2/18 | Big Island: Traveling

We left 20 degrees and 3’ of snow behind, three planes and 12-14 hours later we finally got to the Big Island and the heat felt good.  Once we got there we had to drive over 3 hours in the dark to get to our rental home in Pahoa.  The rental property was named Melemele Aloha and the water was across the street.  Our rental wasn’t right on the ocean, but close to it, about 15 steps. It was an amazing place, there was a pool of water in our front yard with fish and we learned that at the high tide the water would come over the road into our yard filling it back up again.  It was pretty cool.  Across the street we had tidal pools made out of lava, it was a marine life sanctuary.  John had a great idea to take flash lights and explore the tidal pools at night.  We got on our water shoes and headed out.  The water is crystal clear; we are not used to that.  In RI we see grey water and can’t see the bottom.  This was amazing.  We could see the fish and sea cucumbers, eels, a few different types of star fish and sea urchins.  When it was silent, we could hear the water flowing through the holes in the lava rock.  It sounds like popping bubble wrap. Then we saw some crabs.  They moved fast and swift and had a different sound on the rocks.  I started to become scared that they were following me. That night we rested up and I set my alarm so John and I could wake to the sunrise together.