Hawaii Trip Recap: Day 5 (11/17/10)

Big breakfast this morning to fuel up for our helicopter tour, something we'd been looking forward to for months. It didn't disappoint, and may in fact have exceeded expectations. The helicopter had 2 passenger seats with the pilot up front, and 4 passenger seats in the back. We sprung for an extra hundred bucks to sit up front, which was money well spent, as the views were pretty spectacular (the pics below don't do them justice).

Here we are shortly after liftoff.

Luckily the weather down by Volcanoes National Park was much better this time around, although there was a fair amount of "vog" (steamy haze caused by volcanic gasses) like there always.

Here, we're circling around the point where the lava pours into the sea, very slowly but steadily increasing the size of the island.

Heading up the coast toward the Waipio Valley.

And in the valley.

Countless waterfalls appear seemingly out of nowhere and carve deep into the impossibly steep hillsides.

Flying over paniolo country. (Paniolos are Hawaiian cowboys. After horses were brought to the Big Island in 1804, Spanish cowboys- vaqueros- were recruited to help contain the wild cattle and train the local cowboys. The Hawaiians called the vaqueros "paniolos", a corruption of "Española".)

And back safely on the ground, which never should have been in doubt considering our pilot was a former Green Beret who flew in Vietnam, among other locales. (And the first Small World Moment of the trip: he's Oregonian).

Back to KVR for a little R&R before the Wednesday evening manager's reception (free cocktails, ka-CHING!) and then the luau. The luau is something else we'd been looking forward to, as it's
regarded as the most "Hawaiian" luau on the Big Island.

Here were are knocking back a couple of top-shelf tequilas, on the house. My favorite bartender gave us the inside scoop on just how long we could hang out at the reception before heading over to the luau (where high-dollar drinks are the order of the day).

Another bit of good forture saw an ancient couple sitting beside us at the bar who required a ride to the luau, so we were able to hitch a ride on the back of their cart.

Getting ready for the show.

Piggy coming out of the ground.

Piggy just about ready for my plate.

No decent pictures to share from the luau itself, as the dark conditions didn't cooperate, but it was a great show. Plumped full of mai tais and kahlua pork, we slept like logs after this evening.