After climbing down from the summit of Diamond Head, we went downtown and wandered around. There were so many cheerful people and being there made us happy. It was understandable that lots of Japanese celebrities gather in Hawaii in the Christmas and New Year Holiday season. We talked about what to do on the next day after dinner. I'd like to visit some historic places associated with the Greater East Asian War like the Battleship Missouri Memorial or the USS Arizona Memorial, but my daughter insisted on watching wild dolphins. Finally, I gave in.
Waiting at the designated site and time, a bus of the tour company "Dolphins and You" came. Driving through the city center, picking up other guests on the way, and proceeding along the coastline for about an hour, we arrived at a small fishing port which the company was based at. We rented wet suits and boarded a fishing motorboat. Until the boat arrived at the dolphins' gathering spot in about 30 minutes, the passengers chanted a local traditional sutra after a staff member, or learned a local dance, or some sweets were delivered. I was thankful for them to care about us not to get bored.
While I was floating on the surface, swarms of dolphins and a sea turtle abruptly appeared beneath me. A female photographer was shooting our pictures putting dolphins in from the bottom. As I didn't wear my glasses I was surprised to take her as an unknown creature at a glance. It would be wonderful if I could do some diving.
Hot hamburgers were served on the way back. It must have been for warming our bodies. I wanted to join the tour again. When I was swimming, a radar facility on the cliff in front of us caught my eye. The land I saw from the sea had no road on the coastline and looked isolated. A staff member told me that it was the Army base. His words reminded me of the war. Lots of Japanese military planes might have flown in the air I was viewing on Dec. 7th in 1941.
(Vocabulary)
Battleship Missouri Memorial 戦艦ミズーリ記念館
USS Arizona Memorial アリゾナ記念館
Dolphins and You (in Japanese)
https://www.dolphinsandyou.com/ja/schedule/
昨日は、ダイヤモンドヘッドで拾ったタクシーでダウンタウンへ行き、ぶらぶら。年末年始に芸能人が集まる理由が少し理解できた。治安が良いし、楽しい。また何度も来そうな気がする。帰宅後、5月5日の予定を相談した。僕は大東亜戦争の戦跡（戦艦ミズーリ記念館、アリゾナ記念館）を訪問したいと主張したが、娘が野生のイルカを見に行きたいと主張。結局負けてイルカを見に行くことにした。
指定された時刻に指定されたバス停で待っていると、ツアー会社"Dolphins and You"のバスがやって来た。市街地を抜けゴルフ場で客を拾い、海岸を走ること約１時間。車窓からハワイの風景を楽しむうちに港に着いた。港ではウェットスーツなどをレンタルし、船に乗り込む。この港からイルカの集まる場所まで約３０分。安全を祈る地元の祈りをしたり、ダンスを習ったり、お菓子が配られたり、飽きないようにする心配りが有り難かった。
ガイドについてシュノーケリングをしながらぷかぷか浮かんでいると、イルカの大群、ウミガメがやってきた。女性カメラマンが海底からイルカと一緒に我々の写真を撮ってくれていたが、眼鏡をかけていなかったので、海底にいる彼女が得体の知れない生き物に見えてぎょっとした。あんなに自由に潜れたら楽しいだろうな～。
帰りの船では船上で焼いたソーセージを挟んだハンバーガー。少しでも身体を温める工夫だろう。また参加したいなと思う。泳いでいるときに目の前の崖の上にレーダーサイトが見えた。このあたり、海岸には道路がなく、隔離された場所だと思っていたが、どうやら陸軍基地だったようだ。１９４１年１２月７日午後１時、日本の多数の軍用機がこの今見ている空を飛んだのかも知れないなあと空を眺めた。
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