Aloha!

I'm in Hawaii! On Thursday, I flew into Kona and met up with my friend Becky and her friends Dawn and Jamie. The four of us are celebrating Becky's birthday by spending a week on the big island.


Yesterday we visited Rainbow Falls and a few other falls near Hilo, where we're staying. This was our view while we ate lunch.




We drove past several sugar plantations. I loved the color contrast here.


Akaka Falls drops 420 feet.


I met this man at Akaka Falls and bought an opihi shell necklace from him. Collecting them is very dangerous, since they are attached to rocky shorelines and you risk being smashed against the rocks. Two to three people die doing it each year. This man is the third generation to collect opihi, and he's teaching his 14-year-old son to do it. The opihi meat is considered a delicacy and can sell for $300 a pound; the shells are beautiful once sanded down. They look a little like an eye.