Aloha, Hawaii

It was hard to believe that our Hawaii trip had come to an end. It seemed like a very long week and then again it didn’t. We sat on the balcony to have our coffee and watch the surf before packing. I was convinced Susan was going to have to buy another suitcase for all the loot she got for everybody!

MawMaw, Susan and I drove to a coffee farm, which was far more interesting than I imagined. It gave me newfound respect for Kona coffee and the difficulty that goes into making it. It takes 7 trees to make one pound of coffee and now the coffee industry on Hawaii is plagued by a small beetle infesting the beans, making them unusable. No wonder Kona coffee is expensive!

We made other stops along the way to places Susan had been to prior, including St. Benedict’s Painted Church

 The church cat

 One of those cemeteries I wish I could have walked through

This is breadfruit and apparently has a lot of uses on the island, including making poi, which I overlooked at the luau the night before.

Then on to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, also known as the City of Refuge. I really enjoyed that place. The wall is original – if you made it over the wall after making it through the surf and rocks while being chased by warriors, you were given … wait for it … refuge!

MawMaw and I playing Hawaiian checkers. I was contemplating how the heck I was going to win.

Here is the wall

After that, we stopped by Captain Cook’s Bay. This is where Captain John Cook was killed and the British Isles owns part of the bay, marked by a plaque sank deep in the water. The only way to the Captain’s statue is to kayak the bay or hike waaaaay down the mountain. Susan and I found shells and sea glass to mark our visit.

The lei my Uncle Dean got for me on my arrival to Hawaii was looking sad and even though I'd wanted to take it home as a souvenir, I decided to give it back to Hawaii. Susan accompanied me down the Grand Staircase of the hotel for me to cast it into the lagoon. Of course, my “cast” just plopped it down at my feet so I scooped it from the water, balled it up and gave it a heave the next go-round. 

Then it was over. We said our goodbyes at the airport to wait for overnight flights back home. Aloha, Hawaii!