Blogs from Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, United States, North America

Up with the crickets again to cook our oatmeal breakfast and head up the hill again. It was 52 this time when we got there!! But this time we were dressed more for it. No new birds, just the lovely usual. Instead I took more photos of the plantings. After a short turnaround, we headed north to the beach at Mauna Lani. We had been there before in December 2021. The water was just about as cold this time, and the walk from the parking lot at the restrooms a LONG ¾ mile because we were lugging the 2 chairs, cooler with waters, and snorkeling gear across the smooth undulating lava fields. By then it was 90 degrees, per the car. Still, it was well worth it. An easy sandy entrance gives way to many coral ... read more

Bonjour à tous, Les soirées ici, ça tourne court. Mes lieux de résidence sont excentrés, c'est repas vers les 7H, et je mange tard par rapport aux locaux, et aux anglo-saxons en général. Hier un bon steak, accompagné d'un riz cantonnais, normal dans un resto tenu par des chinois, et point final. Retour à la chambre bien avant 8H. Je reviens un peu sur mon hôtesse, Viviane. Hier au soir elle est revenue me voir, pour me mettre en garde de bien débrancher, la cafetière, et le grille pain, lorsque je quitte la chambre ça peut être dangereux. De plus, garer ma voiture, pas comme la sienne mais dans l'autre sens, plus plein de détails insignifiants, mais qui doivent compter pour elle. J'ai l'impression que c'est madame gendarme, mais ça reste facile de lui faire plaisir. ... read more

I’m so tired/relaxed/tipsy, I almost cannot write this. I’ll have some more wine, while watching the surfers the sunset from our balcony, and maybe it will get more entertaining. So we upped sticks from our beautiful view in Kauai and headed for another beautiful view on Big Island, just south of Kona. But not before we finished our final adventure activity with some tubing. Packed up all our stuff and drove just outside of Lihue where we were kitted out before being driven to the ‘backcountry’ to start our adventures The channels we were going to travel along were mostly handcut (except for one unsuccessful dynamite attempt) by immigrants to provide irrigation (for sugar I think) but now provide water supplies across the island…and tubing. A short safety briefing and we were tipped in to the ... read more

HEALING IN HAWAII KONA APRIL 2022 In early 2022 I began thinking about my next trip and I started reading tours offered on a travel site called Rosie’s Responsible Travel. A 21-day camping trip on the African continent caught my imagination. I began working on the required visas and immunizations. Africa is so diverse and so big and I felt a little shaky about organizing my own trip, but an ordinary packaged tour felt too tame. I backpack so I have tenting experience and guests on this journey are expected to contribute and help prepare meals, and set up and tear down our own tents. The tour company changed my proposed trip to one that starts on my birthday. It is a big one…my 80th. So the company announced my age on the paperwork, not that ... read more

Lots to tell. Left Gerri’s yesterday afternoon to stay in Hotel near BWI. Had to get up at 3:30 this morning to catch first flight. One and three-quarters hour flight to Nashville. Walked off that plane and immediately boarded flight to LAX. Five hours later we deplaned at Terminal 1 and had to find Hawaiian Air. I can literally say now that I hate LAX. Our flight was scheduled for 12:10, and we got there at 9:30, so you would think we had plenty for time to find our flight. Oh no! We ended up walking around for over a half hour looking for any sort of customer service rep. We found a lot of places that said it you walked through door, you would have to go through TSA again to re-enter. Can you say ... read more