Two Tickets to Paradise – Friday: TURTLES

Either much to your dismay or relief – depending on you feel about these adventures, we have reached the final day in paradise. Tomorrow we will return you to your regularly scheduled muppet adventures.

Conversation that occurred Friday afternoon:
Jon: I just looked at the camera. There are only pictures of turtles.
Me: Have you met me?

(Quick update for those that don’t know me. I have a small obsession with turtles.)

This was our chill out and relax day. And by chill out and relax, I mean we headed down to the beach for some snorkeling gear so I could stalk sea turtles. Then we rented a canoe so we could paddle two miles down the coast to snorkel at another beach.

But there was no driving. So we had that going for us.

Suited up, sunscreen sprayed, finned out, I pulled my mask down and backed into the water. It was cold! But turtles awaited. So I took a deep breath and submerged myself. The sun beating down made the cooler water feel very nice.

Suddenly, a shape floated by. TURTLE SIGHTED! TURTLE SIGHTED! Turns out, turtles are completely accurately portrayed by the movie “Finding Nemo.”

Hawaiian legend tells of Kauila, a sea turtle transformed herself into a girl to watch over the children playing at Punalu’u Beach on the Big Island (one of the most amazing black sand beaches – and one of the few places where flowing molten lava is still sighted today). When Kauila’s mother dug her nest, a fresh water spring surged

Hawaiian state fish to shake things up.

upward, quenching the children’s thirst. It’s also said that turtles were the guides for the first voyagers to Hawaii. Coincidence that my love for turtles has led me to paradise? I think not.

“Sup, dude? Aloha man…” the bleary-eyed turtle glanced over as he paddled within an inch of me. He was completely unconcerned with the presence of humanity in his area, settling down to munch on algae. Simultaneously the two of us would pop our heads out of the water and take a breath. My newfound friend to breathe, me – well, I was just following his every movie.

Welp. My vacation was complete.

So we paddled back to shore, climbed into a canoe and paddled down the coast. Turns out, not so relaxing – but a fantabulous time. And we were all the more ready to leap into the bay lagoon for some additional snorkeling. Unfortunately this round of sun v. Tricia most definitely went to the sun.

I saw turtles.

I scoped out the palm trees on the return trek. You’d find me clinging to one the following day. Don’t make me leave!!!

Muppets!

(Although, I may have prayed too hard. When Jon called to check us in, the automated airline system informed us that our flight the following day didn’t exist.)

And really, as much as would have loved to stay forever, writing on the beach for a living, there were some really cute guys waiting for me at home.