Saved By The Rain

Hanauma Bay

Getting Ready To Bike Oahu

Bicycling in Honolulu wasn't that much fun. It had more than its
share of traffic and exhaust fumes. It was hot too, eighty degrees or
more, and, like all cities, it had its "districts." Walking along side
my bike on one of those streets (maybe the Philippine section of
town) I was greeted by a number of street hawkers selling everything
from jewelry to fortune telling. When I passed one lady, I found her
advertising fortune telling with a twist, she said, "Get your future
here. A life changing experience guaranteed." A smiling 12 to
14-year-old girl, dressed in almost nothing, was standing next to her
as she spoke. I think the idea was, for the right price, not only
would you get your fortune told, you could make it come true also.
Farther down the street, I passed an army surplus store. I went inside
and bought an army pup tent – the real McCoy – two sticks for support,
dark green canvass, small, and you slept on the ground (no floor).

Once I was outside the city, things got better. The breeze was cooling
and the ocean views were great. After almost a day of biking, I came
to Hanauma Bay, the underwater beach park. It was protected by
horseshoe shaped peninsulas on both sides and a large offshore coral
reef that kept the surf from breaking on the beach. The natural coral
formations beneath the water's surface, home to thousands of beautiful
fish, were accessible to the most inexperienced divers. In effect, the
place was a huge aquarium.

I arrived in late afternoon, just before the rains came. Bicycling in
Hawaii was so exciting, I hadn't noticed that I had gotten too much
sun, way too much. I took shelter in a natural opening in a cliff.
This sunburn was a first for me. I tanned real easy. The rains came
and the two people still on the beach were leaving. In my hollowed out
cave, I knew I was home free for the night. I couldn't move anyway. It
was in too much pain! I vomited a couple of times. God bless the
rains. If it weren't for them, the sun would have turned me into toast.