March 14 - Kona

I called Mom over our pulled-pork omelet and macadamia-nut scone at Lava Java. Mom and Dad were touring a bird sanctuary on Sanibel Island. Here, little brown birds hunt our table, landing on chair backs and buzzing my nose.

No coffee refills here, apparently. Free wifi, though. I checked email and then Chunlin worked. Hotel wifi didn’t work last night or that morning.

And the waves kept coming. Three extra-large waves, then it went calm for a moment.

Kailua Pier, the only place for boats to dock. Next to the pier, a tiny beach where the Ironman starts and ends. Swimmers took to the ocean while we watch. They swam out along a string of buoys and back.

North of the pier, a larger, more sheltered beach for small boats.

We crossed the street to the King Kamehameha Hotel to see the giant marlin -- it’s not the same one I remember seeing as a kid.

Back south, 9 o’clock. Hulihe‘e Palace. The gate was open, so we entered the yard. We didn’t go in the house, though. No photos were allowed inside the house of old furniture, plus there was an entrance fee. We walked around the yard, instead.

South through a shopping mall village, we were stopped for a coffee free tasting. Chunlin doesn’t like Kona coffee, apparently. We bought dark-chocolate-covered coffee beans. Chunlin likes Kona coffee that way. Who doesn't?

Back at the hotel, we fought the wifi modem. 10 a.m. Felt like 3 p.m. Busy morning.

Ours was a corner room with a huge L-shaped balcony. I booked our next two nights in Hilo at a bed and breakfast. The few hotels there were full Saturday.

We hit the road south toward Captain Cook and Kealakekua Bay. Don Ho sang a song about this place.

Big crashing waves. One risk-taker sat braced against a big rock, letting the waves engulf him to the chin. A goose wandered around the park.

Bougainvillea, bougainvillea, bougainvillea!

We headed back to Kailua, back to the hotel, and then out to dinner on the town again.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel and watched _Person of Interest_, because it was a Thursday, after all, and that's what we do.

March 13 - A Walk around Kailua

I had a headache -- not enough water or caffeine -- while Chunlin had a cold, so we rested.

Eventually, though, hunger overtook us and we ventured forth looking for for food.

We considered eating here, but skipped it. Prices and glare.

Watching the waves crash along the shore proved less taxing for me than picking a restaurant. We eventually ate, however, and headed back to the hotel.

This is the view from the shore beside our hotel. We got a cheap room, however, so we didn't have this view. We faced the parking lot.

Our hotel had a fish pond in one of the towers. Fishy fishy!

Sunsets and crashing waves, two of my favorite things to photograph. Get Chunlin, a flag, and maybe some tree branches into the frame and it'd be dynamite!

After sunset, we went back to our room. Chunlin tried to buy hotel wifi so she could send work emails. We never quite got it functional, though.

March 13 - Going to Hawai‘i

We got up a bit early (so Chunlin could pack, as is her wont). Amy picked us up and we were on the road by 8. Light rush-hour traffic, goodbye and thanks to Amy, through security, train to North Satellite, and thenwe sit with an hour till boarding.

I wish there was a way to know how long the security line will take, before you leave home.

A veterinarian advertisement sign in the airport had a painting of animals from aardvark to zebra -- but it missed N, U, and X. Xiphosuran? Narwhal? Ungulate? Too general? Too wet? Too obscure? Breakfast time for Chunlin.

On the plane and into the clouds. Blue above, white below. Strong headwind. Projected 30 minutes late. Light turbulence, hard to get much smoother, but the flight attendants wouldn’t get out of their seats. A few bumps here and there, but I’ve been served coffee in worse.

A half hour later, we finally got some worthy chop.

Bland teriyaki chicken and bland mac & cheese for lunch. Time passed. Clouds came and went.

They passed out Hawaii Department of Agriculture forms. Fruit? No? Okay.

Kona. Welcome to the desolate lava rock. Oh wait. I see a tree.

We got our rental car, a Ford Focus. It was hot outside and in the car. I started driving before I dug out my sunglasses. Traffic. Welcome to Kona.

March 20 - Final Morning in Hawai‘i

Soon our vacation would be but a distant memory. Back to the routine tomorrow. Fun life would be subsumed by real life.

Leisurely we packed up, with coffee, tv, and leftovers. One last train ride to the lobby, then we drove to Kona for breakfast at Splashers.

The town was so familiar. It felt odd to be back. We ate breakfast tacos and a seafood omelet.

After eating, we walked around town, shopping. Just another beautiful day in paradise.

Eventually, though, it was time to leave. We topped off the car's tank at the gas station. Chunlin bought a purple taro bun.

Alamo rental car drop-off. Shuttle van. Airport.

Dark clouds descended the mountain. A few raindrops fell as we boarded the plane.

I wasn’t ready to go home as I buckled in, but we didn't have much choice at that point.

We took off and soon we were in the clouds and over the Pacific.

Goodbye, Hawai‘i.

Aloha.

March 19 - Back in Waikoloa

We traveled by Disney boat from the lobby to our tower. Hilton actually enlisted Disney's help for the design, according to our pilot.

In our room we kicked back and started watching _Flight_. More clouds were outside than the afternoon the day before.

Two-thirds of the way through the movie, we hit pause and headed outside to watch the sunset.

I selected the opposite side of the bay from the previous evening. We sat on a grassy berm, waiting for the day to end.

I let Chunlin use my small camera while I used the large one. The next photo is hers.

Meanwhile, I stared upward.

Eventually, the sun found the horizon.

The sudden darkness was always surprising to me, even though I knew it was coming. It made me miss the twilight of northern latitudes.

We then went back to our hotel room and finished the alcoholism movie.

March 19 - Escape to Hapuna

Another sunny day in Hawai‘i.

We strolled around the Hilton Waikoloa resort grounds, from one end to the other. They have a tiny zoo with some flamingos and nenes.

Without much food, I was starting to crash but Chunlin was doing fine. We had breakfast at Water’s Edge. I had the buffet; Chunlin had the continental. Good omelet. Good baked goods. Not sure it was worth $29, but I was hungry.

We headed back to our hotel room and finished watching _Skyfall_. 10 o’clock. Time to relax. The waves just keep coming, but I can’t photograph them all.

When afternoon rolled around, I got itchy feet. We packed up, took the train to the car, and drove north to popular Hapuna Beach.

We slathered on the sunscreen, staked out a patch of sand, and jumped into the ocean. It was cool and refreshing at first, but quickly felt warm as my body adjusted. Coming back out, I tripped in the shallow water on a random deep spot and performed a graceful faceplant on the sand.

Next time out, I belly-flopped into a vertical wave face -- slap!

Lots of people on the beach and in the water. Boogie boarders were catching waves. Once, I timed my jump just right so I managed to catch a wave without a board. I cruised on in to shore. Every other time a wave came in, I drank too much salt water. It stings the nose.

Chunlin kept her head dry, most of the time. I mostly didn’t get sunburned.

And thus ends the tale of our day at the beach.