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Showing posts from 2021

Day 5: Now we're Sevillians!

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Today, we packed our bags, and we were off to Seville. We first walked to the train station and got past security pretty quickly. After that, we boarded the train. There was a big foldable table and a nice soft seat. We finished some work, ate a croissant, and played Candy Crush. Once we got off our train, we went to our very nice 4-floor apartment in downtown Seville. The first floor had an empty pool and a bedroom with a bathroom attached. The second floor had a full kitchen, a dining area, and a comfy living room. The third floor had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The last floor had a washing machine and led to the terrace, which had beautiful views. After the apartment manager left us, we went for lunch and had pizzas and tapas. Afterward, we chilled out for a while and settled into our apartment (when we arrived, the cleaners were still cleaning the apartment). We then went for a little and had a yummy chocolate crepe with gelato. We also had a waffle with drizzled chocolate an
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Day 8: One In 6 & One In 4

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 Another beautiful day in Hawaii!   Today we went to see some of the most incredible beaches in the world! We went to one of the only six black sand beaches in Hawaii and one of the world's only four green sand beaches. We drove along the coast of Hawaii, with a lot of ocean views! After driving to the black sand beach, we got out and felt the sand. It was HOT because the sand heats up due to the material the sand is made of. We didn't stick around much, but it was an exciting experience. We continued along the road to get to the green sand beach. It's a long walk across rocky terrain to get to the green sand beach, but there are some people who you can pay to take you down to the beach for you. We took four seats and got in. The road was very bumpy, but it was worth it to get to see the beautiful view. Then, we walked down to the beach. There was only an ancient makeshift set of wood stairs and some tiny, roughed passageways. It was tough to get to the beach, but we
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Day 7: Snorkeling with the Rays

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Today was an experience of a lifetime!   Today we woke up in our hotel, had some breakfast in our room, and then went down to our car. We drove to a historical park called Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park. It was just 30 minutes from our hotel, and once we arrived, we downloaded the National Park Service app and used the audio tour to learn about ancient Hawaiian history. We learned about the old buildings and even a board game called Konane. It's played with white and black stones on a board with slight depressions carved in the rock. After exploring the park, we took our snorkeling gear and went to Hōnaunau Bay or the Two-Step snorkeling spot. It is a very short walk from the entrance of the historical park, so we got into the water quickly. We didn't bring water shoes, so we were stuck with our feet on the sharper rocks. However, there were many brightly colored fish swimming around near the rocks, so it was worth it. After snorkeling, we drove back
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Day 6: The Lagoon and Coffee

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 Our first day in Kona was fantastic! Here’s how it went: We woke up in our hotel in Kona, and we got ready to go to a nearby lagoon closed off from the ocean. We would snorkel there and see some fish, so we got ready and headed off to the lagoon. The stairs were flat, and there were many rocks, but the fish underwater made it all worth it. We had so much fun, and we were soaked afterward. After our lagoon snorkel, we headed to the pool for some relaxing. The pool was warmer and freshwater, so we could take a bit of time to chill. The only problem was that we didn’t have our goggles. After we were done, we went back to the hotel room to take a shower. Next, we headed out to go on a coffee tour. We learned all about Kona Coffee and why it is unique. Many machines play a part in dehydrating, roasting, and packaging the beans, and we even got to try some. We liked it and bought some espresso coffee beans. Afterward, we took a break and relaxed in our hotel room. Then, we went out ag
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Day 5: The End of the Beginning

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Another day, another stay, starting today. Today is the end of Hilo, but the beginning – of Kona! But first, a quick note. Today was the big super-flower-blood moon! We woke up in the middle of the night to see this once-in-a-decade occurrence! Did you see the moon? Back to today, now. Today we wanted to celebrate our last day of Hilo, so we jumped in the pool and relaxed for a few hours. But unfortunately, we were checking out today, and we couldn't stay too long. We took a quick shower, then packed our bags. Before we knew it, it was time to go. Our first stop along the way to Kona was the Hilo Farmers' Market. The many rows of the vendors' goods were fascinating, although we only bought some lychees and cucumbers. Still, it was fascinating. Next, we went to a waterfall called The Boiling Pots. There wasn't a rush of stormwater in the falls, so the tiny pools of water didn't move around; therefore, we couldn't see the pots "boil." However, the
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Day 4: The Last Day - Hilo

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 Last day in Hilo, here we go! When we woke up today, we didn’t go to the pool. We needed to get ready to go to a lot of locations on our last day. When we were all set, we got into the car. First, the botanical gardens! We took the scenic route along the ocean to reach the gardens. There also was a trail that led to the beach. It was tranquil but relaxing. We had so much fun and took some time to chill. After that, we continued on the route. We found a small store that sold chilled coconuts and drinks, but the worst part – it was closed! We also noticed some geckos around the store, like one behind a decoration and one on a banana flower. It was fascinating but a slight letdown. We continued across the route to find an open store – The Low Store. This store was very inviting, but a big banner on the side of the store showed that the store was closing – after 96 years! That means that the store went through a lot, like WW2 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic defe
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Day 3: Under, Over, and Around Hilo

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Today, we had some incredible experiences, had some delicious food, and noticed some bizarre things! In one day, we went underwater, on the ground, and in the air. As usual, we woke up in the morning, had some breakfast, and hit the pool. This time we had a real mission – to test out our snorkeling gear! We are going to use it for something in the future – stay tuned to find out! After that, we headed to Coconut Island to try to snorkel in the ocean. Coconut Island is a small island with picnic benches, a water shower, and various spots where you can snorkel and play in the water. Once we crossed the footbridge to Coconut Island, we found a rocky area to snorkel. While we were walking on the bridge to the island, we noticed a big black stingray swimming underneath the bridge. It was exciting! Once we reached the island and got into the water, we tried to snorkel in the water. It did not work out very well! The rocks were very sharp, and if you move your foot back to kick the water,
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