Finally got some snorkeling in today. The weather forecasts had all been for a rainy day today so I did all my hiking the first two days, figuring I could snorkel in the rain and it wouldn't make much difference. It worked. It was mainly rainy today, but this is a Hawaiian kind of rain. I had a 20 mile drive from my hotel on the southeast corner of the island to "The Hideaways" where I went snorkeling. In those 20 miles, I ran the gamut from pouring down rain to sunshine--twice!! When I got to The Hideaways it was mostly cloudy with patches of sun. I was correct that you can snorkel in the rain just as well as in the sunshine. However, you can see more, see it better, and with more colors when there is sun shining on the water.

I saw a couple dozen kinds of fish. I would estimate the largest one that I saw was 14-16 inches long. The smallest was a school of a 100+ pale blue fish that were less than an inch long. If I floated on the surface, the fish kind of ignored me. If I dove down under the water, they seemed to be more attracted to me. It's a little strange to be the center of attraction in the middle of a coral reef. Fun though! The reef itself was mainly brown with snatches of color here and there. Even in the sunshine! It was more colorful when the sun hit it, but it was still pretty drab. I look forward to comparing the reefs around Kwajalein with this reef on the northern coast of Kauai. My afternoon of snorkeling reinforced the fact that I don't really know very much about fish. I couldn't name a single one. I hope I can fix that while in Kwajalein.

As I mentioned yesterday, the only underwater camera that I have is film based so I can't share my pictures of the fish with you. And the cloudy day made for not-great photography above the water either. So, no pictures today.

I am sorry to leave Kauai. I have enjoyed it greatly. There is plenty of tourist development, but you can easily get away from it if you are willing to hike or swim. I've had some great hikes and some great swims!!

This evening I am back in Honolulu. After the lush green of Kauai, Honolulu just seems to me like another city. That's unfair on my part, though. I had researched where I wanted to go on Kauai. I am just in Honolulu in preparation for tomorrow morning's flight. The cultures in Honolulu are many and varied. I started walking the streets looking for a place to eat. In a 4-block stretch I passed a Hard Rock Cafe, Taco Bell, Sushi Bar, a barbecue ribs restaurant, Japanese restaurant and then ate at a Korean restaurant. I ordered a "dinner plate special." Before the dinner was over, it had been served in 13 bowls, 2 glasses and, of course, a dinner plate. The waitress conveyed to me the contents of 10 of the bowls. The other three are still a mystery to me. One of the unknowns was quite tasty!

But alas, my mini vacation comes to an end. Tomorrow it is back to work. We leave for Kwajalein on an 8 AM flight. The first stop on that trip is Johnston Island. I am sure that you have heard that Hurricane Dora is safely south of the Hawaiian Islands and so no one is worrying about it any more. The only people worried about Dora are the people on Johnston Island! I am not sure at this point what Continental Airlines does when one of the way points in a flight is in the path of a hurricane. I will find out before I get on the flight!

Alan Nelson