I hate retro-blogging or blogging too long after the fact. It’s just not as fun as the real thing. But if I don’t blog about all the fun we had, there will be someone out there wondering why I never wrote about Akaka falls or the neat little coffee shop where we had Kona coffee ice cream or what about that hidden beach we found under the highway bridge? Will those memories fade as I become more and more immersed in silly things like laundry and when my library books are due?

Sadly the memories are already fading.

In order to make this as quick and painless as possible, I’m just going to peruse through my flickr pictures and mention things here and there. If it’s as boring as forcing you to sit and look at my vacation slideshow, I totally understand. We’ll get back to our regularly scheduled daily ramblings asap.

Now that I am back home and safely away from any scary stalkers that might want to steal Baby Bug from me, I can tell you all that we stayed at the Royal Kona Resort. It’s a funny sort of hotel right out of the 70’s. The architecture is magnificent with funny arches that are so Hawaiian and so Hollywood at the same time. The whole place makes you just want to lounge around at the pool and pretend you are James Bond. Even the music.

Well, except the service perhaps. I don’t want this to be a negative rant because we really did have a wonderful time but why is it that Hawaiians are so pissed off that they have to put on an ugly uniform and work at a hotel serving tourists? Actually, I know the answer. I’d be pissed off too.

What was amazing to me was how the employees at the Royal Kona really don’t make much of an effort to hide their disdain for the common tourist. I know everyone says that Hawaiians stereotypically are a happy laid-back people and I am inclined to believe them. I just think they are much happier when they are at home cracking open a beer and watching football or a hula tournament or something on tv.

The hostess at the restaurant where we ate breakfast every day was the worst. So many times I just wanted to say something like, “I know you hate tourists. I hate being a tourist and you make me hate being a tourist even more.” I’m sure she had a reason for scowling at us. It could have been us, it could have been a million things. But man, it was a drag.

So anyway, the Royal Kona. Yes, stay there! It was great. Great views! The bar and the pool and the lobby are by far the coolest thing ever. There are no doors. Just open breeziness. If it typhoons I guess everyone takes cover and hopes for the best. You can tell this hotel was really something in it’s day and even though the service was a little disgruntled, I think with a bit of imagination you could have a splendid time there. We did.

Wow. All that on two photos out of 233. This retro-blogging could take a while. I’ll have to really make an effort to speed things up from here on out.