Month: March 2015

Week 4

Wow, how the time has flown by…final week…

If you read our Galapagos blog, you would know that we snorkeled for the first time there and loved it. That said, 3 weeks in, and we hadn’t been in the water yet, so it was time to get wet…(yes, I love snorkeling, but that initial getting wet, I need to work up to). We went a couple of times to a shallow lagoon next to our condo.

Then on Tuesday, Aline and Dave picked us up for a deep water snorkel excursion to Kealakekua Bay. This is where Captain James Cook came ashore on the Hawaiian Islands and later where he was killed.

The waters are calm and the views are amazing. I was in awe the moment I jumped in and put my face in the water.

The hour passed quickly, and then it was time to board the boat for our trip back.

On our way back we saw Spinner dolphins,

whales,

lava tubes – this one looks like an evil face used by the ancients for sacrifices!

and locals jumping off a cliff (notably named, End of the World).

Video

Great fun with our new friends…

On Thursday, Aline and Dave picked us up for another day of adventure. We went to Kaloko-Honokohau National Park to hike some of the trails. The area was home to ancient Hawaiians. We spotted a lot of parrots on the trail, their squawking almost sounded like they were laughing at us !

We saw petroglyphs along our walk.

Near the shore, a map lets you imagine what the village would have once looked like. The lava rock fish traps are still intact.

Next stop was the beautifully landscaped Mauka Meadows.

A long and winding trail leads you down through flower gardens, fruit gardens, and coffee plants (and big spiders).

The trail ends at a coffee tasting venue with an infinity pool with a lookout of the ocean below.

The resident chicken happily enjoys when visitors share their banana with him. Aline was happy to oblige.

While in the Kona coffee belt region, we made another stop to Greenwell Farms.  This coffee farm has been around since 1850.

We did a tour around the grounds. The company provides custom milling, roasting and packaging for their coffee beans and other the coffee farms on the Big Island. The coffee trees in the picture are about 115 years old, most trees are in production for about 20 years.

The farm has many fruit trees avocado, mango, citrus, banana, that are not harvested commercially, but provide free food for the workers ! After the tour, over half a dozen different coffees were offered for tasting.

Dinner was at Ocean’s for Taco Thursday. Aline and Dave treated. Todd had shrimp tacos and a blackened fish taco (best he’s had on the Island).

I went for a steak taco and Kalua pork taco – would highly recommend the pork…

As nightfall came, we were treated to great views of the full moon from our lanai.

Our final full day started with breakfast out – Kalua Pork Eggs Benedict on homemade bread with herbed potatoes – excellent flavour (and very filling). And then some last minute shopping…

We finished the day, meeting up with Aline and Dave for drinks and dinner at Bongo Bens. This has been our regular “haunt” this vacation. It is the “Cheers” of Kona – “where everyone knows your name”. The regulars (residents) mix with the vacationers on the stools around the bar and stories are exchanged and laughs are shared. But, the reason why this venue is so well frequented is Naia. She puts the “Happy” in Happy Hour with her friendly, efficient service. Preparing drinks for those at the bar and the rest of Bongo’s, she is a powerhouse and cares about her customers. We learned a lot about this born and bred Big Island resident over the past four weeks and we are going to miss her friendly greetings and amazing smile – which is one of the reasons we are planning a return trip sooner, rather than later…

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3

Sunday night, we met up once again with our new friends from BC – Aline and Dave. It was Aline’s birthday (55th – that makes me the youngest in our foursome…lol), so we joined them for a celebratory dinner at Quinn’s By the Sea.

I even had fish! – fish and chips, that is…. The fish was mild, but a little dense, and batter was tasty, so there…had fish, now back to good ole Kahlua Pork.

Wednesday was our “Take-2” with Volcano Van. The tour guide came with a rental because his van was still in the shop. This time we drove north. We stopped along the road to check out a lava tube.

We stopped at Laupahoehoe Park where the ocean shows its beauty and raw power as the waves crash against the numerous leaf-shaped lava rocks that border the shore. (Laupahoehoe means leaf lava).

The beauty of the area is marked by tragedy. A school house once stood here, but on April 1, 1946, a tsunami destroyed the building and killed 23 children and 4 teachers. It is very emotional reading the names of the deceased – whole families of children gone….

The Big Island has all but two of the world’s climate zones. As we drove northeast, the arid, brown land dotted with volcanic rock turned green – houses with lawns, lush flora along the roadside, and the occasional waterfall.

We made a pit-stop in Honomu where we picked up Hilo coffee beans to take home from the café. Then we wandered over to Mr. Ed’s Bakery – what a treat! Freshly made cookies (including our favourite, Macadamia Nut cookies), and jams fill the store. We have never seen so many types of (all natural and for the most part using local ingredients) jams, jellies, and chutneys in one place – and all are available to sample! Todd bought the Tangerine Torture – a tangerine jam with jalapeno and ghost peppers.

Kolekole Park, under one towering train bridge is an oasis of a once sugar cane run to the sea that invites visitors.

The area is a favourite of local (experienced) surfers.

Locals also come to fish,

or just to enjoy the scenery…

Next, we stopped at Akaka Falls State. We hiked a paved path, slightly uphill, through a lush rainforest filled with palms, ferns, bamboo, and flowering bushes.

The first waterfall we came to was the 100 ft. Kahuna Falls.

As the path continues, the 442 ft. Akaka Falls comes into view as the water drops into the gorge below. The Oopu alamoo is an endemic Hawaiian species of goby fish that spawns in stream above the waterfall. When spawning season comes around they climb to the top using a suction cup just below their head ! The fish lives in the sea while maturing and dies after spawning.

Although, we didn’t see much of Hilo, we did stop at Liliuokalani Park and Gardens for a scenic lunch. The park consists of 30 acres of Japanese gardens.

The highlight of the day was exploring sections of Volcano National Park. We began at a lookout point towards the Halema’uma’u Crater vent.

Next we walked along the path to the steam vents. Ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks in this area and returns to the surface as steam.

We drove along Chain of Craters Road to its end – where lava literally takes over the road from a 1959 eruption.

The beauty of lava….

We completed our tour back at the lookout to Halema’uma’u Crater vent in the evening when the glow can be seen.

Friday, we tagged along with our friends, Aline and Dave, to Pololū Valley for a hike. You literally drive to the end of the road (on Hwy. 270) and when you can’t go any farther, you’re there.

The trail down to the beach (and back up) is rugged and steep – a good workout…

At the bottom of the trail, a picturesque beach awaits.

After the somewhat strenuous hike, we drove to the Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea for some beverages and lunch.

The Big Island Brewhaus began as a restaurant in 2008 and in 2011 the brewery was added.

We are having a fantastic time and can’t believe we only have one week left…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2

We returned to Kona Brewing Sunday evening because they have live music. Colin John and his brother played a mix of Hawaiian, country, and classic rock – Johnny Cash songs with a Uke and Sitar. Good music, good food, lots of fun.

Can’t get enough of sitting on the lanai – whale watching….

People watching….

Beautiful sunsets….

Amazing moonsets….

Friday, we were up bright and early because we booked a tour with Volcano Van to see the sites south of Kona and head over to Volcano National Park. Our first stop (not really a stop, more of a drive-by because some local said no commercial vehicles were allowed to park) was Kealakekua.

This is the area was the inspiration for Don Ho’s song “Little Grass Shack”.

Our next stop was a lookout point amidst A’a lava.

A’a lava is rocky and sharp on the top and extremely dense underneath – producing some of the most difficult rock to cut through. A’a lava tumbles in the form of small rocks with very jagged sharp edges.

As we continued our drive, the harshness of the landscape gave way to lush forest. Apparently the island has 10+ climate zones.

Next we drove to Black Sands Beach (aka Punalu’u Beach).

What an exciting day to show up! Research biologists and volunteer students from University of Hawaii’s Marine Option Program were there to study the green sea turtles.

The green sea turtles (actually all sea turtles in Hawaii) are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The turtles were temporarily captured.

Thorough examinations were conducted to check for injuries or disease. They were measured and weighed.

Then they were tagged before being released. Tagging allows insight into how fast they grow, where they travel to, and (for adults) how often they breed.

Well, that was about it for the tour – the van broke down. The poor independent tour operator was beside himself. We assured him we were “okay”; it was just something that happened, nothing he could do about it. His wife came and picked us up with her vehicle (after 1 ½ hr. wait…). We are rebooked for next week… Upon return, we strolled on over to Bongo Ben’s for Happy Hour and to meet up with a couple from BC whom we met who are here for a month long vacation.

Most nights we have eaten at the condo, on the lanai – watching the sunset. Saturday night, we decided to dine out and chose Lava Java. Live music + sunset + good food.

Kalua Pork Pizza

Hard to believe 2 weeks have gone by !!