At World’s End

No much academia to report on today. Instead, we got up around 4:15 AM to catch a zodiac ride up the Na Pali coast. The ride itself was a blast. Scooted along the tops of waves much faster than expected, a thrill I thoroughly enjoy. Also ended up getting utterly soaked. Our amazing pilots gave us a treat by taking us into some sea caves, including one with a huge skylight right over an island in the middle. Hard to believe a place like that could exist. Even better, the queen of R & B herself, Mary J. Blige filmed a music video there! Truly hallowed ground. Our destination was Nualolokai (sp?), a beautiful, secluded area only reachable by boat. Apparently most tourists are only allowed to come for a brief time, but we were permitted to stay all day. Hard to say much besides wow. Got an archaeological tour, did a little field work, then hung out in paradise. The reef presented ample tide pooling opportunities, we went for a hike up the cliff, where we ended up finding some good rock hopping and several dead goats. The highlight though was the snorkeling. It was so good in fact that I stayed out long enough to let the sun utterly destroy my back. Rough. Totally worth it though. Some great coral, some cool fish, and best of all, some sea turtles, one of which was huuuuuuge. Just followed it coasting along for a few minutes. Really a special experience. The way back was just as fun (especially as I got to sit at the very front for a bit), then we got home for pizza! Crashed super early after such a long day but it was really incredibly awesome all around.