Poipu Condo – View from our lanai.

I sit typing to you in Poipu on my lanai, enjoying three things: 1) our ocean view, 2) screaming speed on the internet (woo-hoo!), and 3) my FIRST decent cup of coffee since we arrived in the islands.  “What?  NO Kona coffee in Kona?” you ask.  Well NOT for lack of trying, let me tell you.  In Pahoa we bought great Kona coffee beans.  Our little cottage had a bean grinder (Yay!) but only a French press – no drip (nuts!).  The Royal Kona had a drip maker and provided us with the WORST “Hawaiian” coffee either of us had ever experienced along with one packet each of powdered cream.  Ewww.  We both tossed it down the drain and went to a coffee shop.  So we bought some ground Kona coffee and some half and half and made that in the hotel drip maker.  Strike three.  Bad coffee maker?  Dunno, but the HOURS we have been keeping demand better coffee!  Jer had an ice coffee and Island Lava Java and it was AMAZING, so we bought 2 pounds of beans to bring home.  Here in Poipu our condo has bean grinder and drip maker and we used the last of the ground Kona we bought.  Deep sigh of relief!  Currently on cup number two.

So Monday was our last day in Kona and the only plan was the luau (post to follow…) so after internetting at a coffee shop, we ate fresh fruit bowls from Basik Acai -Delicious! -then spent the day shopping for souvenirs, discovering shave ice and snorkeling.  I have a t-shirt, a tank top, a Hawaiian print dress, a coffee cup, Kona coffee, a beach towel and some hair clips.  🙂  Jer got a new Hawaiian shirt but not till we got to the Costco on Kauai.

Puna Bowl from Basik Acai. Yum!

Jeremy and I decided that Kona is a lot like staying in San Francisco with a far superior coastline.  We found “Pier 39” where they have Bubba Gumps and a Wyland Gallery.  Crazy Shirt is everywhere, and the ABC stores command the souvenir market.  We had fun wandering around shooting up the place.

THEN we experienced our first shave ice at Scandinavian Shave Ice!  Shave ice is NOT a snow cone.  It is finely, finely shaved ice (like powder) and covered in sweet syrup.  We ordered ours with vanilla macadamia nut ice cream in the middle.  Yum.

Then we went snorkeling at Kahalu’u beach.  No fins, so we tired quickly swimming in our water shoes, but I have some awesome photos to show for our short excursion!

Picasso Triggerfish

Yellow Tangs and Convict Tangs

Blue Parrot Fish and a grouper

Moorish Idol

Orange Band Surgeon Fish

Raccoon Butterfly

Slate Pencil Sea Urchin

Blue Parrot Fish (one of my favorites!), Yellow and Convict Tangs and the vibrantly colored Yellow-tail Wrasse. Awesome!