Apologies for my absence.  I took a day off and caught up on some sleep.  

Welcome to Hilo on the Big Island, the island known as Hawai’i.  It is the largest and newest island in the chain, about the size of Connecticut.  45,000 people live in Hilo.  The total population of the island is around 200,000. 

It’s a quiet town, with a vibe very different than towns in Maui.  I found it a little run down but endearing nonetheless.  Despite the layer of rust and unchecked vine growth, the median income here per household is at the approximate national median, or roughly $70,000.  The money doesn’t go into the buildings.  That said, your new home here will cost several pretty pennies.  Best not to count them. 

It rains a lot here.  Actually, it rains all the time.  Hilo is on the eastern side of the island.  Warm, Pacific air comes off the ocean and up the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa where it cools, condenses, and falls out of the air as rain or heavy mist.  Our B&B was up a ways from the sea, and it basically rained or misted the entire time.  It was also chilly, especially at night.  Drive down to the shore, the temperature was noticeably warmer, more humid, and less rainy.  The drive took only 20 minutes, and I found it odd how little distance noticeably affected the climate.   

Because of the incredible amount of water falling from the sky, Hilo is considered the 4th rainiest city in the U.S.  On average, it rains 272 days per year.  Locals don’t seem to notice the rain as it comes and goes throughout the day, everyday.  I got the sense the B&B had umbrellas just for guests.  This area is a tropical rainforest, and everything grows all the time at full speed.  Landscaping seems to be a daily chore, because if you leave the yard too long it quickly becomes a jungle.  Our host said she had to be careful clippings were properly trashed because they will start growing wherever they fall. 

The town was big into sugar till about 1990.  Tourism has replaced some of that.  There is a well-known annual hula competition here, if you’re interested in a local custom.  Also, most of the government offices for Hawai’i County, which is this entire island, are also located in downtown Hilo.  The University of Hawaii has an outpost here, the largest behind the main campus near Honolulu.  Surfing is not a major … I checked.  Though, they do have a Physician Assistant program.  I told RBD I would apply just to see if I got in, and she said, “Don’t even think about it.”  I am reasonably sure there is no wiggle room on this one. 

Despite the layer of grime, I like Hilo.  It is unpretentious and without artifice.  Resorts are lovely places, but they are not real places.  Here I feel like I am in an old Pacific town, with its low slung buildings and deep eaves.  Life moves slower here.  It is the pace life should always move at.

Tomorrow we visit Volcano National Park.