Hawaii Trip - Day Nine (10/29/09): Life's a Beach

After another fabulous breakfast at our B&B, we packed up some picnic food and beach gear, lathered up with suntan lotion, and headed to Hapuna Beach. Most of the beaches on the Big Island are made of lava rock, but there are a few actual nice beaches, and this is one of them. In fact, it's often voted Best Beach on the Big Island. It was about an hour's drive north; we arrived about 10:45. It was a gorgeous day, and the sand was soft and lovely. There weren't any shady spots, so we just set up our stuff out in the open. We walked down one side of the half-mile-long beach, toward a hotel. (So romantic!) Then we made our way back to our spot on the beach, settled in, and had some lunch.After some people-watching, we decided to check out the water. I enjoyed bobbing around for a little while, but then the crashing waves and saltwater started to bother me, so I got out. (I have learned not to push it!) Tomkin decided to try body-surfing, so I watched from the shore and took some photos and video. He was amazing! He would fly into a wave and ride it up to shore, with no board whatsoever. It was really fun to watch him. Eventually, a lifeguard came over and posted signs about the dangerous current, so Tomkin decided to get out of the water. We rested on the sand for a while--Tomkin was pretty pooped! Then we walked down the other side of the beach and watched a group of well-seasoned boogie boarders riding the waves. One guy was only using a cafeteria tray! We packed up our stuff and headed back to the B&B. While I took a shower, Tomkin called Fletch to check in and see how things were going at home. (Fletch and Liz house- and dog-sat for us.) Fletch said that the first few days, Chloe kept looking in all the rooms, as though she was looking for us. Eventually she stopped doing that and settled in to life with her new people. I really missed her while we were away, and I felt bad that she had missed us so much, too!

Tomkin and I headed back to Keke's for an early dinner. I got the brisket again, and Tomkin ordered the ribs. That food was SOOOO good! The owner came back out and chatted with us, and he invited Tomkin to join him out in front--said to bring his camera along. Turned out some friends had just caught a wild pig, which they had in the back of their pickup truck, along with their dogs, one of whom had gotten injured during the hunt. (I'll refrain from posting close-up shots of the pig.) A lot of people told us about the wild boars on the island. Some people hunt them with bows and arrows, but other people just use their bare hands. Often they'll have their dogs chase down the pig, and then they'll go up and slit its neck. Kind of gruesome, but I sort of admired their willingness to slaughter their own food like that. (And it's a good way to get a lot of meat for free!)
Tomkin and I left about 3:30 and headed to a nearby spa for our couples massage. We arrived at what looked like an apartment building and stepped out of the car, obviously looking confused. A woman rushed down the stairs from one of the apartment balconies and started talking with us. We said we were looking for the spa, so she told Tomkin to get in the car and follow, and she took my arm, introducing herself as Mimi. I wasn't sure if she worked for the spa or what--turns out she's just a friendly neighbor. As we walked, she told me that she has lived on the Big Island all of her 50 years, and she had been in that apartment for 14 years before she even knew there was a spa next door! She told Tomkin where to park (nothing was well-marked, but that was pretty much the case all over the island), and she led us up the path to the spa. She was so sweet and warm and kind. She even hugged us both before saying good-bye! The woman from the spa welcomed us and led us to the hot tub. The place was absolutely gorgeous! Everything was outside, but it was all landscaped for privacy.
We got to soak in the beautiful hot tub for half an hour. It was so luxurious. But also funny--we saw a mama hen and her chicks run by! One of the spa employees told us to head to the massage room when we were ready. So we walked down the path, where we met Derek and Leila, our massage therapists. They both had a very calming presence. Derek sang a prayer to ask for guidance before they began our 90-minute massages. What a treat that was! Tomkin had originally gone along because it was something I'd wanted to do. He'd never had a professional massage before and wasn't expecting much. And I think he ended up enjoying it even more than I did, which is saying something! The only bad thing about the massage is that the pressure ended up magnifying the pain in my ribcage for the next day or so. But it was still totally worth it. We both felt very peaceful and calm when it was over. We headed back to the Coffee Barn and spent the rest of the evening reading and relaxing, and Tomkin made this video of our time at Hapuna Beach.