It took 4 days to see land again after departing LA on March 30 via a Princess Cruise. Our first port is Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is on the windward, or eastern, side of the island, so it tends to have more rain than the leeward side.
The City of Hilo is more of a large village. It has a bustling Farmer’s Market, and all of the fruits and vegetables looked unusually large and luscious. The flower stalls were filled with exotic bouquets, with most including orchids. The Pacific Tsunami Museum is one of the few buildings that survived the May 23, 1960, tsunami, which destroyed Hilo. It was the second large tsunami to hit the island in just 14 years. All along our route into the city were gigantic banyan trees, with their viny trunks. They are huge!
