Current: Hawaii Dec. The Arrival

I have currently arrived home from a month in Hawaii, tanned, accustomed to warm weather, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, Ahi Tuna, Papia and strawberry bannanas for breakfast and drinking POG and Rum drinks from the islands. It all started with a flight to Seattle and then Hawaii with a short layover in Seattle, total flying time about 10 hours. I departed the airplane on the big Island and was greeted with a blast of warm air, the smell of flowers and the sound of a thousand birds and I said "Paradise". The luggage was a problem but help arrived in a convertible with the top down. With security all around shouting move on we departed the terminal and started our journey to South Point. The entrance to the airport was lined with vegetation and many flowers and the aroma combined with warm air soothed the senses. The need for groceries led us to COSTCO where gasoline was advertised for $2.15 a gallon and a cart full of basic needs, Rum, pineapple, papia, pre cooked bacon, eggbeaters, Hawaiian bread, you know the rest. The highway from COSTCO to Kona is a 4 lane under construction (for about 4 years) but this portion has been completed, and the local police have a speed trap set up. You leave the airport at 45MPH and it immediately goes to 35, there are blue lights all over. Blue Lights are what the police cars are equipped with and some are marked and some unmarked police cars. The state of Hawaii gave the police officers the option of buying a car of their choice and the department would reimburse them for the cost, gas and maintenance. Many Corvettes and other like cars were in service on the road and it is difficult to tell the good cars from the bad. Oh! a note: the Kailua Candy Co. is up on the hill by COSTCO along with Home Depot two good Tai Restaurants and a furniture store. I was introduced to the COSTCO Coffee Slush and is it good, Kona coffee and chocolate syrup mixed in ice and served with whip cream on top. I was like Pavlov's dog, started salivating when we approached the area and had to have a slushey. Another winner in the coffee fields was Lava Java and their Frozen Mocha or hot one in the morning. On previous visits I would spend a couple of hours here drinking the Mocha and watching the people go by, taking pictures as the occasion presented itself. Another note before I end my arrival story, along the highway for miles going North are names and messages formed with white rocks on the black Lava flows. The white rocks come from a town or I should say beach about 30 miles North of Kona and needless to say tons of white rocks have been hauled from the area. Well I am in Kona and shall start down the highway in the next section.