Kona Fun and Luau: Thurs, Jan 13th

Our whale watching adventure was postponed due to high surf, so we thought of fun things to do in Kona today.  First stop:  Honokohau Harbor- the marina where the fishing boats bring in their catch and folks can charter a deep sea fishing boat.  After walking around and looking at all of the beautiful yachts and fishing boats we decided to grab a bite at BITE ME--the harbor restaurant. What a fun place to go. Most are local fishermen and a few tourists. We had great fish sandwiches, fish tacos and chicken sandwiches, plus Longboard Kona beer.After lunch, stopped by the big Kona marketplace where Doug and Ellen bought a case of jelly and jams to be shipped home. Next few months of good muffins and toast.Came back to the house and took naps before we left for the luau. It is a warmer than usual day so a siesta was called for.

This is the last evening that Doug and Ellen will be here,so we decided to go all out for the best luau on the Big Island. We had reservations(perferred seating) at the King Kamehameha"s Kona Beach Hotel. We had been told by a local that this is "the luau" to attend. Gosh, was he right!! Started with Mai Tais that had us feeling very relaxed, The weather was perfect, with a cool breeze blowing off of the ocean. The dinner buffet included Lomi salmon and Kona style Poke (smoked fish), five kinds of salads,fresh pinapple,and cinnamon spiced  bananas, fresh banana bread, poi,hawaiian sweet potatoes, roast chicken, Kona broil, and the cooked PIG. We finished it off with 3 different kinds of desserts and Kona coffee.  During the performance, the musicians played the Hawaiian love song and everyone danced.  Extra treats during the dinner show included tattoos of our choosing.  Deanie got a turtle and Ellen asked for a flower!  The entertainment included singers and dancers and every culture was represented:Thaiti,Hawaii, Fiji, and Samoa.The costumes were brilliant with color. It was a spectacular performance!! The fire dancer ended the show with a torch twirling dance. It truly was one of the best events we could have attended.