had an awesome wrap up party last night. i met such nice people on this trip. free divers from all around the world, panamanians that are super kind, and just so many happy moments. no, i didn’t catch my dream tuna, but other dreams did come true. i visited a country that i always wanted to, and now that i’ve come here, i want to go deeper and deeper into the culture. and by doing that, i’m sure i will get other chances to spear a tuna, and other chances to surf great waves. can’t wait! so to all of those who i met in this last amazing week, see you again amigos!

we woke up this morning and it was finally sunny. it was hot and humid so we were all actually happy that the weather was bad all week because none of us wanted to get burnt on the boat all day long.

palm tree in the pool. hooked on panama!

this morning we sat around and told our stories. we had some awesome moments in this last week.

and yes, i will miss my little hut. i will miss waking up to the sunrise, miss waking up to the birds chirping, and miss waking up in nature. the only thing i won’t miss is the mosquitos. haha.
sitting in my room at 1am now. waking up at 4am and heading to the airport. it’s sunday and a busy day of traveling in america. i checked the flights and i have to be patient and accept the fact that i probably won’t be getting home anytime soon. my flights are totally full so i’ll probably sleep at atlanta airport till monday, then make my way slowly back to hawaii. good time for me to read a book and catch up on some work. but once i get back to my paradise, i’m going to be a happy man! i miss hawaii and can’t wait to get back!

OMG! Super cool!!!

it’s rainy season here in panama and it’s been raining everyday. yesterday was the worst. as we were diving, you could hear the thunder roar and the lighting striking the ocean. looking for fish, you can see flashes and yes, it was pretty scary. i guess you can call it hard core diving? pretty crazy! here’s Keaka and Johnathan holding on on the ride back.

if you’re a tourists looking to sit on the beach for a suntan, this isn’t the place. i was coming to panama and it was supposed to be super hot so i didn’t bring a jacket. big mistake!

and after eating tuna every night for the past 5 days, i don’t want any more tuna for a long time. i miss a fat juicy rib eye steak!
we leave here this morning, heading back to the city, and i’ll try to get back to hawaii tomorrow. like always, it’s unpredictable for me. i might get home tomorrow, the day after, or who knows. i might make it back straight, or i might have to fly to japan again. what ever happens happens. going with the flow.
anyway, i speared 15 tuna all over 200lbs!!!! it was sunny, the water was clear, and i seen tunas everywhere! WAIT! well, that’s what i was dreaming the whole time i was here. in fact, everything was the opposite. there were 16 world class divers from all parts of the world. russia, cuba, florida, mexico, bahamas, and so many other places. many first timers here, many regulars. at the end, only 7 tunas came up. everybody agreed that it was the worst diving conditions ever. you had to be extremely lucky if a tuna swam in front of you. underwater it was just a black world. couldn’t see anything. some divers didn’t even see a tuna, some divers didn’t even shoot their gun, some divers are disappointed, some aren’t. as for me, i’m super happy with the results of catching no tunas. before i came here, i was over excited, over anxious, and over confident. now, i’m leaving here like a baby spear fisherman. this trip made me realize that the ocean is a lot more unpredictable than i thought. it’s just like going on a surf trip and not getting good waves. in japanese, we call it “shoganai” or “it can’t be helped.” i’m not sad, i’m not mad, and i’m not disappointed. i’m just excited to continue my pursuit for the big tuna and like usual, i will never ever give up. but in the meantime, i will spear another 30 tunas this year, “in my dreams.” haha.
and no, the many experiences and the many new friends i made isn’t a dream. it’s something money or tunas can’t buy. traveling the world is my dream life!