Hilo Farmers Market, Hilo, Hawaii

The cruise ship sailed around the Big Island and went past an active volcano.  We were lucky enough to see lava flowing into the sea.  Unfortunately we only had our phones with us so didn't get any awesome pictures.  We thought our DSLR would be too bulky to cart around with us, but I regret thinking this as we missed the opportunity to capture something we will not likely get the chance to see again. 

Never mind, I'm just really glad we saw it.

We docked in Hilo.  Hilo is like a step back in time and although we felt there isn't really much to do in Hilo itself (apart from an awesone sweetie shop!), we took the opportunity to travel a little further to see the Botanical Garden and also Richardson Beach which has black sand because of all the volcanic rock and is where sea turtles hang out.  Here's a picture of one (he's right in the middle).

We also had a wee wander around Hilo Farmers Market where Alan bought a coconut.  It came with a free starfruit.  As you can see he is absolutely delighted about this.

He kindly decided to gift the starfruit to a homeless person.

I love my husband.

Kona Brewing Company, Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Finally we are off the ship!

YAY!

Here is a picture of our very smiley faces to show how pleased we were...

It was a whole lot hotter than it looks in this photo.

We visited Kailua Kona on the Big Island today.  We rented a car and drove to what I keep calling the seahorse factory.  It is in fact a seahorse farm.

At Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm they breed seahorses for both conservation purposes and as pets.  We got to see many different breeds including sea dragons, some pregnant males and teeny tiny baby seahorses!  The staff at this family run business seemed very knowledgeable and I'm satisfied that the welfare of these beautiful creatures was of prime importance, especially given the fact that some breeds are nearly extinct.  We even got to hold a seahorse - an experience we will likely never get the chance to repeat.

Here is a photo of Alan's beautiful face...

One for the wall :)

We then toddled off to Kona Brewing Co. for a quick bite to eat and some cold, refreshing beer.

We both love beer and trying local brews.  It was an absolute treat to try these ones.  There are some that are brewed with tropical flavours such as passion fruit or coconut and we found them very appropriate for our first day in Hawaii.

We sat outside and felt like we were in a lush green paradise as we listened to the birds tweet singing around us.  My favourite beers were the Lemongrass Lu'au and Castaway IPA.

I tried my first 'poke' too.  I'm a particular fan of raw fish and the traditional Hawaiian dish was delicious.  I'm afraid I didn't get a photo of it.  Alan had pepperoni rolls which he refused to let me taste - I assume this means they were good.

Today was a breath of fresh air.  Here is a picture of a wee chap we found outside.