Aloha!

Aloha from The Big Island! We made it here without any flight problems and have been living it up Hawaiian style.

The Big Island is really the place to come if you want to experience Hawaii the way the locals do ... I've been very pleasantly surprised at the lack of tourists here. Even in the "touristy" locations there aren't really crowds.

Three days so far, and here's a list of the things we've done:

Rainbow Falls (we swam in a lagoon behind the falls - ask Jamie about her little "adventure")
Boiling Pots
Onamea Bay (unreal picture place)
Akaka Falls (OH-mazing)
Hapuna Beach (comparable to the beaches in Costa Rica, which I thought would never be matched)
Malasadas at Tex's Drive In (it's official - we shall come home FAT)
Hilo Farmer's Market (where the real hippies gather)
Volcano National Park (looks a lot like Mordor)
Champagne Pond (a lava heated natural pool up against the ocean)

We're scheduled for a luau on Tuesday (my birthday.) I'm also excited about hiking in Waipio Valley and snorkeling at Captain Cook's Monument.

This place is seriously awesome. The best part is the laid-back island feel - it really is a slower pace of life. I could definitely get used to it. Pretty much everything to do is free and there are very little restrictions about where you can go. Seriously, if you ever get the chance visit this island, do it.

I'm on my friend Suzanne's computer so I'll just post the one picture for now.

See ya when I'm 30. :)