Day 9 & 10 - Waimea & Snorkling

Great weather yesterday. We drove up the Waimea, which is the center of ranch country on the Big Island.  If you suddenly woke up and found yourself there you would never  believe you are in Hawaii.  We had lunch at Village Burgers - a wonderful hamburger with a thick patty of locally sourced beef on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, onion & mayo.  It was so thick we had a hard time getting our mouth around it.  As an accompaniment we had a real ice cream milk shake - chocolate, of course.  There was even a Hershey's kiss at the bottom of the cup!  We checked out some of the shops.  There are some really nice galleries and gift shops with locally made items.  It is about 40 miles from our condo to Waimea, but it takes well over an hour to get there.  It was about 4:30 when we got home, so we headed for the pool, which was glorious.  It was about 85 degrees and the sky was still clear with no clouds.

This morning I drove to the market in Kailua-Kona for fruit.  I paid $8 for 10 papaya, a bunch of about 10 bananas (the little apple bananas grown here on the island) and 4 tomatoes.  I also bought a really pretty bouquet of tropical flowers for $10 - antherium, little orchids, protea, Helaconia, and birds of paradise.  We ate lunch at home today.

This afternoon we went out on the Fairwind II. This was the third time we went out on this boat, but before we've done the morning cruise, which includes a BBQ lunch.  The afternoon cruise only provides snacks and 90 minutes of snorkeling, rather than 2 1/2 hours, but it costs about half what the morning cruise costs.  Mom didn't snorkel, but I did and 90 minutes was ample. 

We went to Kealakakua Bay, which is of historical significance as it is where Capt. James Cook first landed on the Island of Hawaii and where he met his demise at the hand of the natives.  There is a monument there to his honor and the land it sits on is actually British land.  Kealakakua Bay is a state park and a wild life preserve.  It is also considered to be one of the best snorkel sites on the Big Island, if not in Hawaii.  Access to the bay is mostly permitted only by guided tour, though I think individuals can hike to the Capt. Cook monument. The Fairwind is the only commercial vessel that has a permanent anchorage in the bay, grandfathered in prior to the state park designation.

There is a multitude of fish to be seen on the reefs.  They are very colorful.  Sometimes there are spinner dolphins and even humpback whales have been known to come into the bay.  I saw lots of different fish and at one time I was even swimming with a school of several dozen fish that seemed close enough to touch.  There were lots of tangs, butterfly fish, angle fish, and parrot fish, as well as sea urchins.  Because this is a preserve, touching the fish and coral is not allowed, nor is feeding the fish.

It was 5:30 by the time we got back to the dock, so home to a shower, mai-tais, and dinner.

Tomorrow Katie & Margie arrive.