From LA to Kona, Big Island

Published: 15.10.2024

commanded by the crew. They are only opened by passengers just before

Touchdown. Quite different on German or European flights, as one is always interested in how the world looks from above and what can be seen.</p><p>After exiting the plane in Kona, we were immediately struck by the heat. An unprecedented warmth greeted us. And it was a lovely, small airport facility where, like in Palm Springs, everything takes place outdoors. One exits the airplane via stairs, and the luggage comes out on the baggage belt also outdoors, sheltered only from the sun. That gives a completely different vacation feeling ... Sun and palm trees, right after leaving the airplane ...</p><p>With the rental car, we then set off. We had to go to the other side of the island, to Hilo in the west, the largest city on Big Island, to reach our accommodation for the next four days. The location by the sea, the dolphins, and Mauna Kea, a volcanic mountain over 4000 meters high that we wanted to explore, was the reason for the approximately 200 km drive.</p><p>Our first impression of the island was that one cannot help but be reminded that the island was formed from one or several volcanoes. Lava rocks were everywhere, as far as the eye could see. We also had to overcome heights. We climbed to about 2000 meters and constantly had to swallow to equalize the pressure in our heads. Meanwhile, the weather kept getting worse. While we had blue skies and sunshine at Kona airport and temperatures around 30 degrees, it was thick clouds, rain, and temperatures around 18 degrees at higher altitudes on our way. So quite the contrast.</p><p>We stopped on the way to shop at our favorite supermarket, Walmart. There we always find everything we need. It starts with the cooler bag and ends with our trusted peanuts, the Planters.</p><p>After we arrived at our accommodation, we had our traditional dinner of bagels, salami, and provolone. Dessert consisted of some portions of Planters.</p><p>I will report on our accommodation here tomorrow; then we will have been able to look around in daylight. In the dim light, the house already made a very good impression.</p><p>

</p><p>Let’s see if this holds true ...</p> — Touchdown. Quite different on German or European flights, as one is always interested in how the world looks from above and what can be seen.</p><p>After exiting the plane in Kona, we were immediately struck by the heat. An unprecedented warmth greeted us. And it was a lovely, small airport facility where, like in Palm Springs, everything takes place outdoors. One exits the airplane via stairs, and the luggage comes out on the baggage belt also outdoors, sheltered only from the sun. That gives a completely different vacation feeling ... Sun and palm trees, right after leaving the airplane ...</p><p>With the rental car, we then set off. We had to go to the other side of the island, to Hilo in the west, the largest city on Big Island, to reach our accommodation for the next four days. The location by the sea, the dolphins, and Mauna Kea, a volcanic mountain over 4000 meters high that we wanted to explore, was the reason for the approximately 200 km drive.</p><p>Our first impression of the island was that one cannot help but be reminded that the island was formed from one or several volcanoes. Lava rocks were everywhere, as far as the eye could see. We also had to overcome heights. We climbed to about 2000 meters and constantly had to swallow to equalize the pressure in our heads. Meanwhile, the weather kept getting worse. While we had blue skies and sunshine at Kona airport and temperatures around 30 degrees, it was thick clouds, rain, and temperatures around 18 degrees at higher altitudes on our way. So quite the contrast.</p><p>We stopped on the way to shop at our favorite supermarket, Walmart. There we always find everything we need. It starts with the cooler bag and ends with our trusted peanuts, the Planters.</p><p>After we arrived at our accommodation, we had our traditional dinner of bagels, salami, and provolone. Dessert consisted of some portions of Planters.</p><p>I will report on our accommodation here tomorrow; then we will have been able to look around in daylight. In the dim light, the house already made a very good impression.</p><p> </p><p>Let’s see if this holds true ...</p>

We are getting closer to our first destination of the world tour. Los Angeles was practically just a stopover to break up the long journey from Frankfurt to Hawaii. A nice sleep instead of dozing off uncomfortably in an airplane seat ... After all, our flight to LA took eleven hours, and from LA to Kona, it takes another five hours. Doing that in one go, with a layover in LA and uncertain waiting times at the immigration desk, felt decidedly exhausting.

We took the hotel shuttle to the airport in LA without breakfast. With two granola bars, we managed to have a lovely breakfast in the waiting area at the gate. We promised ourselves a nice lunch on Hawaiian Airlines.

The flight was fully booked, and we only received our seat assignments at the gate. This is also a very unusual procedure. Fortunately, they did not separate us but seated us together, with an aisle in between. My neighbor was a rather large person, and the seats were not as

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Don't forget to be nice :)

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From LA to Kona, Big Island

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