Pearl Harbor
Went into town about 10 a.m. on a very crowded ferry. The North Carolina, which made a very impressive entrance last night after dinner, was in drydock. Went up the Nuuanu Valley to Patu Hedeman’s, with a gas mask case filled with a bottle of rum, swimming trunks, and towel, but no gas mask.
Took Patu’s car over the Pali and we went down to Kailua near Kaneohe, for the best swim yet. The beach over there is beautiful with a very fine coral sand bottom – no coral to stub your toe on. The waves were perfect for body surfing, at which I far excelled Patu, despite her being an old Islander. The beach is strung its entire length with barbed wire, with gaps of only a few guarded spots. Squadrons of TBFs from Kaneohe roared over the beach in single file again and again only ten to 15 feet above our heads.
Had a fine time tormenting sand crabs. As they left the vicinity of their holes to reconnoiter the beach, I’d flip a fistful of sand through the air and under their front door from about ten feet off. At my first movement they’d race for their holes, but the sand always beat them as they’d arrive and find their door blocked, they became frantic and would race up and down looking for another hole — with me hot in pursuit. Patu said I was being cruel and took the part of the crabs, moving so as to send them home just as I got ready to throw the sand. When I tired out, she collected stranded Portuguese man-of-war and put them beside the sand crab’s holes. They are crazy about the “Portagees” and eagerly rush out to pull one bigger than themselves into their hole.
Was stung on the chest and arm by Portuguese man-of-war in the water, but did not feel bothered by it, except for a slightly itchy feeling later.
After a good roasting in the sun for three or four hours, we returned — over the beautiful and impressive Pali — it’s truly the most magnificent cliff I have ever seen.
Dressed at Patu’s and went down into town to “Me P.Y. Chung — A No. 1 cookee” for dinner — a tremendous steak and not much else ($2.50 per). After dinner turned in to the Royal H. Most enjoyable day — the best since I’ve been out here.