Labor Day at Waimea Bay

We tried to get to Waimea Bay early but we did not get there early enough. Parking was extremely difficult, so Captain Obvious had to spend a lot of time in the car searching for/waiting for a spot. I guess the parking is usually bad there, but seeing as it is Labor Day today it was even worse. Of course some fucking bitch stole the first spot that he had scoped out and waited for, but he was able to get another after waiting another eternity. He waited a total of an hour and five minutes before he could park!

My brother, my SIL, Captain Adorable and I had actually packed up and trekked all the way back to the parking lot, thinking that it was taking so long that it was not fair to Capt. Obvious and we'd just go to the beach near the house we are renting (we're staying on Sunset Point, if you care to look it up on a map--Google Earth will give you an excellent view). Sunset Beach is very very close by...but Waimea Bay is so famous we wanted to go check it out. Anyhow, we had a great time. Waimea Bay is one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world because in the winter, which is October to April, the waves there are 30+ feet! However, at this time of the year the waves are not 30 feet so it was safe for all of us to get in the water and paddle around. My brother and my SIL did some snorkeling. Captain Adorable got the play in the water and the sand with both parents. I got to sit in the shade of the umbrellas we brought from our rental house. There was a lovely breeze. People were relaxed. There was good entertainment, in the form of people watching. It was niiiiiice.

We had hoped to head to Matsumoto (suggested in allll the guide books and also by a regular reader of this blog) for some shave ice and then to some close by restaurant for lunch, but the place was so crowded (it being Labor Day and all) that we said forget it and just went home. We got off the beach at about noon. I think we all avoided sunburn through the dedicated application (and re-application) of sunscreen, resting in the shade of the umbrellas, and leaving before the sun got too crazy...

So, Hawaii has a lot of Japanese tourists. I love them because to my American eyes they are super weird/unusual in funny or weird or cool ways. For instance, as my SIL and I were rinsing off before getting the in car to go home, a cute little Japanese woman approached the showers (outdoor showers, very primitive). She was dressed to go out to dinner at a five star restaurant. She had on a gorgeous silk ruffled mustard-gold skirt, a beautiful little white blouse, and super nice satin and leather high heeled shoes. She was seeking to rinse her little feet and of course to my eyes she looked ultra ridiculous. I was just thinking to myself "ah, yes, Japanese tourists," when my SIL turned and saw little miss silk skirt. The look on her face was one of total amazement and it struck me as so funny that I loudly snorted with laughter. Oh well...hopefully silk skirt did not realize that it was her who caused my laughter...