We had an action packed day today. We got up early enough to see the sun rise behind the mountain and were able to capture the moment with this great shot.

We headed into town again to eat breakfast as the kids were in the mood for some pan cakes so we stopped off at Dennis. We then hit the tourist zone where we went shopping for some more knickknacks, sun tan lotion and snorkeling gear. Despite using sun tan lotion our first two days here we really got sun burned so we upped the SPF from 30 to 50 and we hope tomorrow we won’t be as burned.

After shopping we headed to visit some historic sites. We walked by one of the Hawaiian Kings original homes called Hulihe e Palace but was closed for repairs. We then headed to an older home called Ahu ena Heiau and took some shots (one is pictured below).

Driving back from our historic visit, I spotted a giant lava tube as I was driving down the main road so I looped back and we all got off to explore a bit. The lava tube went on for a long distance and we opted to leave it as the area seemed to become more perilous as we journeyed further and further away from the main road. Although Hawaii is often perceived as a lush tropical vegetative island, the big island has a great deal of barren rock laden land for miles and miles as far as the eye can see.

After our brief excursion we stopped lava tube cave near Kiholo Bay and visited the nearby Queen’s Bath. Some interesting highlights are pictured below. The water in this cave was pristine clear and very cold.

We ended the day by spending a couple of hours poolside then headed back to our room to get ready for the big luau. On Wednesdays, the hotel cooks a large pig buried deep inside the ground. The pig cooks all day as it is “buried” in the morning and “exhumed” in the evening. We ate dinner (not the pig) and then watched a fascinating show with various island cultures expressing their dancing technique. Islanders from New Zealand, Tahiti, the Cook Islands and Hawaii all did a routine or two.

I could write more for hours but this action packed day really zapped the strength from us and we’re dead tired but not too tired to take this picture perfect sunset from the luau.

Categories: Hawaii
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