March 18 - Driving Kohala, Hiking Pololu

We had a continental breakfast in the motel’s “lanai” that was nothing like a lanai, but just a ground floor room with one tiny window. They had pineapple butter that Chunlin loved, sort of like apple butter. It was from a local source that we can’t find online. Bummer.

Soon, we were on the road. North on the Kohala Mountain Road through sunny rangeland. The ocean sparkled blue in the distance, far below. Mauna Kea was finally visible, as well as Hualalai Mountain near Kona. A couple clouds clung to the peaks. Golf courses and resorts were discernible through the haze below us, patches of green standing out on the red, brown, and black.

We crested the hill. Ironwood trees shaded the road, giving only gaps of views across the fields of grass and cactus.

We stopped briefly in Kapa‘au to pay our respects to the king.

We stopped briefly at Keokea Beach to use the facilities.

A coconut tree has many coconuts.

Shortly, we were hiking down to Pololu Beach.

Down down down. ...It's not that far, really.

And then we went back up up up.

Hot hot hot in the sun sun sun.

After cooling off, we got in the car and drove back to Kapa‘au for lunch. Pizza!

While we waited for food, a little yellow bird with tiny legs hopped around the parking lot outside our restaurant window. On the tv was a video about taro farming -- the third time we’d seen it (also at the Hilo bed and breakfast and at breakfast at the Waimea motel). When a breeze flowed through the restaurant, it was very nice. I was still sticky from the hike, though.

Chunlin liked the Greek pizza. Both it and the pizza we had in Kona had thin crusts that weren’t crispy.