Date: Sunday February 26th, 2012
Today’s Swim: Captain Cook
Me and the Captain Cook Monument (the tiny white speck is my destination, just shy of 3 miles round trip )
Getting ready to take in a little sight seeing, mode of transportation swimming of course!
I am excited to take in the scenery and some history, especially as Captain Cook discovered New Zealand, in fact New Zealand’s highest peak is called Mount Cook. Let’s find out how Captain Cook fell here on the Kona coast.
Me and Amy ready to launch in search of the Captain Cook monument....I'm on the left, you know the white one that doesn't look like a local.
The History…….
Here is the History, Captain Cook spent close to a decade exploring and charting the South Pacific, on January 19, 1778 he sailed into Kauai’s Waimea Bay where he was welcomed by the Hawaiians, after stocking with provisions he sailed away to return again almost exactly a year later on January 17th, 1779, this time he sailed into Kealakekua Bay on the big Island, where I am swimming today. He arrived during a festival, the big masts, white sails and way he entered the bay fit all fit the legendary descriptions of how Lono a Hwaiian god would appear…..Captain Cook was hooked up with all he desired.
Here is the Captain Cook monument and me
Captain Cook left the bay on February 4th, on the way out his mast broke and he turned around, returning to repair it. The Hawaiians saw this as a very bad sign that he was not a god, while he was repairing the mast, someone stole one of his boats, things got ugly, he took the Hawaiian chief hostage, meanwhile another lower chief was shot by one of Cook’s men, Cook proceeded to release the chief he was holding, while dropping him off on the shore the Hawaiians advanced on Cook and his men, story has it Cook was hit on the head and stumbled in the shallow water, ironically he couldn’t swim, his men moved away from the shore in the boat and he was clubbed and stabbed to death in less than 10 minutes, gruesome.
Eventually Captain Cooks remains were returned and he was buried, his crew sailed away March 15th 1779, 100 years later a monument was built by his fellow countrymen.
Exploring History underwater at the Captain Cook Monument
So there we have it, the history of the bay, all very cool but the real goods is “under the water”….
A 6 mile swim goes fast with this view!
And then there was a stingray to play with……
Hey Eagle Ray lead the way
We complete the out and back course to the monument, as we swim into the beach I see the deck chairs, they are calling my name, but no deck chair for me, it is out of the water, down 300mls of Maxim and back in for another loop, Karlyn and Amy have completed their training for the day, for a moment I have pangs to stay on the beach relaxing with girl chat, but that’s not the life of an English Channel aspirant, back in the water I go.
Pick me for another lap WAHOO
Dolphins come out to play…
The second lap was meant to be, I quickly got into a good rhythm on the way out, clambered out on the rocks to read the monument at the other end and swam back, on the return leg I heard squeak squeak, it repeated over and over, there swimming below me where two dolphins, it was like they were downstairs and I was upstairs, I turned to my right to breathe and there was more, 12 more WOW!
Homestretch….
I approach the home beach for the second time today, as it gets closer I push harder, one word in my head FRANCE, FRANCE, FRANCE, a final wave shoves me into the narrow inlet and I am on the welcoming soft white sand in Hawaii, what a swim.
And after a great swim in Hawaii? Underwater Yoga
Next Up:Tomorrow a few laps of the Kona Iron Man swim course
Closing Thought: Learn and Play every day
– Charlotte J Brynn