Hapuna Beach

Hawai'i in real life, like this ALLLLL the time

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This morning was a bright and early start, with a cold shower that woke me right up. After a long bus ride seated next to my newest love, Whitney, we piled out of our bus/van and headed down onto the beach- a beautiful little strip of white sand on some of the bluest water I've ever seen.

The Kona side of the island is so much more sunny than the Hilo side. The bus winds through a rainforest/cliff region, then the valleys pan out into smoother hiolls covered with long grasses and sparser trees- it becomes the ranch county of Hawai'i. The most famous of these ranches is Parker Ranch. On the shore of this area is Hapuna Beach.

Within minutes, the students poured down the hill and into the surf. Afterwards, lunch was served- complete with burgers, hotdogs, and plenty of extras. That afternoon we walked up and down the beach enjoying the sun and eachother's company. Many of my friends started up a game of volleyball... unfortunately the team I was rooting for lost. But in my heart, they won!!!

Hapuna Beach!

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The only damper on the afternoon was the appearance of a man-o-war. A few minutes after watching an ATV-mounted lifeguard post "BEWARE OF MANOWAR" signs up and down the beach, we saw the guy who got lashed by the marine beast... turns out it was this guy had also stepped on an urchin and torn his foot on a rock. How he could stay smiling despite his cursed existence, I don't know...

The drive home was beautiful (as pics will show).

Right now I'm relaxing on campus, watching a movie with some of the girls. Step Up... a very hot film, with some incredible talents who can sing and dance (but for the most part, can't act!) Makes me want to break out and move... too bad I have the coordination of a buffalo.

Book Review of the Month- Read A Primate's Memoir by Robert Sapolsky. If you go to UMASS, this will be your Dean;s Book next spring!!!!