We had coffee on the lanai as usual. I was too hungry for the usual fruit, having had only pretzels for dinner last night. We checked our guidebook and map, and decided to head north on Ali'i Drive to Kailua-Kona. Our choice for breakfast was Island Lava Java, right across the street from the beach with an unobstructed view. And a twenty minute wait for a table. And the most remarkable, lovely and tasty breakfast I've had in recent memory. Pat had banana pancakes with coconut syrup and bacon. I had guava bread french toast topped with coconut syrup and macadamia nuts, surrounded by a berry compote. The coffee was great, as was the live entertainment, a Hawaiian singer named Dennis Garcia. We bought his CD. The whole experience was magical.
After breakfast we had forty minutes to kill before mass at St. Michael the Archangel, which was only a couple of blocks away. We wandered into a local jewelry store with all handmade, mostly beaded, jewelry. We had a long conversation with the owner, a lifelong resident of the Big Island. He was a wealth of information about the tsunami that hit the Kailua-Kona harbor after the recent earthquake in Japan. He also told us that the Kilauea Caldera, which normall spills lava into the ocean daily, hasn't done that since the Japan earthquake. We're headed to Volcano, near the national park and Kilauea tomorrow. More on that later.
The mass at St. Michael's was the friendliest and most joyous we've experienced since we were in Thunder Bay, Ontario last October. The original St. Michael's was damaged beyond repair in the 2006 earthquake that hit this area, and has been torn down. The parish is still meeting in a huge tent, open on all four sides, with folding chairs, a piano, and a rudimentary sound system. The parishioners we met were all welcoming and friendly, and the priest was full of joy and hope. We came away uplifted.
We came home after church and spent a couple of hours watching the surfing show (fewer surfers today) and relaxing. Then we headed south to Captain Cook. We did a drive-through and continued on to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. This sacred ground was the dwelling place of Hawaiian royalty. A wall that still stands was built around 1550. The Park Service has stabilized and restored it. Read the literature on the Park website for more information about this important Hawaiian site. We walked the half mile self-guided tour slowly, and enjoyed being in the park.
We drove back to Kailua-Kona for dinner. Our original thought was to return to Island Lava Java, but we found them still serving brunch at 4:15. We had a sinfully good frozen espresso drink, and moved on to the Kona Inn Restaurant after walking the length of the main street. We sat outside in the grill and had good seafood and better mai tais. Yep, we're loving those umbrella drinks!
We'd hoped there would be a nice sunset, but as usual during our stay, clouds on the horizon prevented a display. It was our last chance here, since we move on to Volcano tomorrow. But we've really enjoyed our stay here and will miss the ocean crashing right outside our window.
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| An outstanding breakfast |
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| Inside the St. Michael's tent |
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| A rebuilt temple at the National Park |
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| Guarding the sheltered bay where Hawaiian royalty beached their canoes |
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| Outrigger replicas (see park website for the whole story) |
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