Loco Moco

We had breakfast across the street from the hotel at a restaurant with a shaded outdoor patio. Of course I had to have the traditional Hawaiian breakfast, a plate of Loco Moco. Let's just say, my arteries began clogging as soon as I ordered it. I'm so glad I went on that run earlier. But who am I to break tradition?

It starts off with a heap of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, topped with a fried egg, sunny-side up, and then all that smothered with gravy. No one knows who invented this delight, but it is believed to have originated from a cafe in Hilo, right here on the Big Island.

As we were eating breakfast and making plans for the day, the cars and tourists moved quickly up and down Ali'i Drive. One silver truck slowed down and gave a honk. The young man in the driver seat leaned over to the passenger-side window and yelled out. "HEY!" We looked up and found our new friend Paul, waving his "chaka" to us. Wow! Less than 24 hours in town and we already know people. We waved back.

Last night, he told us that most beaches in Hawaii are public access. He worked at a very exclusive resort where the rooms are all bungalows. The least expensive probably goes for $455/night. Even though the resort is exclusive and the entry is gated with a security guard, they still have to allow the public to access the beach. We decided to put this on our "to do" list for the day.