I'm Gonna Swim To The Ocean Floor . . .

Day five in Hawaii and the dolphins came out to play!   We have now successfully seen sea turtles and dolphins!  This picture was taken from the back lanai of the condo we rented.  Two separate pods of dolphins were out jumping and playing as the kayakers paddled by.

Today was a big day for Wendy and I as we had reservations to go parasailing!  On Sunday we had purchased motion sickness bracelets at the ABC Store in hopes of guaranteeing a great time on the water.   

We arrived at the offices of the parasailing company where we had to read a two page list of instructions on how to parasail.  The instructions began to stress me out.  There was so much to think about, "keep your legs bent, place your butt down on the flight deck, in case of a water landing unclip the carabeener and swim away from the parachute, hold your hands above the bar when landing on the flight deck"...and on and on and on.  Then it was time to sign our life away on the waiver of liability.  Real comforting.

Our boat was to depart at 11am and there was a family of four who were going to be on the trip with us.  We headed out to the open water and it was time to start taking turns flying up to the sky.  I chose to go up 800 feet and Wendy chose to go up 1200 feet.  Wendy also opted for a "Dip" which meant the operator would let Wendy's feet touch the water before bringing her in for a landing.  The picture below is actually of the father and daughter who were on the boat with us.  (The pictures of Wendy and I are still being developed.  If they turn out I will post them later.)

Parasailing was so much fun.  The boat ride was a bit choppy and the little boy who was on the boat with us got scared and opted not to go up.  The amazing thing is that as choppy as the boat ride was, the time that you are up in the air is incredibly smooth.  It really feels like you are floating in air.  Even the landing felt like you simply float back down to the boat.  If you ever get a chance to parasail please do it!

After parasailing we were off to lunch at the Kona Brewing Co.   This restaurant was recommended to us by the parasailing boat operators.  It was here that I spied the beautiful green, orange, and blue gecko.

After lunch we headed up route 11 to find the Kona Joe coffee plantation.  At the coffee plantation we learned all about Joe's patented system for growing the coffee trees into vines just like grapes which maximizes the flavor of the bean and increases the amount of beans each tree will yield.

Ok, so this tour was not free like the Mauna Loa nut factory or the Big Island Candies factory, but we did get a cup of coffee, a shell lei, a sample of chocolate covered coffee beans, and a coffee mug.  Not bad for the fifteen dollar price tag.   

Most importantly we also got to meet Kona Joe himself who took control of the gift shop when one of the workers had to lead a tour.  

The Song Of The Day - Fly by Sugar Ray