Aloha

Cessna

My god, Hawaii has been stunning. If I died tomorrow, I'd feel pretty happy that I'd lived.

I climbed a waterfall, without guides or ropes or permission, then swam in icy cavern beneath it, laughed into the uproar of watercrash beating down at me, and black rock lurking crayfish nipped my toes.
I learnt to surf (well, nearly - later I overheard some locals asking each other about how I'd fared - the consensus had been that nobody could learn to surf in waves that rough - I was declared 'gutsy'. Less than 'graceful', but pretty bloody good, all the same), and crippled myself for the next two weeks when I got 'cleaned out' both on razor-coral reef, *and* the rocks on Molokai.

And Molokai - wow. One of the undiscovered places of the world, fifty year time tunnel to a place lost in the last century. I've spent the last two weeks drinking and hanging out in the hammocks of the most generous locals, who share their breakfasts, their homes, their food, their cars, their friends.

Today, my last, I swam with a turtle, then counted spiny black hiding puffer fish.

I'm not scared of surfing any more, I'm not scared of heights, or of deep water - it's like flying down there, moving in 3 dimensions.

Very very *very* sad to leave here.

If I could only walk properly, I could snowboard in NZ. Ah well. 75 degree (fahrenheit) temperature plunge, here I come.

I'm off to say goodbye to Hawaii - a ceremony that involves loafing about watching an ultimate fighting video and drinking beer in encroaching darkness from a friend's verandah on Sunset Beach before I walk away, to the next destination.
Aloha.