Sorry for no post yesterday but I didn’t have reliable enough 3g service to connect to the Internet.
No photos<right now either because the activities were to risky for me to use my phone. I didn't want to
drop it overboard or down thru the trees.
Yesterday we docked in Kona on the big island of Hawai'i. We mustered early and joined a dozen other people to board a Captain Zodiac inflatable boat for a zippy ride and great snorkeling.
Picture the big rubber boats that the US Navy uses. They're very stable but not luxurious. Who needs luxury when you're going for fun? We took our seats on the rubber sides, slipped our feet under the "foot belt" strap on the deck and took off. Captain Jack kicked us up to cruising speed of around 25 mph. We flew over the water on a beautiful day.
Naturally we made frequent stops as the mate, Buddah, spotted whales in the vicinity! Buddah had a great sense of humor and kept us laughing as we cruised around.
When we were far enough from whales, Captain Jack gave us extra thrills with sweeping turns so one side of the boat or the other rose high in the air.
We passed gorgeous lava rock formations and eventually reached the sheltered Kealakekua Bay where Captain Cook landed. Once there we jumped in for an hour of snorkeling over beautiful reef corals loaded with colorful fish.
On the way back they showed us lava tubes, sea caves and more beautiful scenery plus educated us on Capt Cook's history and the geology of the land.
Regrettably we didn't see spinner dolphins but the whales and one big manta ray made us happy. All in all it was another exciting day.
Today we woke up to a beautiful Kauai sunrise. This was zip line day! I admit I dressed in lighter weight clothes, still nervous about that weight limit. We were taken to the "base camp", greeted by friendly staff, and asked to step on the scale. I passed with pounds to spare!
Our guides then outfitted us in the harnesses, straps, carabiners, and helmets and then gave us the training orientation. All prepped and ready, we trekked to the suspension ramp up to the first zip line.
The guides made sure that we were always safe and secure. At no time were we completely disconnected from safety cables. Literally no chance that any of us would fall off of a platform 60 to 85 feet above the forest floor.
When it was my turn on the first line, I took a deep breath and stepped off the platform into space. I was off, zooming down the line, yelling "woooohoooo"!
One guide hooks you up and sends you. One guy waits at the other end to catch you. I now understand the need for the weight limit. It's not that the equipment will break since it can hold 7000 pounds. However, the harness has to fit around you for one thing. Secondly, you can't be too heavy for the catcher to stop your forward momentum before you slam into the tree on the platform.
We had a blast! Even the more strenuous bridges and ladders weren't too much for me in my more fit form. I loved flying through the forest high above the ground! Again the guides, Matt and Jahrett, were terrific. I can't wait to do it again some time!
I bought one of the company's t-shirts that reads Embrace the Adventure. That's just what we did! By the way, I bought it in the next smaller size. It's a little snug but won't be in another month and I'll be wearing it for a long time to remember this experience.
The companies for these adventures are Captain Zodiac at http://www.captainzodiac.com and Just Live at http://www.zipkauai.com if you want to check them out. I promise to post photos after I get home.
Tuesday night we passed the active volcano Kilauea. I took some photos with my phone. Not too close, of course, but you can see the lava glow and gasses.
The sunrise is from this morning in Kauai.
Aloha!
Weighty Matters 
Congrats on making your weigh-in! The boat trip and the ziplining sound a-mah-zing.
Man that all sounds like fun! Even my mom was thinking about ziplining for our someday trip to Hawaii! I’m so glad you go to do all that.
I am soo excited for you! What an awesome day of adventures. Your zip line adventure, not on my promise list, but what truly inspires me is that you set a goal and conquered it! I am proud of you and so happy that you can do anything you set your mind to it!
Dang but that sounds like SO MUCH FUN!!!! Turning a delicate shade of green over here in frosty NJ, but REALLY glad that you are having so much FUN!
Now THOSE are things I’ve never done in Hawai’i but would LOVE to! Yipee for water and air adventures!!!
Julie