Snorkeling with turtles and a North tour

The sun wakes us up today and so we pack our swimwear and head to CarlSmith Beach Park in Hilo. At first we can't find it, we stop at several beautiful coastal parks, but none of them are really inviting for snorkeling. Either you have to climb over lava rocks to then risk your bones in rough surf, or it's a baby pool that is too shallow. But we see whales and dolphins!

Finally, we find CarlSmith after all.

The park is beautifully landscaped with palm trees, slightly hilly with a lawn and the entry into the water is super easy with a small staircase. While I change clothes, Hajo can already take the first pictures of a turtle swimming in the protected bay, showing no fear of the curious looks of humans!

I dive underwater with the snorkeling equipment, have to get used to breathing through my mouth and the view under water, and paddle around looking for colorful fish.

Suddenly, something touches me, it doesn't feel like a rock, nor like a person... A green sea turtle swims up to me from behind and seems to seek body contact! Since I know that you shouldn't touch them and they are also protected, I try to calmly paddle away. It doesn't help, the turtle follows me and then I have contact with the next one, which is now behind me. We swim around in amazement for a while, the turtles are so close, I am amazed at HOW close! It's absolutely beautiful!

Then we separate and I snorkel along the rocks to see some more fish traveling in small groups. Finally, one of the turtles is back by my side :-).

When I get out of the water, there is another turtle at the stairs again, letting itself be admired.

Now it starts to rain lightly, we pack up and decide to drive along the coast to Waipio Valley Lookout, and from there back home via Saddle Road.

We stop again at Laupahoehoe Point Beach. It is supposed to be a surfer hot spot, swimming there is definitely not possible according to the guidebook. He is definitely right, and there are also no surfers today. The sea is rough, the breakers are several meters high and merciless. A fascinating spectacle, once again you could watch the rough dance of the masses of water for hours!

The landscape is slowly changing, from rugged cliffs to farmland. It looks a bit like the alpine meadows in the Alps, with cows and horses grazing, sheep and goats, plenty of space for the animals!

We find a place for lunch, it's afternoon by now. In Honokaa, a larger town, there are numerous nice shops and restaurants, but it's Sunday, there is a thunderstorm, everything is closed (except for the souvenir shops). But the old town is very nicely done with the old wooden houses, all lovingly restored.

In a small town just before the lookout, there is a farmer's snack bar with local products. We stop there and eat burgers, drink coffee. Everything is super fresh and very tasty! The ingredients for our food come from the farm, the pigs have a large pasture next to the parking lot and look curiously. If the store would now do without paper cups and plastic forks, it would be truly organic and sustainable. But it seems to be a real problem in America...

The Waipio Valley Lookout is worth the long journey. You look into a fertile valley surrounded by high green cliffs, with the surf crashing on the black beach. The cliffs are high and spectacular (like everything here...). Despite various warning signs, people have apparently climbed over the railing and fence and fallen. There is no chance of survival, the downside of this beautiful landscape.

We continue inland towards Waimea, past the Parker Ranch. This is the largest ranch on Big Island, where beef cattle have been bred for many years. The landscape now also looks like prairie, dry grass, hills, pasture fences. To the left are the foothills of Moana Kea, to the right also mountains up to 2,500 m. In Waimea, a small road leads into the mountains, winding steadily upward in small curves and then merging onto Saddle Road. Now it is the lava that determines the landscape. Mauna Kea is in a large cloud field, it's raining, towards Hilo the sun is shining, and over Mauna Loa you can see smoke from the active Halemaumau Crater. It's a truly mystical atmosphere that cannot be captured in photos!

Another great day is coming to an end, now we only have two days left, let's see if we can still manage to see the lava flow!