Six and a half hours is a long time to spend in a seat that does not recline. The determined flight attendant couldn’t get it to go either. We get so little space on the plane these days that a little room just to change position makes all the difference. I was stiff and cranky when I arrived, but then even though it was late, I was so happy to be back in the islands that I just let it go.
It’s not been beach weather at all — though the days have been bright, the winds have been quite fierce along the water, the kind of wind that steals your hat and runs away so fast you’ll never get it back. But the wind is helpful, too, it blows the clouds away, and the vog (the volcano gas that burns your throat and your sinuses) and it discourages mosquitoes. Hawaii island has a dengue outbreak that they’re trying to contain, though mosquitoes care not for fences.
I’ve erred towards cheap on this trip, my stays and meals have, on the whole, been great bargains for the islands and I like that. It’s not cheap to get to Hawaii, though the reason I’m here is because airfare was the lowest I’ve seen it — 450 round trip. My rental car was 225 for the week, also cheap for the islands. You can get to Honolulu from Seattle for cheap, often, and while I always enjoy Oahu, the Big Island has a special place in my heart, it’s where I went on my first trip to Hawaii and fell in love with the sound of the ukulele.
A note because… bloggers and assumptions. I’ve paid for most of this trip, if that’s not the case, I’ll tell you and you can temper your reaction to my review comments accordingly.
Kona Seaside Hotel: 90.00/night plus 5.00 for parking. I picked this place because it was the second cheapest hotel in Kona, it’s close to the airport, and I needed a convenient landing pad for my late arrival. It’s dated but clean and it’s right on the edge of Kona village it was easy to walk to breakfast and coffee. I think I’d find it a little too spartan after a second night, but it was exactly what I needed.
Evolution Bakery and Cafe: 16.00 for a bagel sandwich and fancy juice. A little steep, but very, very good. The place I wanted to go had a guy playing ‘Girl from Impanema’ on the guitar with a drum machine at 8:00 in the morning. Too soon, dude, too soon, so I kept walking. The folks at Evolution were nice and the food was good and so pretty, too. Overheard while I waited: “I’ll have the Supernatural High with extra kale please.” It’s that kind of place.
Hale Huna: 102/night including breakfast and Hawaii’s hotel tax. I planned my arrival here badly because once I’d got down the last bit of dirt road, I didn’t want to leave again. It was only partially because of the drive, it was that this this cottage is so pleasantly situated, surrounded by big trees and singing birds and chirping frogs… and at night, I woke up to find the sky clear and full of stars. I should have got supermarket take out in Ocean View. You’d probably want a kitchen were you staying for more than two nights, but hostess Iris serves a lovely breakfast on the balcony and, oh, this was just delightful. The location isn’t for everyone — it’s near South Point, relatively far from any services, but I loved it.
Bears Coffee: 8.00 plus tax for two eggs, a bagel, fruit, and coffee. I wanted to go to Paul’s Cafe, a tiny place on the other end of Keawe Street but his six seat restaurant (you read that right) was all filled up. “Oh, darling,” he said, “you are five steps too late.” I went to Bears because it was open and was not staffed by skinny white girls with dreadlocks, something you see a lot of in Hilo, where do I go for my sensitivity training? The coffee was okay, but the breakfast was really nice — home cooking style stuff, fresh and a bargain.
Lucy’s Taqueria: This place is noisy, chaotic, and the food is great. Pity you can’t get the margaritas to go, because what you want to do is get takeout from here and go back to your hotel balcony or into the park or something. 14.00 for a prawn quesadilla with grilled veggies and a righteous margarita.
Hilo Naniloa Hotel: (Comped stay) This place is in the middle of a massive renovation and it’s in a weird state of flux, but my room had a 180 degree view of Hilo Bay. Its really hard for me to tell you to stay here because there’s construction, which hasn’t been disruptive for me because it’s a weekend, but might be awful during the week. Hilo needs a good hotel, hopefully, this will be it when it’s done. In the meantime, rates start at 80.00/night so if you want a cheap getaway, this could be it. Ask a LOT of questions about the state of things and who’s running a cement grinder where — that could really harsh your vacation mellow.
Macadamia Nut Baklava: 3.50 from the Hilo Farmer’s Market. What more do I need to say?
