Hilo on Big Island

On Big Island, I have a car, but without GPS. I am staying at the Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel from 10.09. - 13.09.16 and have a wonderful view of the sea. I eat at the hotel, there is a huge buffet. I have tried Hawaiian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, European, and American cuisine. Except for the long crab legs, I did not try them, it was too much effort to crack the legs.

The next day, I drove north to Waimea. There is this beautiful Waipio Valley where taro is grown and it is private. The chiefs lived here and made sure their people were well. You would like to take a closer look, but there are signs everywhere asking you not to. On the way back, I visited the Aka Falls and the Botanic Garden. I also stopped at some beaches and villages. Then I wanted to go to Mauna Kea. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the road. So I finally went to eat at Pineapple. They have excellent fish and seafood, of course, burgers too. I chose jumbo shrimp with avocado and spinach salad.

In the south, there are also some beautiful beaches, so the next day I drove south. I saw a surfer coming in from the sea and right behind her a sea turtle. I was able to watch it for a while, but unfortunately, it always disappeared when I had my camera ready. Someone then explained to me how to get to Mauna Kea, and I tried again. On the way there, I visited Rainbow Falls. A coffee and a few crackers were my food. I made a stop at the Visitor Center and realized that I couldn't drive all the way to the top with my car. I looked for a solution and asked a man if he would take me. I could ride along for $60, and I encouraged 2 other Swiss people to do the same. I was glad they came along too. I knew it wasn't entirely legal, others paid $212 for it, I asked the drivers who were traveling in groups. but finally, I could go up to Mauna Kea, 4205 meters high. Mauna Kea is considered the highest mountain in the world when you add the part below sea level: 10,203 m. It was a bit cloudy, but you could still see the sunset. There are several telescopes on the summit. Unfortunately, you couldn't stay very long, and it was very cold, -6 degrees. The air was thin and it was a bit dizzy. On the way home, I got lost and wandered around for about 2 hours, which was really tiring.