Beaching around the island

Saturday we went to the market in Hilo. A very thrilling experience. All of the vendors are very pleasant, most of some asian background. You really feel that it is a treasure trove of kitchy items that you must have. I finally purchased a hawaiian quilt after coveting them for months. My most exciting purchases are the vases of tropical flowers. Just too beautiful to imagine. Just old coffee cans lined with banana leaves and filled with delightful flowers. Only $5 . If I lived here all of my rooms would be filled weekly. As it is the bouquets I bought and augmented with even more glorious types are still going strong providing a colourful epicentre to the rooms of Morning Fire.

After the market we took a most delightful windey road lined with tropical vine laden trees to the tide pools. The tidepools are treacherous to get in with their lava lined shores. A wave pushed me back as I was getting in and a piece of lava jammed far up my fingernail. For the rest of the day it was irritating and by nightfall it was a raging bacterial inferno. I practiced as much surgery as I dared and then fortified myself with antibiotics and salt water soaks and then diligently watched the progression of the lava for the next three days until its triumphant removal on Monday night. Once in the tidepools it was an amazing array of multicoloured coral. Who would have dreamt it comes in so many spectacular colours.

Sunday was spent in a confusion of time change. We forged ahead an hour. The rest of the island didn't. It didn't become apparent to us until our dinner guests were all an hour and a half late. My pineapple chicken was drying out. The early part of the day was spent on Hapuna beach with the rest of the big island. The snorkeling was the best I've seen. It is quite a trek out to the corral reefs but once there it was like an aquarium. Joop and I followed a sea turtle that appeared to be flying in the bright deep turquoise water. It is the first time I have seen them in clear deep water. With the sun beating in above it appears that they are flying gracefully.

Our small group(aside from Mistaya - assidious in her application of sunscreen) is fighting a losing battle with the sun. Despite vigilant reapplication everyone is burnt. I forced gallons of water on Kyr last night and still dreamt he needed reviving throughout the night. He was fine, it was just my anxiety. Which had probably been piqued by Pip's horrible ear ache at the beach we went to yesterday. While Mist and Kyr and Joop boogie boarded, Pete went in search of medication, Tabs and Melissa and I tried to doctor the crying Pip. Some helpful woman on the beach told Melissa of her cure for her surfing children and that is hot socks filled with sand. Tabs and I diligently searched the beach for a rotation of hot rocks wrapped in napkins to hold against the dear girls ear. She finally fell asleep on Melissa's chest and woke up fine. The rest of us were worn to a frazel. We toured the Arthurs condo. Very posh and wonderful.

Today I will try to rally the worn out troups to meet the Arthurs at Mauna Kea. The boy and girl lie in bed reading in the morning and Joop rustles to get out just as the coffee maker gurgles its last perk. Kyr claims to be nauseated. I forcing green iced tea on him. Mauna Kea is hard to get into after 10 am. They only let in 30 cars a day. We might not make it. I should phone and warn the Arthurs.