Thursday Feb 8 Update

Today was another breath taking day. We got up at dark and dug out of bed even though God had a steady rain coming down here and it was perfect sleeping weather. We packed lunches and headed for dry parts of the land. We got to Kona and had breakfast at Denny’s over looking the ocean! (We were also overlooking the Wal-Mart parking lot, but we just overlooked it!) We continued our drive all the way to the southern tip of the island. It was beautiful all the way. When we got there, we parked the car and hiked to the green sand beach. Some of you have been there and some of you have never heard of it. I understand it is the only green sand beach on this island and maybe in the world. From the distance it kind of looks brown, but when you look closely it is, indeed green. It is made from the same substance that the jewel perdot is made, although this sand is not of that kind of quality so it has no value. However, at Hilo Hattie’s where they sell many Hawaiian treasures, they display their perdot jewelry with this green sand and it the jewelry and the sand look beautiful.

Anyway, you can’t drive to this beach. They used to allow people to get a permit and take a 4 wheel drive vehicle back there, but they no longer do that. You can only walk back there. I’ve read that it is 2 – 3 miles back there, so it’s a 4 – 6 mile round trip. We don’t know how far it was, but it’s a long hike! The distance varied depending on which tracks you follow. You just head out toward what looks like nowhere and keep going until some black cliffs sort of appear out of nowhere. As you get closer you see the water goes up to the cliffs. As you get closer, you see the green sand, indeed. It’s really amazing and a thing we are happy to have done once, but that is enough for a lifetime.

Tom and Linda were such good sports! They trudged all the way with us. We were all so tired tonight, though! Tomorrow we’ll take it easier. We’re going to do what we call the storybook hike where the trail is covered by trees along the ocean. We’ll go by Hapuna Beach for a bit and then come home for lunch. They’ll clean up and go into Kona for a Luau tomorrow night. We did a luau once and that is another thing that one is good for a lifetime for Don and I. Tom and Linda need to do their lifetime one. J

Enjoy these pictures. My new camera is working very well; I love it! I put the pictures in the order of how we hiked to find the green sand beach and then saw it. When we got there I opted to NOT go down the cliffs to the beach. Seeing it was plenty good enough for me. I figured the last thing I need is a broken leg or arm, so I took pictures. I got pictures of Don and Tom down there; Linda and I waited at the top. Tomorrow I’ll put on the pictures of Don and Tom on the beach. Tune in tomorrow! God bless!