Tea for an Underwater Adventure

I am presently escaping the Bay Area monsoon season for a still rainy but warmer corner of Kapoho. The Big Island of Hawaii has some perpetually sunny zones but I've fallen in love with the quieter overcast southeastern side.


These black lava tide pools hold such an exquisite treasury of marine life that I've returned here four times in the last 10 years.  I rented a house direct in front of this magical snorkel zone so I can snorkel my eyes out daily but one can only snorkel for so long.  Lazing about brewing teas goes second right before hot tubbing on the list of hard work required in filling out a productive vacation. Roasted oolongs and hong cha dominate the daily brew.  Thematically, a flowering feng qing(in the gaiwan) matches best the sea urchins and soft corals one ogles in the tide pools but taste wise it's just dependable ho hum hong cha.  The laid back vibe penetrates one thoroughly here and I don't worry about drinking the right or best tea. Just happy to have tea and these bound nuggets are easy brewing.

The green prickly thing is a soursop with a pleasantly tangy but fibrous interior. One of my few regrets this vacation.

My birthday present from the underwater world yesterday was spotting three different types of moray eel but I could only snapshot this white mouthed eel who was defending his hole.