Paradise in Hawaii

Hawaii-five-0, Jake and the Fat man, Magnum PI (the one with Tom Selleck not the new version), all watched more years ago than I like to think about.  The scenery was always beautiful in the shows and of course growing up in a small town it seemed like a whole other world away.  

Fast forward many years later and my DH and I thought if we were going to try a cruise then perhaps it should be Hawaii.  This would give us a chance to see several islands and cities as opposed to being in one place for a week.  It is beautiful here, just like in the shows!  

We have taken in a few of the sites.  Hilo being our busiest day when we hopped in with a local tour guide and got more than he advertised. He was entertaining,  knowledgeable and most giving of his time adding the extra stop of the beach with the black and green sand.  We had a hoot with him as we whizzed along in his van. Tried fresh farmed pineapple and checked out the BIG chocolate store.  

These beautiful pictures are of the Japanese Gardens in Hilo. The first stop on the tour of the day.  From here we headed to the old town, basically buildings that survived the tidal wave in the 1940s.  And if the waves are not enough to cause concern then this island also boasts an active volcano, those pictures will follow shortly!

On we traveled to Rainbow falls, beautiful but for most Canadians hardly impressive.  The legend attached to Rainbow Falls however, was quite fascinating.  Nothing I like more than a good story.

The flowers were beautifully placed as a Thanksgiving. 

And after about fifteen minutes we were off again.  This time on to the site of the volcano.   It was puffing a bit but no ashes and because it was during the day you could not see the red glow of the hot lava.  However, you sure could smell the sulphur.  The place was fascinating.   Of course some tourists,  much to the dismay of the tour guide, were away from the rails taking selfies and given the holes along the rim, the potential unsteadiness of the rim I had to agree it was not a wise move on the part of the tourists there.  We managed to get some equally nice pictures and no rule breaking or danger involved!

It looks like Mordor, from the Lord of the Rings!!

And onwards we went again to where the steam vents from the volcano were letting off...well steam!  At a mere 1400 degrees Fahrenheit there was no problem getting your glasses fogged up!  We all had partial facials for a few seconds at a time!

The Lava Tunnels were a highlight.   Walking through what is essentially a cave of lava was fascinating.  

From here we were off to the chocolate factory and I managed to snag a stocking stuffer for my DH as well as some peppermint rocky road to bring home.  YUM, the sample should have been bigger!!!

Back into the city we had a chance to check out the local market before heading on to our final stop of the beach.  Here we saw black sand which consists of the lava and it is course on the feet!  And there was green sand as well which results from the minerals in the lava. And yes these feet have been in the cold north Atlantic,  the Atlantic in the south, the Caribbean sea, the Mediterranean Sea and now the Pacific Ocean. (I expected it to be warmer!)

And last but not least the fresh picked pineapple.   According to Elwood, our tour guide, there is a way to prepare that pineapple and it is like undressing a woman.  Ok, he has a salty sense of humour, perfect for a Newfoundlander!!

First you take off the top

And then the bottom!!!!

Have a great day with this tour.  We sure enjoyed ourselves and all that this guide had to offer on the Big Island.