a plam tree, eat breakfast, read book. Jakobi made a friend from Vancouver BC and was in the waves for hours.

The beach filled with campers and we played Phase 10 and Quix and took breaks to go play in the surf riding the waves, another brief swim with the dolphins, snorkel body surf make a rice, bean and potato dinner,

roll in the sunset surf painted gold and orange by the setting sun then crawl in the tent and start the 3rd book of the trip.

Day 3 @ Ho’okena

Awoke again with the sun and made my breakfast for later and then washed the dishes and began to pack up. I see the dolphins out in the bay and head out for a sunrise swim with them all alone. Out in the blue bowl with sandy bottom I see 2 dolphins come towards me. They swim right up to me and turn and swim away and bring the whole pod back with them. 35-40 dolphins made up of small intertwined groups, squawking, rubbing, having sex all around, beside and below me they take me into their pod embrace for awhile. I dive down and swim deep with them. They are really close and it is awesome. I see a pregnant dolphin and a couple bring a young dolphin close by to me to say hello and then they are gone. Namaste! What a morning swim. Just me and the phins, no dolphin cops or groups of grasping snorkelers. I swim slowly back to the beach completely satisfied.

The girls are now up and we pack up and depart this wonderful beach, into Kona to get food and find Jakobi a new bathing suit., visit the bookstore for the 3rd time to exchange some books and then head to Kealakekua Bay