After a quick visit to the University of Hawaii, I had two new shirts. How I am going to fit all of my stuff in a suitcase three more times before going home I will never know. The campus was quite underwhelming considering that we were in Oahu. Seriously - all that concrete?
Then we made our way to the North Shore to go snorkeling. Because I was hungry, I suggested getting shave ice to the group. Immediately I had the support of many others and Scott veered slightly off course to go to Matsumoto's - the best in Oahu. I decided to get a rainbow - strawberry, lemon, and pineapple with condensed milk on the top. Now, I am not a big water ice fan, but there is something about this treat that is amazing. I really like the condensed milk that makes it creamier. That was a wonderful lunch.
Then we found our way to Shark's Cove to go snorkeling. At first I was not going to get equipment because the snorkeling area seemed very shallow and I was just going to wade in the water. Then I learned about the great expanse of snorkeling area. I decided to get the equipment and joined Jake and Luke in the water. Well, not quite. The boys put their mask and snorkel on and started viewing the wonders underneath the sea. I eased my way into the water. Then I got up to waist, then the chest, then the neck. As I was acclimating to the water, I was slipping and tripping over the rocks. Lots of rocks - really big rocks that are sharp and jagged. It took me quite a while to venture to the real snorkeling area only to find that my equipment was broken. Scott took the snorkel back to the guys across the street and exchanged it for actual working equipment. Then the process started again.
As I put my face in the water, I remembered that I am not a big fan of snorkeling. I have to physically slow down my breathing because the whole face in the water-breathing thing freaks me out. On top of that, we were not given life jackets or any kind of floatation device. I had to keep myself up the whole time. Soon the boys saw me and said, "Come on, Mom!" Jake wanted to show the best spots. That made all of the craziness worth it.
After snorkeling, we visited the food trucks across the street. Food trucks, chickens walking around, and Hawaiian music. A very different kind of lunch. Totally wonderful.