Day 3 - On to the Big Island

Again we woke up early. We made one last trip to Leonard's for the Li Ling malasadas then headed to Hanauma once again. Mom got a little sea sick just walking out into the water and decided to stay on shore. Interestingly enough, last night when we arrived the park was an hour from closing so they just let us in for free and then this morning, they'd only been open for 40 minutes and weren't yet setup to take money so they just told us to go on in for free. The walk down to the bay is beautiful and steep. They have a tram that charges $.75 for the ride down and $1 for the ride up. Both times we visited we walked down and splurged for the ride up. I saw so many fish, it was lovely. I really enjoy snorkeling.

Before heading to the airport we went searching for the largest pagoda in the world, Somju Pagoda. It turns out it is not in the Valley of the Temples like the GPS thought but rather in Honolulu Memorial Park. It was a beautiful old structure that was worth the hunt.

We had a quick bite at Rico's Tacos before heading to HNL. Lunch was a creative interpretation of nachos that included a gelatinous guacamole that came from a squeeze bottle. I think we are going to avoid Mexican food for the remainer of our Hawaiian stay.

The flight to the Big Island was nice. Thankfully the trades have died down and the flight was pretty smooth.

The Big Island is very different than Oahu. We landed on a hardened lava field and drove along the edge of mountain to a barn that feels like it overhangs the seaside. Two of our four walls are screened three feet from the floor to the ceiling and the other two are paneled in. Thankfully there is an indoor toilet (although the shower is outside). We dined at a local restaurant, Manago. Being here feels like we are with the locals and not in a tourist hot spot.

Mother's Highlight: I really got a kick out of the lady at the airport checking my bag and going, "Oooh, you got good snacks in here." That's the whole attitude of the Hawaiian people, they are so warm and hospitable. The clerk at Hertz even recommended a Rhema church to us.

Julia's Highlight: Discovering the Coffee Barn with Mother. It was little more austere than the New York Times led on. We had a hearty laugh and embraced our new home. I guess the airport should have been a clue to what we were in store for. The airport is completely open air. Instead of "gates" you board and deplane from huts. The baggage claim even has its own hut.