Unless you’ve spent time on the Mojave Desert and experienced the Santa Ana’s, you haven’t anything to compare to a wind storm on the Kohala Coast. Sand is a factor in any case. Things are usually calm in the mornings, but in the afternoon sometime that wind blows everyone off the beach. Even the windsurfers won’t tolerate it. The white caps on the water indicate that it will be a bad day for snorkeling too. So, it’s a good day for an outing.
After a hearty breakfast of Portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice, we head up to Waikoloa Village for some supplies. We need bottled water, sodas, beer, sunscreen, a couple of Hawaiian towels, a hat, and some snacks.
The little store has an amazing array of local foods: papayas, mangoes, small ultra sweet bananas, shrimp and taro chips… and a full poke bar set up in the meat department! We can’t resist and come away with way too much ono.
We hit the pool bar for an afternoon puupuu session and a cocktail. Hubs orders a beer and I order a Bloody Mary which comes like a salad in a glass with a cheese stick, an olive stick, a celery stick, and a salted rim. With a few corn chips it made a perfect afternoon snack. The wind was still up so there were quite a few people at the bar making up for it.
Back at the room we dressed for dinner. Dressing for dinner in Hawaii means a nice linen mild colored Aloha shirt and some black pants if you want to look like a local, white if you want to look like a tourist. What? You’re going to eat again? Yes, vacations are about seeing new things, trying new things, and eating new things. We have reservations at the upscale monolith up the way which the locals call “Disneyland.”
The place is pretty amazing. It has an Asian Pacific art collection featured in an open air setting, protected from the sun and wind by three walls and protective glass coverings where necessary.
The grounds are beautifully kept with a winding canal that travels through the immense property as a thorough fair for little boat taxis which depart every fifteen minutes. An electric train also carries passengers from the entrance to the little Tiki Shack bar at the end of the line.
We take the train to the Japanese Imari restaurant where we enjoy a Beni Hanna-like production of grill top stir fry and some sushi. This was a fun evening spent with other like minded tourists from all parts of the states.
We walk the museum display up to the end of the line: a display of carved Thai Buddha heads, Hawaiiana room displaying spears, fish hooks, royal hair braids and grass rain capes… it goes on and on, but the reclining gold Buddha is the jewel in the crown. We stop at the Tiki Shack to enjoy one last drink before heading back to the entrance on the taxi boat.
Walking hand in hand back to the room enjoying the balmy night now that the wind has died down. Couples who have been together a long time don’t need to talk to communicate. Since the calm wind is so nice, the sliding door remains open all night. The curtains billow in the breeze and at exactly 4:00 AM, the waning full moon shines through and bathes them in its excellence.
He approaches her with his familiar touch. They make love quietly, oh so quietly, in the moonlight. Happy Easter.
