Kailua and a Real Beach

We decided to mix it up a little today (from our regular regimen of morning at the pool, afternoon snorkeling) and spend some time in the nearby town of Kailua. We breezed through a few days ago on our way to Boss Frog’s, so found our way much more quickly the second time around and parked the car in a lot with a small market set up. Of course that made the first order of business to poke around the stalls and see what kind of trinkets the kids could find (or at least that’s the spin Ang put on it so she could be the martyr having to help them shop).

In several of the stalls they were selling fresh fruit, including coconuts, which the boys deemed a must have. Having never seen a coconut other than at the supermarket, it was quite the novelty to see the top hacked off and a straw stuck down the center to drink the liquid inside. Nick was also fascinated by the starfruit, so picked up a bag of those (which he loves), a few of the obligatory pineapples, and a couple of mangoes the size of a small child.

The next hour or so we spent jut walking through town. It turns out there really isn’t a whole lot to see unless you are desperately seeking a coconut shell bra or Quicksilver t-shirt (although the boys did find a shirt the wanted to buy for Grandpa with a dog skeleton and “In dog year’s I’m dead” emblazoned on the front), so after a quick lunch (kudos to Nick for going local and trying the Loco Moco) and dessert of shave ice we decide to head a few miles down the road to a beach we read about in one of our books.

Unlike the “beaches” we have been to so far, Magic Sands beach is much more in tune with what we envision a beach to be. It’s not that big, but what is there is powdery sand with regular waves rolling up on the shore. With the temperature hovering around 80 degrees, it is the perfect place to cop a squat for the afternoon.

The boys quickly hit the surf, and after getting wiped off their feet a few times, start to get the hang of getting through the waves and out to where they can try body surfing (Joey stays a little closer to shore, but has a blast jumping over the incoming waves and throwing his hands in the air like a rock star every time a big one comes in that fails to knock him over). I still remember learning to body surf the hard way on my first trip to Hawaii, and after getting tossed around like a rag in the washing machine, sympathize when they come out of the water for a break, covered in sand and looking like sugar cookies. Before the after is out, they will both catch a few waves, which has them feeling pretty good about themselves, and Nick will take on a monster that beats him down pretty hard on the sand.

All in all, it was a good day, and by the time we get back to the hotel, we’re a pretty tired crew. The plan tomorrow is to head out early for the other side of the island (about a two hour drive), so the kids wind down with a little TV and its lights out.