What do you do with 10 hours in paradise?

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."  - Jawaharlal Nehru

I woke up with the goal of meeting with what is becoming "my" morning prayer group at our typical time and place, 7 AM, 7th Deck Forward, which is occupied only by the wind at that time, but instead we found this.

But also this.

The full moon was setting as the sun was rising to our other side, all as we pulled into the beautiful Big Island, Hawaii. I ate a hurried breakfast. Everyone has to clear immigration, so they bring customs officers into the Union and have everyone funnel through, pick up their passport, have an officer check it, then drop it off again with the ship's officials (I don't know why they hold on to them while we're on the ship- probably so we don't lose them).

It took an hour or so to do that, and then they announced over the PA system that we were clear. The line to exit the ship went all the way up to the 5th deck (gangway was on the 2nd). 

But then there was land. And sun. And Hawaii.

I traveled with a group of friends to Rainbow Falls.

It's 24 metres tall. For some reason tall water has never really impressed me- not even Niagara Falls. We hiked up to the top, where you can jump through small pools.

Again, I don't exactly have the best track record around waterfalls. At 15, I feel down one. I'd uncomfortable around slippery rock, knowing I don't have the best footing. This might be the first lesson I have learned: listen to myself. I took this photo.

I knelt to take off my shoes to keep up with the group, thinking I might have more grip with my bare feet. I slipped my camera into my bag and took a step into a pool. I immediately slipped, but I caught myself against the rock. Somewhere I registered hearing an empty plop. I took another step, and realized my bag was a lot lighter than it should be.

I will forever be able to see the Canon strap floating in the water, sad, pitiful bubbles floating to the surface.

I don't swear often. I did then.

It was toast. I had no doubt. I set off walking on my own, distraught, angry, in shock, to find the Wal-Mart in Hilo. I ran into two SAS staff members who called a cab for me and gave me someone to cry to. Soon, I assembled the last Canon D3200 in the Hilo Wal-Mart sitting on a bench in the hot sun, the packing and plastic spread out in front of me. I was aware how ridiculous I looked.

I was happy that all my photos and the battery in the Drowned One survived, and sprung to life in my Zombie camera.

Someday this will make a good story. For now it's still raw. I haven't told many people about what happened- I don't want their sympathy, or their judgement that it was so easy for me come to the decision to buy a second $500 camera. I know both myself, and my Mom, wouldn't be satisfied if I bought a cheap camera. This is a once in a lifetime semester, and I just learned a life lesson.

Moving on. 

By the grace of God, I ran into two friends waiting for the shuttle back to the cruise terminal from Wal-Mart. I hung out with them the rest of the day, shopping and spending sometime at Richardson Beach State Park.

When I took this photo, I knew I made the right decision.

At the beach were these beautiful, enormous sea turtles. I tried to make a Finding Nemo joke and failed somehow, but my friend who had had a couple pina colados laughed anyway.

I did go swimming- the water was cool and salty but the sand and rocks sharp and unforgiving. A friend and I tentatively went farther out- I have never felt the ocean so strong before. But when we used my goggles to peak a few feet away from us, we saw bright tropical fish contrasted by the black volcanic rock.

We had dinner at Ken's House of Pancakes- I've been experiencing this weird adjustment where I'm not really hungry, ever. Always impartial to eating. I think it might be because of the lack of exercise on the ship (in comparison to walking 40 minutes to school everyday last semester), but I wasn't really hungry in Hilo either. I'm hoping this subsides. But the half of a salad I ate was delicious.

After piling 8 girls in a cab (I ended up paying 75 cents), we arrived back on ship early to avoid "dock time". You don't want dock time- if you are 0-15 minutes late for our On Ship Time, you have to stay on the ship for an extra 2 hours in the next port, while all your friends go explore. Amazingly (and in contrast to the trucks full of students we saw heading off to a rumoured 'cave rave'), no one on the ship received dock time.

I was completely exhausted at the end of the day, and still sore now. I went to our morning prayer group, then classes, lunch, and went to go sit outside. We're currently refuelling in Honolulu, docked and everything, but not allowed off the ship. It's 5 PM now.

Needless to say, I will have a tan that I won't be able to show off at camp.

Hawaii was lush and thick and untamed and wondrous. A place I'm excited to go back to, but maybe not Rainbow Falls.

We have an upcoming 9 days at sea, including our Lost Day. I'm excited to see what the Ocean Crossing will bring. I also need to start my research for Japan, but for now I'm content to watch the tugboats go by in the harbour.

Rebecca