Structures old and new

This is Orchid Elua, the house we stayed in for two weeks.  It's on the far eastern tip of the Big Island, in the Kapoho area.  The house has four bedrooms and four baths, making it ideal for a group of friends.  The pool is a natural pond, heated by thermal vents from the volcano to about 85 degrees.  It rises and falls with the tides...we're about two blocks from the ocean here.  There is excellent snorkeling in the tide pools a short walk away.  I've stayed here three times, for a total of five weeks.  It's almost like a second home!

Palms reflected in the pool.

Another reflection picture.

Another shot of Orched Elua.  There is a large stock of snorkel and pool gear at the house.

Now I'm in Hilo, looking up into a fine monkeypod tree.

The boat launch at Laupahoehoe Park, on the NE coast of the Big Island.  Surf was crashing pretty good this day.

The surf crashes over jagged rocks at Laupahoehoe.  This was the scene of a tragedy in 1946, when a tsunami hit here, taking out a schoolhouse and killing 24 people, mostly schoolchildren.

Pu'ukohola Heiau, on the Kohala coast on the west side of the Big Island.  This Heiau was built by Kamehameha I to commemorate his military victories that gave him control of the entire island.  The story is that the thousands of stones used in its construction were passed hand to hand by twenty thousand workers from the Pololu Valley about 20 miles to the north.  One interesting thing about this pic is the green grass all around.  This is the driest part of the island...receiving only around 10 inches of rain annually...but there had been significant rain in previous weeks.  I've rarely if ever seen this area this green.

Another shot of Pu'ukoloa Heiau from another older Heiau.  The area is a National Historical park.

Alas, I had to leave Hawaii.  I was not ready to come home, even after three weeks.  This was the sunset from Kona airport.