"Explode a boat"

This was  our first activity of our trip, we remember a friend of ours went on the Atlantis VII with his daughter so lets give it a try. It was an awesome trip max depth was 100 feet and a light in the sea floor with a couple of wrecks one was due to a storm ans the second one was from an explosion a couple of propane bottles decided  to expand at a fast rate.  Yellow tangs, moorish idolfish, goatfish, milletseed butterfly fish,  6 or 7 different types of coral but no sharks.  Clownfish aren't found here either but almost all of the other stars of finding nemo could be seen.    Unfortunately, because the new camera doesn't work well, we got very few decent pictures.  Anyone thinking of a powershot X40, be warned.  

We then went over to "Quinn's (not quite by the sea)" for lunch. Probably the best meal out we have had so far this trip for sure.We puttered around Kona for the rest of the afternoon and really enjoyed the downtown of Kona even though it has a lot of vacant store fronts.

We then had a quick stop for water and some provisions and back to the hot tub and an other perfect sunset in Kona. Later our friend Mark and his mom Isis and Aunt Mahalla arrived and we had a short visit they then went for dinner and off for provisions also. Great to see the Krause's again, certainly a long and arduous journey for them from Ausi Land and both the ladies are in there late 70's.

Dinner was Caesar salad and Kim Chi shrimp with bean sprouts it was quite delicious an I would recommend it if you like spicy.

Monday started off with unbelievable noise from our neighbors, before 7 in the morning no less.  After we offered to be relocated to a quieter location, and some other neighbors' complaints about the noise phoned in to the front desk, quiet arrived.  A couple of cups of Ferrarri coffee improved our dispositions and then we enjoyed our breakfast on the lanai.  Ferrarri really is one of the best coffees ever. 

Exploration of the south Kona coast took us to Ho'okena Bay, a beautiful little black sand beach which, naturally enough was pretty hot on the feet.  Walking along the beach just where the sea lapped up was the order of the day.  A sea turtle had beached him/herself on a rock in the bay, just hanging out, back feet in the water enjoying the sun too. 

This is a good season for flowers, bouganvilla, hibiscus, plumeria, tulip trees and orchids.  During a stop at Kona Joes, another great coffee brand, we found a little orchid garden on the side of the roasting/retail building.  We have phaelenopsis orchids at home and are enjoying checking out the dendrobium orchids here.  Hope we can find a supplier and get one of these when we get home.  We can bring home coffee but not orchids, darn. 

 

Getting there

Royal Sea Cliffs

Sat was a weird day starting with me in the blood bank Friday night and we finally got home at 12:30. followed buy a few short hours of sleep and leaving the house at 4:30 for the airport.  We got to Seattle in the pouring rain at about 7:00 and ended up in the lounge having breakfast and coffee.
The flight to Kona was great but we ended up an hour late about 4:00 pm but the sun was out what more can we ask, getting the car as easy because of the pre-arrangements and I say good planning. After leaving the airport there was a quick stop at Wally's Mart for the basics then to the room for setting in and fighting the TSP people sorry no presentation this time.

After settling in we thought a reasonable dinner was in order so over to the local Sam Choy's for dinner and oops forgot and didn't know about the Halloween parties, we finally ended up at Denny D's even so not too bad and fast to boot.

On the way back to the room we heard sirens going off was it fire.......was it practice ????????? no it was the real  thing a tsunami alert,  it appeared that the Charolette's  had dropped one on us, so every one was in evacuation mode with no one left out so in the end at 2:00am  a destructive 1.5 foot wave hit Hawaii so back to the room and a few well deserved sleeps were made.

Sunday started with an Island information session as though we need it but we might have won some thing in the draws.  Like ya really?