Day 12 Hawi, Pololu Valley Lookout, and A Scenic Highway to Delve

Our last Monday morning in Hawaii, where has the time gone?  Today, we decided to head north to Hawi and beyond.  Hawi is a quaint little town, with ancient, wooden buildings, painted with bright colors, and sporting rusted, tin roofs.  This area is in ranch country and it reminded me of the old mining towns  out west. I would guess most of the buildings are from the late 1800's to early 1900's.  It had a rustic, yet artistic vibe about it with a few shops and restaurants. 

 

 

It's also the birthplace of King Kamehameha I, who was the great warrior that united the Hawaiian islands.  His son, Kamehameah II embraced Christianity and banned the practice of the pagan Hawaiian religions. Now the area is dotted with tiny churches of all faiths, most dating to the mid-1800's.  On past Hawi is a town similar in style called Kohala.  This tiny town held the local library and visitor center, both of which were cute little buildings.  Its other claim to fame is the original King Kamehameha statue, which stands proudly in front of the visitor's center.  I would love to make the visitor center building my house, and I'm going to retire and build a copy of it on one of the many primo spots I've fallen in love with here on the island. Oops, I guess I'm daydreaming again. 




Kohala Library



St Augustine's Episcopal Church



Kohala Visitor Center (my retirment home)

A glimpse (in the background) of what was to come

 

Anyway, we had lunch in Kohala and ventured on to our primary destination, The Pololu Valley Lookout.  This valley is dramatic, picturesque and it was very difficult to capture the grandeur in photos.  It was truly awe-inspiring.  We had glimpses of what was to come from the road and once we started on the trail, our anticipation was heightened as we stole peeks through the jungle of vegetation along the cliff sides.  The trail was steep, rugged, rutted, and washed out.   Tumbled boulders littered the path and exposed tree roots, shiny and smooth, varnished by the footfalls of a million travelers, made it a treacherous 20 minute hike down.   Palm trees, that looked like something out of Dr Suess' imagination, whose exposed roots like tentacles, clung to the vertical sides of the cliff. 

Dr Suess trees

 Pine needles carpeted parts of the trail and the primeval forest at the bottom.  They fell  from shaggy pines whose hulking shape reminded me of a woolly mammoth.  The 400 ft drop led us to a beautiful forest that was sheltered from the ocean.  On the other side of the forest was an emerald green valley floor complete with a stream the color of Mountain Dew (now we know where it got it's name)!   It was very humbling standing down there surrounded by towering cliffs on three sides and the thundering ocean on another. 

We crawled over some boulders and found ourselves on a beautiful black sand beach.  The sand was silky and velvety to the touch. It looked like fine suede with little flecks that would sparkle, like diamonds in the sunlight.  The beach was littered with weather worn stones, that in ancient times were gathered and used for building temples.  The supply was limitless.  The ocean waves roared displaying their raw power,  battering the immense surrounding cliffs and shore.  The boys played in the massive surf, while the girls created messages with the stones.  Paul and I sat on a weathered piece of driftwood and soaked it all in.  I think I could live there, and my house would look perfect perched on the cliff, giving me a 360 degree, bird's eye view of the valley and sea.  The hike back up took a little longer than the trip down, but we made it. 

 Our next adventure was to take Hwy 250 through the Kohala Mountains.  We were told at the visitor's center that it was named one of the most beautiful drives in the US.  Honestly, every drive we've taken could make that claim, even through the rugged lava fields at sea level.   This highway is along the spine of the of the Kohala volcano.   On the Kohala side, the clouds hang low and today we had spotty drizzle, which explained why the area was green and lush with high cane grass and trees lining the road.  Cattle grazed in the fields and the whole effect made me think of Ireland.  Green rolled on down toward the ocean and this was the area we saw our first rainbow of the day.  But in an instant, we found ourselves having crossed an imaginary line and the landscape changed into that of something resembling the Southwest.  There were cactus dotting the rocky, dry hillsides, and just as you would see in the Southwest, this was cattle ranch country.  This highway terminates at Waimea, which is home to the historic Parker Ranch.  John Parker came to Hawaii by jumping ship in 1809.  He became friends with King Kamehameha and eventually married his daughter and started a huge cattle ranch that is still a working ranch today and encompasses 135,000 acres.  It was here near Waimea, that we spotted our second rainbow of the day. 
 


Shades of Ireland



Is this Hawaii or Arizona???

A rainbow!

The sun was low in the sky and the day was quickly slipping from our grasp. We decided to make one last stop before heading into Kona for the Mahalo dinner.  I saw a placard about the railroad in this area and it mentioned Mahukona Harbor.  We found it marked on the map as a harbor and beach, so we pointed the car in that direction.  We arrived at an abandoned harbor area with an old train station, circa 1930...I could make that my house too....and remants of the concrete piers that were once used in this long ago port.  The kids had fun climbing around and exploring.  In its heyday, sugar cane and cattle were put on small steamships and sent to the other islands and a the train line terminated here.  There was still a large concrete wharf and a ladder at one end that led down into the sea.  It was a protected area, probably where the ships docked.  Apparently, this is a great place to scuba dive.  The old mooring chains are now encrusted with coral and there is a shipwrecked steamship just off the wharf.  After sometime, we headed back to Kona to attend the Maholo (thank you) dinner given in appreciation for the volunteers at Saturday's race.   On our way home, we saw another rainbow, and this one was a double!


Train station in Mahukona Harbor
(my summer home)

A rainbow and its shadow

   Unbelievably, as we pulled into town, we saw our final rainbow of the day.  Now I know why there is a rainbow on Hawaii's license plate!  So what does this mean?  Good luck, a pot of gold????  All I have to say is that I think we've already found our pot of gold with all of the wonderful experiences we've had on this trip.  We arrived at the Mahalo dinner a little late, but in time to get our free dinner. The atmosphere and size of the crowd was similar to last evening's Awards Banquet and it was a good time.    Another great day.....

Rainbow in town

Day 11 A Move Downtown and Dinner at 7

By the time we got home Saturday night, it was already Sunday morning, about 1:30 am to be exact.  We were all bone-tired with aching feet and sore backs.  We dropped into bed and passed out.  But, a nice sleep-in was not to be had.  We needed to pack our belongings and get out of Dodge by 10 am.  Our condo in Paniolo Greens, up in the foothills of Waikoloa area, was a Sunday to Sunday rental.  It was nice place and we had a long range view of the ocean, off the second floor deck, if you craned your neck just right.  Our new condo is located past downtown Kona about 2 miles.  We packed everything into the car....barely.  I think we've gained some extras and may have to buy new bag to check in on the flight home.  Funny how little treasures like broken coral, rocks, interesting coconut shell fragments,  weird seed pods, tropical pine needles that resemble some intricate macrame weave, shells, souvenirs, and all the free stuff we've acquired from the expo has seemed to pile up. 

A shell, a rock, a pine needle, some coconut shell, and coral

 Thankfully, Paul is used to me because no matter where we go, I have to trudge home rocks and other such treasures.  Hey at least they are free, except for the time I was smuggling small, flat,  bluish-black  stones, tumbled smooth by the surf, from a beach in Seattle and almost got busted by the TSA...there could have been a fine involved, phew!  Now we know where Lily gets her proclivity for smuggling.  Then there was the most beautifully weathered 2x4 I found a few years back, in Hilton Head, SC, and had to bring  home.  It looked like a sculpted art object and I have plans for it....someday.  However, here in Hawaii, I know I have  limits...my finds must fit in a suitcase, no car top carrier on this trip, c'est la vie.  The kids are as bad as me, and poor John has had to turn loose 2 hermit crabs, a couple bugs,  and a gecko for obvious reasons. I've already explained that the any sea turtles he befriends cannot come home with us, so he shouldn't get too attached or even think of asking.  At least my stuff is inanimate.  Anyway, our new condo is awesome! It doesn't look like much from the front, maybe the side of an ocean liner cruise ship, a behemoth, white wall with small windows, a door every 20 feet or so and a series of half wall railings.  But on the back side, the building is  U shaped with modular decks stepping down toward the ocean, like decks on a ship, each providing a little private patio that takes advantage of the great views.

Decks with a view

The pool is in the center of a courtyard, right about 15 feet from the ocean.    This condo is situated on a beautiful span of primo real estate, with a western view....gonna be a great place to watch a sunset. I can hear the surf pounding  the coast, in its hypnotizing lullaby, as I sit writing this blog.  The kids are excited because the pool is about 50 yards from our patio door.  We sure got lucky on this one!  As we were getting situated, we were greeted by a welcoming committee...two little songbirds hopped right into the living room through the patio door (they must know John is staying here).  The kids then swam while Paul and I sat out at the seawall and enjoyed our ocean vista, before getting ready to go to the Ironman Awards Banquet. 

Pool with a view

Soaring above the surf

The banquet was outdoor and there were several thousand people there.  It was buffet style and the food was located in a tent, which looked like a beehive swarming with bees.  Long tables were set up, row after row, where people could dine.  The food was pretty good:  chicken, teriyaki beef, lasagna, a curried couscous, pasta salad, rolls, corn, and Caesar salad.   There was pre-award show which included a  parade of flags representing each athlete's country and traditional Hawaiian hula and fire-eater dances.  The awards were presented to the top five male and female age groupers, who were brought on stage to receive their them.  Prizes included a beautifully carved traditional Hawaiian wooden bowl called a umeke, a Timex watch, a red polo, and the first place winners received a cycling jersey.   The pro top ten male and female winners were presented with the same bowl and a laurel and floral garland that was placed around their neck (alot bigger than a lei and worn like a scarf).  The top 3 received monetary gifts, $40k for 3rd, $60k for 2nd, and $120k for first and laurel wreaths placed on their heads.  First place was also presented with a cycling jersey.  Pete Jacobs (Australia) and Leanda Cave (Great Britain), 1st place winners, each gave a speech, that provided a glimpse into their personalities.  It was refreshing to find out that they are humble, gracious, and thoughtful good sports.  A video montage of race day was presented to finish off the evening...a nice way to end the weekend. 

The golden ticket

Aloha!

Food tent

Dinner and a show (glimpse of the sunset to the right of trees)

Tomorrow we have one final Ironman event, a Mahalo (thank you) dinner for those who volunteered at the race.  More free food, can't beat that!  I think we may be heading north to Hawi as well.

Day 10 Ironmen

4:30 am arrived very early this morning and we were in for a looooooong day.  We got out the door and to Kona by 6am.  The pro men were set to start their day at 6:30 and the pro women at 6:35.  The rest of the 1,900+ participants started at 7am.  The Kona Ironman World Championships is akin to the World Series in baseball or the Superbowl in football, or even the Olympics, because competitors from all over the world descend on Kona for this auspicious occasion.  To be able to compete, a person must qualify at another Ironman race during the year.  As I mentioned another day, there is a lottery for others to win  a chance at participating in the highlight of this endurance sport.  The race itself requires an ocean swim of 2.4 miles in Kailua-Kona Bay, then it's on the bike for 112 miles, beginning in Kona, at sea level, and riding 56 miles to Hawi, HI, then turning around and heading back to Kona.  There are quite a few hills, besides the long, gradual 7 mile grind up 590 feet in elevation. The Queen K is a very windy highway, for it has wind coming at it from all directions.  As the wind blows off the ocean from the one side parallel to the road and as it shoots down the mountains across the lava fields on the other side, there is nothing to break or divert the wind, which makes for a nasty headwind.  Once back in Kona, it's a hop off (or hobble in some cases) the bike and a 26.2 mile run.  The run goes 10 miles through town with a few steep hills and then out the Queen K to the Energy Lab, (where new energy technologies are developed and includes a huge field of lava rock and solar panels....very hot) and back into town.  For many, this will be in the high sun part of the day, making this a grueling portion of the race.  Once into town, the racers make their way to the finish along Alii Dr and end back at the bay where they started.  They have only 17 hours to complete the race and can be removed from the race if time limits are not met.  The swim has to be completed in 2 hours and 20 minutes, the bike has to be completed by 5:30 pm, and the run has to be done by midnight.

We found a parking spot and made our way into the masses to find a spot to watch the swim start.  The anticipation and excitement in the air was very palpable.  We found a great spot on a sea wall behind some restaurants and hotel, which gave a us an unobstructed view.  The race has a deep water start, which means racers swim out and begin treading water until the cannon fires...the signal to start.  A helicopter swooped and hovered around the area, whipping up the surf as well as excitement.  I could only imagine the nerves these athletes were experiencing, waiting, for the battle to begin, a battle of will against one's own body and the elements.  At last the cannon boomed and a plume of smoke billowed and the sea was all at once in motion.  Arms flinging and thrashing, water churning and boiling.  The effect was similar to a salmon run where the fish fly and fling themselves along the river.  Then after a minute or two a rhythm and calm began to settle, before it all began again, with the pro women, and then the age groupers.  The pro fields had about 50 swimmers each, but the age groupers had about 1,900 swimmers....the spectacle was something to see.

The  pro men were out of the water in about an hour, with the women not far behind!  They mounted their sleek and specialized steeds of speed and sped along the roads.  Their legs, like well-oiled pistons, steely and powerful; calf muscles knotted and gnarled, bursting with power and furiously pumping their pedals.

Craig Alexander

Mirinda Carfrae

These athletes average 25 miles per hour for the entire distance in these races, an unfathomable feat to the average person.  We cheered our favorites on as they blasted out of town.  The day's heat and humidity already began to smother and swelter.  Next were the age-groupers who come in all shapes and sizes.  Many are elite and at the same level of performance as the pros.   Some have egos larger than the moon.  Other age groupers are there for a special purpose or mission...like raising money for cancer, others to compete or fulfill a goal, still others there to show that a disability does not have to mean the end of participating in sports or life.  But my favorite of all are the elderly racers, who are truly inspiring. These people come out every year to test their mettle. People like Lew Hollander, 82, who has been competing for the last 25 years. Sister Madonna Buder, 82, a testament of perseverance and faith. We are talking about folks in their late 60's, 70', and early 80's!
One of the more comical stories we heard, was about a local legend, called Cowman.  He ran his first Ironman World Championship in 1979 and was hooked.  As the years passed, there were more and more rules enlisted in order to compete. and Cowman, a rebel, did not want abide by these rules, one in particular required using sanctioned equipment. Cowman uses a helmet with horns sticking out of it, hence his name.  Anyway, he was eventually banned from Ironman competitions, but that has not stopped him.  Every year he sneaks into the swim and participates for the whole race until the final approach to the finish line.  

The day progressed very quickly, although with the heat and all the walking to find prime spots for viewing, we were all feeling as if we were participating in the race, as well.  Finally, it was time for the end of the marathon portion and we situated ourselves on Alii Drive, near the finish line. 
The helicopter, from the morning, hovered like a sentinel over the men's leader, announcing his impending arrival.  The throngs of spectators, thousands and thousands, crowded the street clapping and hooting, clanging cowbells and cheering.  The speakers at the finish line boomed the music, bass throbbing like the heartbeats of a thousand hearts calling the racer home, to victory.  At last the winner, Pete Jacobs, made is way down the road, hands in the air, exhaustion and sweat seeping from every pore, grimacing, then smiling, then elated as the people reached out to touch him, as if he were a long awaited king or general returning from battle.  Then once again, the helicopter hovered, announcing the arrival of the women's leader.  Leanda Cave made her way down, as we all roared with cheers and shouts of joy.  Her face flushed with heat and effort, set with the look of steely determination and then joy as she made her way to the finish.  The top men and women pros finished the race in about 81/2 hours!  Unbelievable.  But even more amazing was that as each new racer appeared and made his way down victory lane, the crowds would swell again, as if each were the first place winner.

Craig Alexander

Leanda Cave 1st place

Greg Bennett

Linsey Corbin (from Montana...can you tell?)

The stage, just past the finish line
 

We had some time before our volunteer duties, so we went to check in and watched the stragglers come in on the bike.  At 6, we began out duties and for the next 3 hours we handed out medals and returned personal effects to the racers.  From that side of the finish, the show was a whole different story.  On the other side, the athletes are "in the zone", like machines never meant to stop, but as soon as they cross the finish, the mind releases its grip on the body and it just shuts down.  People were vomiting, crawling, passing out, and sleeping in the grass.  Most looked dazed and confused, like casualties of some unknown war.  Even the pros, with as much training and preparation, are not immune to this effect.  We were able to see Curtis (Paul's friend) and talk with him about his race.  He said it was grueling and very windy...it was so bad that he had to pedal downhill, so as not to be stopped by the headwind!  He said it was the most difficult race he's ever done.  Even though he didn't make his goal time, he finished well and for that he still accomplished his mission...that of Ironman and getting to run in the coveted World Championships in Kona.  An awesome experience!  Time flew on our shift and we were soon ready to go out and spend that last couple of hours bringing the final competitors home. 

The masses

The swell of humanity and emotion was even greater now, in the last couple of hours before midnight.  The music was thumping louder, the bright spotlights, the jumbo tv screen, the thunder sticks clapping, and the cheering all seemed more dramatic under cover of night.  By this time, the competitors have been in constant motion for almost 17 hours, running on pure adrenaline and something deep within.  Some racers came dancing across the line, some flexing muscles, blowing kisses toward heaven, and some ran as if still out on the course, not recognizing they had finished.  Some of the racers were barely conscious as they rambled up the ramp, swaying to and fro, about to tumble backwards, but refused to give in. The crowd riled and rallied bringing the final competitors home, and with less than an hour to go there came Fireman Rob who always races wearing his full fireman gear....firecoat, firepants, helmet, airtank....all to raise money for children's cancer.  There came 82 year old Lew Hollander, another notch in his tri-belt.  There came the 43 year old woman with brain cancer, who trained despite her condition, raced and finished to prove the disease was not in control.  And with 20 seconds to spare, there came 77 year old Harriet across that line to hear the coveted phrase that every finisher longs to hear. The phrase that prompts them to keep on going when there is nothing left to give........"YOU ARE AN IRONMAAAAAAAAN!"  



Fireman Rob



Lew Hollander



77 year old Harriet

What a remarkable night!  A once in a lifetime experience that we will soon not forget.

Day 9 Volunteer Sign Ups, The Southernmost Point of the US, and Coffee Divine

Today was another early mover, but not as early as tomorrow, more on that later.  But before we left, we christened our fearless head of household with a Hawaiian moniker befitting his condition.  I mentioned yesterday that Paul got some sun, well that's an understatement.  We decided that his Hawaiian name should be Chief He'a'oweeowee'o (which translates to Red Lobster). 

Chief He'a'oweeowee'o
(more affectionately, Chief Red Lobster)

Now we were ready to get down to town.  We needed to pick our volunteer t-shirts and check-in and confirm our assignment.  We are going to hand out medals at the finish line tomorrow from 6-9:30pm.  That should be really exciting and hopefully, based on Paul's friend Curtis' estimates, we may be there when he crosses the finish line.  After taking care of business, we milled about the expo a little bit and saw Ben Collins (a pro) and Tyler Butterfield (a 2012 Olympic triathlete), who were nice enough to give autographs and talk to the kids about triathlon and Tyler talked to us about his race in London.  We headed out of town after stopping for a quick lunch. 

Next stop was the Holualoa Kona Coffee Company.  It is south of Kona off of Hwy 180 up in coffee country.  The hwy is a narrow, curvy, two-lane road that leads up into the highlands.  The area really does remind you of Costa Rica or parts of Guatemala.  Coffee trees, exotic tropical flowers, banana trees, abound along the road as well as historic buildings in little one stop towns.  

  After passing it by the first time, signs are homemade and rustic in this area, and there is so much to see by way of scenery, that the one lane drive was easy to miss.  After making a second pass, we found it and drove up the driveway, past modest little homesteads, until we ended in the parking lot.  The air was thick with rich, roasting coffee smells and using our sharp powers of deduction, we knew we were in the right place. We were greeted in the parking lot by a woman, who was one of three people we saw working today.  This is a small enterprise, so the tour was self-guided and very up close and personal.  The structures we toured where rustic and primitive.  It was truly a small family farm, like the many types of businesses that built America, so long ago.  She gave us a laminated brochure that provided information on the process of the operation. But before sending us on our way, she gave us a few facts.  This company has an 16 acre orchard of coffee trees, with 800 trees per acre.  Each tree provides about a pound of coffee a year with the farm yielding about 12,000 lbs. a year.  The beans grow in long clusters along the branch and they ripen at different times, requiring pickers to to go over the trees several times a growing season.  The growing season is from August to January, then the trees are stripped of all unpicked fruit and they sit dormant for a month until the rainy season and then the cycle starts again.  Unbeknownst to me, the coffee tree is in the Gardenia family. The life cycle of a bean, begins with a very fragrant lacy flower, known as "kona snow",  which appears and lasts about 3 days, then the flower falls off and the bean is left. The bean is green, then eventually turns bright cherry red. The bean is then ready to be hand picked, and now all the signs we have seen that say things like "top $$$$ for cherry, or "cherry pickers wanted, top pay", makes sense. 

Ripe coffee beans

On our way to tour the rustic structures that house all of the machinery, we noticed a gaggle of large, surly geese. Maybe they were surly because I can only imagine the pay is chicken feed (I couldn't resist). Apparently, they keep the weeds at bay and provide homemade, organic fertilizer, if you know what I mean. 

Geese Brigade

Once the red bean is harvested it is taken to the pulping shed and weighed (pickers are paid by the pound) and put in the pulper.  This machine removes the red fruit, which is used for compost, and the bean (now called parchment) is soaked in a fermentation tank overnight.  It is then piped over a shaker to remove excess water and then put in carts carried to the drying shed, where it is spread out on the drying deck.  It must be raked frequently to ensure drying, otherwise it will mildew. This takes about a week and if weather does not cooperate, they put the parchment in a gas dryer that tumbles the beans.  After the drying process, the beans are funneled into burlap sacks and stored or taken to milling.  At the mill, the beans go through a 3 step process:  the parchment husk is removed, then the bean is taken through a grader, where the beans are separated by size and shape over several shaking screens, and finally, they go through a final cleaning which removes lighter and lower quality beans.  The larger beans are the top grade and lower grades cannot be labeled Kona Coffee.  These people are very serious about their brand.  There is a premium grade of Kona Coffee, called Peaberry and that only makes up about 5% of a farmer's coffee production.  As you can imagine, it's quite pricey.  Once the coffee is ready for roasting, there are two options:  drum roasting, the more traditional method, which looks like a commercial popcorn popper.  The beans sit in a round container while a spindle rotates, turning and roasting for about 20 minutes til they are done.  The other method is hot air roasting, where the beans are placed in an oven type contraption with a flue, so the smoke is released making a smoother, less bitter, flavor.  This process takes about 8-10 minutes.  The final step is packaging.  One pound of Kona Coffee goes for about $35!  This stuff is liquid Gold.   We picked up some souvenirs, and made our way on to our next destination.



Drying beans

Pulping Shed

 



 

 

Bean grader

Bean dryer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawaiian Garden Spider, Operation Manager :)

 

Coffee sacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beans ready for the mill

Drum Roaster

 

 

Air Dry Roaster

 

Bagging it up for market

 

Driving south on Hwy 180 until we picked up Hwy 11 again, we headed to South Point, the southern most point in the US.  It is even more south than the Florida Keys.  This hwy was narrow and curvy as well,  and it led us through lush tropical forests, which gave way to lava fields, remnants from long ago flows.  These flows cut swaths through the countryside down to the ocean.  The older flows have begun to be reclaimed by nature, overcome with vegetation.  The newer flows, show signs of life beginning with a lone tree here or there along the hillside.  After driving about 40 miles we found the road called South Point Rd, which surprisingly led us south.  We had just traveled through lush coffee country, lava flows, and then we found ourselves in beautiful rolling horse and cattle farm country.  It was stunning and I really could see myself living there!  Lava rock walls and primitive rusted, barbed wire fences lined the one in a half laned road.  Horses and cattle dotted the countryside, lazily grazing in the fields of this picturesque landscape. 

To the south was the immense, blue sea, to the north was the towering Mauna Loa.  It is a very windy area and the trees are all bent over, like an old man with osteoporosis, leaning toward the west.  There was also was a wind farm to the west on the large bluff that jutted out into the ocean.  We made our way down to an area that is thought to be where the first Polynesian settlers landed.  This area was also, at one time, a small boat launch and the rustic wooden hoists still cling to the edge of a 35 foot cliff.


 

Ahoy from the hoists  

 
 There were also a couple metal ladders that people use to climb back up, because well, it is a cliff diving destination, from what we saw today. I could see the allure, as I peered over the edge, the water was an inviting cool, translucent, turquoise blue. Just north of the edge, was also a giant open cavern in the lava field leading down under the cliff and opened to the sea. The opening up top, was about 10-20 feet wide and a few brave, or "medicinally inspired" souls (judging by their appearance, and the aroma wafting from their open vehicles) jumped down into the hole, letting the tide pull them out into the sea. 

Look out below!

View down about 25 ft to ocean

Yeah, looks like a good place to jump

Several fisherman were also hanging out along the cliff side, set up with tents and poles, their lines out in the open sea.  They had tied trash bags to their line, which acted like a kite, and pulled their casted line out into the deep water where tuna, mahimahi, and marlins frequent.  After taking a ton of pictures while listening to the kids cajoling each other to take the plunge (none did, much to my relief), we decided to see if we could find the green sand beach which was not far down the road.  The road to the beach is rutted and rough and only accessible with a 4WD.  Since we were driving a rental minivan, we would have to hoof it.  We found a makeshift parking lot and as we were heading to the trail, there were several 4WD's parked with locals hanging out.  They offered to drive us for a small fee.  Apparently, the trek is at least 45 minutes by foot and they were willing to cut us a deal and charge us only $10/person instead of the going  rate $15 a person.  As nice as they seemed, we weren't quite ready to fork over the cash, and they all looked and smelled like they had been partaking of the same wacky tobacky as the cavern jumpers.  So we gazed down to the sea, took in the moment, talked to a couple who had just returned and looked at their pictures of the green sand, and then got back in the car and made our way home.

Once arriving in Kona, we decided to grab a quick supper at McDonald's.  It turned out to be just the thing that satisfied August's cravings....Game 5 of the NLDS, Cardinals vs. Capitols was playing on tv and his beloved McChicken. We were able to catch the ninth inning and saw the Cards clinch a spot in the upcoming Championship series....maybe the they will make it to the World Series again.

Tomorrow is the long-awaited Ironman World Championship race.  We will be up at 4:30 and out the door until after midnight to see the final racers cross the finish line.  It should be an awesome day!