DAY 2, Dec 7th: Well, we’re up by 7 am (it would be 11 am back home) and on our way to the Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium. This is an Uber Swap Meet!!! It was set up in 2 rings that encircled the Aloha Stadium, and before I get too far into this story…

Before even leaving the resort we went downstairs for Kona Coffee and a light breakfast – Sitting by the Hammerhead Shark Pool while we ate! A guy came along checking the filters so Christy asked when the Sharks and Manta Rays get fed – He said he was just about to feed them and invited us to follow him for the best viewing. Wow! The Ray’s were huge (see pic's) and the Hammerheads went into a frenzy! It sure beats going to an aquarium when you get to see these amazing creatures up close and without glass between you and them! Well, all of this delayed our departure, but once at the Aloha Stadium the shopping began!

We found many perfect Christmas gifts for family, friends, and the band, and some stuff for ourselves. We tried some local delicacies, such as dried squid, candied ginger, dried scallops, and we found a vendor who cut open fresh coconuts. He cracked it open with a machete like an expert and then inserted a straw so we could drink the juice (NOT the milk! common misconception) After that we brought it back and he scraped out the meat for us – it was so different from processed coconut meat! Along the way Christy bought a nice Sarong and John got a Koa Ukulele. We stocked up on several bags of genuine 100% Kona Coffee – and John sat through having a temporary tattoo applied that was supposed to last 4 weeks (more on the tattoo later.)

Although we walked forever it was well worth it. We both had a really good time and both remarked about the real “local cultural & ethnic pride” feel to the whole thing. When we got back to the resort we changed back to swimwear and went to the beach. While John swam Christy sat on the beach. We were both befriended by a cute 4 year old that obviously wasn’t afraid of people or water.

Afterwards we had a quick dinner poolside consisting of island caught fish sandwiches and beer battered onion rings and some of the best fries we’d ever tasted. As an interesting side note, Christy and our server discovered they were probably the only 2 people on the island who actually know where Grand Forks North Dakota is as they had both lived there! We had the best tropical drinks – 2 each! Served in hollowed out pineapples and were wonderful! We took pictures of and watched (again) one of the most beautiful sunsets that we had ever seen.

Early to bed because tomorrow is the Polynesian Cultural Center.

http://s194.photobucket.com/albums/z...emanvx/HAWAII/