Docked in Hilo this morning. Our plan is to have a little breakfast and then walk off the ship and explore this side of the island a little bit. This is the island we will be staying on for a week once the cruise is over, but we will be in Kona, on the other side of this, the biggest island. I don't really know how far it is from Hilo to Kona, something like 80 miles I think.
Another perfectly tasty buffet breakfast and we decide to take a "Hoppa On Hoppa Off" bus that will take us to several notable spots on Hilo, at our leisure. First stop is Rainbow Falls.
 |
| Stunning. And if you look really closely, you will also see waterfalls |
Next up, the bus drops us off in downtown Hilo ("old" Hilo) which has a lot of little boutique shops to peruse, and in particular, an incredible little farmer's market. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the quality of the produce here, it is Hawai'i for goodness' sake. I have never seen avocados or ginger that big. The ginger was the size of a tennis racquet. Hopefully we will be able to find something very similar to this on Kona when we arrive at our resort. We will be cooking our own meals most of that week, and some produce like this is essential.
Next up, a visit to Big Island Candy, makers of world famous chocolates and shortbread. Yes, we tried all the samples, and yes, we bought way, way too much of it. Freaking delicious.
Guess a double-long gym workout is in order for tomorrow.
Our next stop was at a fabulous Japanese garden, along Banyan drive. There is no truth to the rumour that Tracey is a closet Banyan fan.
Banyan drive is so named because of the proliferation of Banyan trees, many of them planted in the 1930s by such dignitaries as Babe Ruth, Cecile B. Demille, FDR, Richard Nixon, King George V and Amelia Earhart. Each of these trees has a plaque indicated who it was planted by, and the date.
Well, Nixon's tree doesn't have such a plaque, as it's been stolen. Again. Apparently, this is a normal occurrence.
We didn't get any pictures of the Banyan trees as the bus was moving, but here are a few of the Japanese garden.
2:00 PM - Back in the room and I am sitting on the balcony updating the blog, while enjoying a plate of cheese, cold cuts and a glass (*COUGH* BOTTLE *COUGH*) of the Mondavi Chardonnay that we've been drinking a lot so far this trip. Tracey has gone in search of the ever-elusive Pool Bear. I am sure, by the time I am typing this, Pool Bear has been located and is sitting near the pool or in the hot tub. Pool Bear and Contended Bear are cousins.
Not much else to do but sit and relax and enjoy the view of the seemingly endless ocean. I could get used to this.
4:30 PM - The wife returns from the pool, brimming with glee at the wonderful pool day she has enjoyed. I am still sitting on the balcony, although I did have to move 4 feet back because it started to rain a little bit. The horror.
Suddenly, and without warning....it's nap time.
7:30 PM - Tracey is successful in waking me up for our 8 PM dinner reservations. It was not a slam dunk that she was going to win that challenge.
Up to one of the main dining rooms for dinner, with a bottle of Cassini 2014 Cabernet Franc in hand. While we are perusing the menu to find the best options to pair with the wine, I taste the wine.... and it's bad. Fuck.
So, at least that opened up the entire menu for us. We order another bottle of that delicious Mondavi Chardonnay (that makes 4) and Tracey orders a chicken dish and I have shrimp. Unfortunately, midway through dinner the wife isn't feeling great; could be a combination of too much sun, too many pool cocktails, and too much boat-rocking. Both of our dinners are very good but we can't stay long enough to finish the wine, so we cork it up and bring it back to the room for tomorrow.
9:15 PM - I am sitting on the patio, reaching maximum Zen, when I notice that even though I am at the back of the patio, completely covered, I am getting rained on. The wind here does not mess around.
Tomorrow morning, we will wake up in Kona, another day where we have no specific plans (except for Tracey's spa day). Until then, I am going to go inside before I drown from this rain!
No comments:
Post a Comment