Hawai`i 2009: Day 13

This morning we ventured about a mile from our house to Ahalanui Park, where we enjoyed another volcanic-heated swimming pond. This one made Champagne Pond seem chilly! The water, at low tide, was bath-tub warm, and we found it difficult to pull ourselves out. It's also much easier to get to than Champagne Pond - just a drive-in county park. There was even with a lifeguard on duty.



This spot seems to be quite popular with the locals, and we can see why. What better way to soak away one's stressful day - or even not so stressful!





We had not yet been to a beach so we headed to Kehena Beach next - a black sand beach with high surf near the vacation rental we stayed at in 2007. It's a slight hike down, but a pleasant spot with plenty of locals and usually some naked people/hippies. We brought some snacks and our books and were all set to camp out when the rain came. That, and the tide was starting to come in and possibly force us out of our spot.





Our abbreviated beach time was made up for by a delicious lunch in Pahoa - and not at Luqin's this time! We finally tried a different restaurant--the Thai place called Ning's. In the pouring rain, it seemed appropriate to eat one of Seattle's most popular cuisines. We were both impressed, and having worked up an appetite swimming and walking, inhaled our food.

After lunch it was back to Malama Market and then our first gas station stop. Not bad for almost two weeks of driving. To fill the tank it cost just over $40. Gas is a bit over $3 a gallon here, so a bit more than Seattle. And how do food costs stack up? Well, some things really are as expensive as people say - like jars of salsa, milk, six packs of beer. However, local produce is cheap and plentiful. And sales tax is just a little over 4%. We find we spend a bit more than in Seattle on average at the grocery store, but about the same at most medium-range restaurants.

This doesn't necessarily mean Hawai`i is moderately priced, but when comparing to the fairly high cost-of-living in Seattle the difference isn't quite as shocking than, say, if you were from Little Rock.

More of the same in the late afternoon and evening: reading, lounging, eating, running, drinking, relaxing, True Blood.