Kayaking for the First Time and a Luau

One morning we decided to go paddle boarding. That's a sport where you have a really long, round surfboard and a long oar and you stand up and paddle yourself around. I thought that sounded pretty cool because it'd be a pretty intense workout.

It turned out that when we got to the booth to rent the paddle boards, we were told it was a very choppy day and probably not the best idea for any of us to go out because none of us had any previous experience. But we didn't have to worry because there were kayaks to rent!

There were no three-person kayaks, so we just got one two-seater and took turns going out.

Swimsuit cover up - eBay; Oversized aviators - eBay; Gladiator sandals - eBay

Me and Eden heading out to sea. I was very nervous at first because I had never been in a kayak. It looks a lot scarier than it really is. I was afraid it would tip over, but it was really easy to steer, paddle, and keep afloat.

They said the person in the back is supposed to steer and provide momentum, so I let Eden have that spot. I've got no upper body strength. Hahaha.

Me and Eden hauling the kayak out to the water. 

You can't tell, but Eden had to keep reassuring me it was going to be OK.

After me and Eden came back, it was Mom and Eden's turn. 

Eden had to go to work that evening, so Mom and I hung out at the hotel and went to the little luau hosted at the pool. It was free and the girls that performed in it were adorable. They even danced to a "Lilo and Stitch" song. We also got free Hawaiian traditional snacks and leis to wear.

The snacks we were served before the show - Hawaiian potato chips, pulled pork (which I of course didn't eat), Hawaiian sweet bread with lillikoi jelly, salmon ceviche, cherry tomatoes in Hawaiian pink sea salt, purple sweet potatoes, and some sort of coconut jello cubes.

This lady was the master of ceremonies. She told all the stories and kept time on her drum. 

All of these girls are from the local hula school. 

The older girls did all the real dancing, while the little ones needed more training. They were still super cute though.

The older girls got to dance on their own for a bit.

And the little girls also got to dance on their own. 

The leis they gave us at the luau.

Me and Mom at the pool after they gave us the leis. Me sans makeup.

We found these flowers near the pond on our way to the pool. 

These flowers looked like white spiders. 

Next post will be about our crazy time at the Place of Refuge.

Until next time!