Thursday Jan 29, 2026
Hi Folks! We are back in the USA!!! We’re docked in Hilo, Hawaii which is on the Island of Hawaii also called the “Big Island”. Hilo overlooks Hilo Bay and Hilo has two volcanoes, Mauna Loa, an active volcano, and Mauna Kea a dormant volcano. The Hilo bay-front has been destroyed by tsunamis twice. (Yikes! Hopefully not today!). Before getting off the ship we had to go thru US Immigration but it ran very smoothly and we were done in 15 mins.
We did an all day tour called “Secrets of Hamakua”. Hamakua is on the eastern coastline of the island. Hilo has 13 of the 16 microclimates in the world. The only ones it doesn’t have are Arctic, Sub-Arctic, and Desert. Its primary climate is that of a rain forest and it is one of the wettest cities in the US behind Ketchikan, Alaska. But luckily it didn’t rain today and it was a very mild 75 degrees.
We got to visit two waterfalls, Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls. We also stopped at the Waipi’o Overlook to see the beautiful valley below and coastline. We went to Laupahoehoe Point with its rugged black sand/rock beach made from lava with the waves crashing in. We had a peaceful lunch there looking out over the water. We also stopped by the huge King Kamehameha Statue.
But the big hit was going to the Tex Drive In to get Malasadas. They are a Portuguese fried donut, originating from the Azores, that are very popular in Hawaii. They have a crispy exterior and a fluffy, eggy interior and are rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Dang they were tasty! (I included a pic). Maybe my next gig is a Malasadas franchise in the US?? Lol
After the tour we got cleaned up and ordered room service so we could get to the show tonight. It was the Regent Singers and Dancers doing a show called “Blazing Boots”. It was some great country music with great dancing. Such a fun show!
After the show we crashed since we were tired from our all day tour today and tomorrow we have another all day tour where we have to get up early. Tomorrow we’re in Maui and we float between all the Hawaiin islands for the next 7 days. So excited! Hope everyone had a great Thursday!
The Wandering Italian 