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At just after 10am on 28th February, with bags packed & weighed, we set off for the airport to catch our midday flight to Kona on Hawaii big Island. Our cases were checked in with hardly a glance at the scales & we watched them being loaded onto the plane from the departure gate (the airport is very small!) Then, half an hour late, we were off; a smooth flight lasting 35 minutes. Kona airport is very small & almost completely open air - they obviously don't have much rain! Once we'd claimed our bags we hopped onto the car hire shuttle & went to pick up our car, a Ford Fusion. We then set off for "The beautiful Edge of the World" B&B. It took us almost an hour, but thanks to our host, Kurt's directions we didn't get lost! The access road to "The Edge" is through dense undergrowth & is extremely narrow, bumpy & twisty - I was hanging on to the edge of my seat, rigid with fear, all the way there! But.....WOW! What an amazing place! Our room on the first floor had its own lanai (balcony) looking out across coffee & macadamia plantations to the coast with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Kana showed us around & we had a cuppa before braving the driveway & going to find somewhere to eat, which proved quite difficult so we just bought something to eat back at the Edge while we made plans for the rest of our stay. We then climbed into the enormous bed & went to sleep to the sound of the cicadas in the trees outside.
We woke to the sound of cockerels crowing & looked out at a very overcast, grey, rainy day! Just before 8am we went to the downstairs lanai for breakfast & met the other guests around the table - a couple from Honolulu, & an American lady & her son. Kurt gave us lots of helpful info about places to go & how to get to them whilst we ate a delicious breakfast & drank his homegrown Kona coffee - lovely! We enjoyed a lively conversation over breakfast before setting off north towards Kailua-Kona in the rain. By the time we got to Kailua Bay the rain had almost stopped so we parked & went to explore this old seaside village. We found a little coffee shop, then walked along the shore watching the spray leaping over the sea wall & wandered around a local farmer's market where everything from fruit & veg to jewellery & clothes was being sold.
We went into Hulihe'e palace, which is now a museum but was originally built by John Adams Kuakini, the second governor of the Island of Hawai'i. The palace was built using native lava rock, coral lime & mortar, koa & 'ohi'a wood. It's a lovely, interesting place which would have been turned into yet another hotel if " The daughters of Hawai'i" hadn't saved it as a museum to house ancient Hawai'ian artefacts & memorabilia of 19th century Hawai'ian royalty. There are some beautiful pieces of furniture made from a variety of native woods, but the one I liked best was the inlaid table which was hand made for Queen Lili'uokabani using twenty different Hawai'ian woods.
We then drove further north along the Kohala coast. It was incredible to drive through the lava flows of 1801 & 1859. As far as we could see, right to the coast, was covered in seemingly endless black lava beds. It went on for mile after mile afer mile! Because the climate is so dry, with very little rain here hardly any plant life has grown on the lava & it looks almost as it did after it first moved across this area after the eruptions. It's amazing to see the different patterns caused by the movement of the magma & to think that they are still exactly as they were over a hundred years ago.
After that we were ready for some food so stopped in Lahuepua'a & found a fish restaurant in Waikoloa King's Village where we tried mahmahi, a white fish which is more dense & less flaky than cod or haddock, but tastes very good. Then it was back to the car for the journey to 'the Edge' & a welcome cup of tea!
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Wendy M Oh for goodness sake Pam. I am a very ugly shade of green after reading this wonderful blog. It all sounds so fantastic and you describe it soooo well. Love to you both. Wendy