HILO

January 26^th

This was our day to be in Hilo. The day dawned on the gray side and we were hoping for lots of sun. At least Ken was.

We got ready and ate our room service breakfast. Again we got lots of blueberries. We met the gang downstairs at the International Café and we walked off of the ship together. There was a small musical group to greet us with Hawaiian songs….a first for this cruise

We found our guide , Kyle, right away and he lead us to the van. It was nice and clean and new and there was lots of room for us to sit and to hold our stuff. The windows were large and clean for great viewing. This was a good sign. The tour was a private one and it involved only the six of us which was great.

Our first stop was Rainbow falls and because it had rained during the past couple of days there was great water flow. Because it was not sunny there were no rainbows. Kyle offered to take pictures for us.

Next stop was a coffee plantation and roasting facility. A guide from there explained the roasting procedure to us. They gave coffee samples. We each bought a cup and Ken picked up a pound of their coffee. I bought a bottle of pancake syrup that is a combination of maple syrup and coffee. I have never tasted such good syrup.

We then headed for the Thomas A Jaggar Museum and the Kilauea Caldera. The volcano was doing a lot of steaming and there was lots of VOG. There was some amazing art work inside as well as the usual explanations of the science involved in what we were seeing.

We visited the steam vents and they were in fine form blowing off lots of steam.

We continued on to the Thurston Lava Tubes. It was a good walk up and down and through so Randy did not go. The rest of us went. Because of the rain the tubes were dripping, and the bottom was wet. At one point we were almost up to our ankles in water.

By now it was time for lunch and Kyle took us to The Eagles Lighthouse Café. They had an outside patio and we all sat and enjoyed out amazing sandwiches. It was a great spot with very good food at reasonable prices. Kyle had chosen well.

Next stop was the Orchid growers . When you walked in the door the aroma that first hit you was amazing. I am certain that if there is a smell in heaven this is it. There were hundreds of orchids to enjoy. I took at least thirty pictures of different varieties. They had blossoms and hair pins so the ladies could have one for their hair. That was a very nice touch

Off to the Macadamia nut farm, now owned and operated by Mauna Loa. It is an amazing business and it was full of tourists buying gifts to take home. There were viewing windows so you could see what was happening inside. There was also a snack stand where you could get sandwiches and ice cream. They were doing an amazingly brisk business.

Our last stop on the tour was a visit to Franklin beach. It is a local park where the sea turtles haul out to sun bathe. We were fortunate to see several. The black sand really is black, it reminded me of coal dust.

Back to the van and back to the ship. Our very busy tour had come to an end. We thanked Kyle for a fabulous day and headed back on board to get ready for Happy Hour and dinner. After such an eventfilled day we just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Now we begin the trip back …. 5 sea days and one day in Ensenada.