Kona tales

B and I could not get seats together on the flight to Kona and that turned out to be a good thing because I was seated beside two very cool guys.  One was a corporate jet pilot who worked for "a large financial institution", as he put it.  Retired from the US air force, Ray now makes a ton of dough flying people around the world in Gulf Stream jets.  I used to be a white-knuckle flyer many, many years ago, but overcame it by reading books on aerodynamics, i.e., why the hell planes actually stay in the air?!  It used to be about as logical to me as a concrete block flying.

"Young pilots today don't really know how to fly planes," he added unhelpfully.  Say what?!  "No, it's pretty much all done by computer, so if they get into trouble and actually have to fly the aircraft, they don't always make the right decisions."  Great thing to tell someone who secretly still really doesn't like to fly.     

"It's all about lift and thrust, that's the trick," I said to Ray.  "Yeah, that's the good stuff.  You can't come down if life-and-thrust are OK," he replied.  I knew that.  He was going to Kona to watch his daughter compete in the Iron Man, as were we to watch son-in-law, Colin.  Ray is also a triathlete.  I felt like a slob.  Why do I never wear makeup when I should!!??

Naturally, talk turned to the Canadian health-care system.  "Is it really bad?" asked Ray.  "No, it's great," I replied.  If you need critical care you get it right away, I explained.  Then I had to tell him all about Parliamentary democracy, the benefits of our un-elected Senate, provincial transfer payments from the "have" to the "have-not" provinces (this one floored him)....and on and on.  It's amazing how little Americans know of Canada. 

The guy on my right was a big, burly man.  Guess what he was?  A nurse practioner, with a wife who was a marine biologist.  Amazing what you find out when you interview people!

Had a great time in "Ha-vie-ee", as the locals pronounce it.  But what a mess race day was for B and I!  Had to park a thousand miles away and walk to the start.  Of course, we missed the swim and could not cross the road to see the bike start.  Duh!  One woman stupidly crossed the road, was hit by a cyclist and lay there almost dead until they could clear a path for an ambulance. 

I mean, if you're that dumb, die.  These guys are pounding out of the transition at 50 km's per hour and they are not going to stop the race and screw up everyone's time for "Big Bertha" who lumbers into their path.

Here she is in all her glory, laid out with bikes whizzing past at break-neck speed.

 

Never have I seen so many perfect specimens of the human body.  Remember, the competitors in Kona are the best in their respective countries.  No punters here.  It's not exactly the "Graham Beasley" in Carleton Place, where you have people doing the dog paddle, getting on a tric with training wheels and then jogging.  No.  These men and women are the cream of the crop from all over the world.  Our son-in-law did magnificently, 9 hours, 50 minutes.

Had to laugh about the Russians who were staying in our villa.  They were always parading around in their "Iron Man finery", but the night clerk told us they bailed halfway through the bike part.  Could not take the heat. 

More tales later.