Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Well it's been a pretty busy two weeks, so I'm now over three states behind so it's catch up time… (please note that I even first started this sentence a week ago - there's just too much to do!)
The first thing you (or I) notice when arriving in Hawaii from Sydney is that the weather is just as beautiful but it's five degrees hotter (also that there are no Tardises). The second thing you notice is the trees. I spent most of my time in Hawaii with my cousin-three-times-removed Ralph and his wife Arlita, who live an absolutely picturesque neighbourhood in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island called Hawaii. Absolutely everywhere you go is surrounded by palms and other exotic trees, which transform the roofline into this lush green tropical paradise. In fact, I've found that the trees that cover an area pretty much define what it's like. My perception that being a US state might have tamed the renowned utopian beauty of Hawaii was quickly and gratefully dispelled.
We spent a few half-days doing what Ralph and Arlita usually do nearly every morning: snorkelling from some of the beaches down the road. I'd been snorkelling once before, on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where to get to the wildlife you have to take a boat way out to sea, so it was remarkable to see just as many fish coming right up to the water's edge, even on the busier beaches. Just like the last time, I could happily swim and watch it all for hours. A particular treat in Hawaii are the sea turtles which thrive there and made an appearance at least once every time I visited the water. Everything seems to slow down when one suddenly glides into sight right under your nose (but don't touch - at the peril of a $5000 maximum fine), which makes spotting one feel like a minor triumph.
Alternating with swimming with the fishies, we visited various sites of interest which detailed Hawaii's colourful tribal history, explored downtown Kailua-Kona and went to the first church on the islands.
In the evenings we ate dinner on the terrace, which looks out over the sea and the setting sun, which for some reason in this part of the world regularly displays the phenomenon of the green flash.