Big Island Hijinix.

Wow, lots of fun stuff to post in here tonight...

We arrived on Wednesday and got to the house with no problems. We should have gotten more packing done the night before we left and ran out of time to get the house somewhat in order, left a few things and we were all tired from the travel day, but we made it and here we are. We went out to dinner in Pahoa on Wednesday night and were VERY pleasantly surprised by the restaurant we went to. It easily rivaled if not surpassed many of the fancy restaurants we have visited in Honolulu or here on the big island in some of the Kona side resort communities. I think the place is called Keolos or something like that. The prices were reasonable by resort standards, but probably exorbitant by Pahoa standards...if you were here, you would understand.



The next day we decided to head over to the lava tree state park via lunch in Pahoa. So I stop in the little market/deli in town and order some lunch to go and what a town. The best I could describe it would be something like Boulder meets skid-row. A host of gnarly looking characters wearing shirts like "I don't make enough to kiss your ass" (true story) or just a big Pakalolo leaf and a full head of at least 5 or 6 teeth, but compensating with shoulder blade hair and spider web tatoos. Sweet look bra.

If you read the other blog, you probably know by now that I got a flat tire at. We pull into the "parking lot" of the state park which has moon crater sized potholes and gigantic ruts in the concrete. YET there is a fricking batallion of state maintenance dudes renovating the BATHROOMS! "YO, Keoki...over here bra...fix this fricking volkswagon sized hole in your parking lot, I can pee on the moss rock." Oh well...so I swerve a bit to miss the giant rut and psssssssssssssssst...immediate flat. 2" cut in the sidewall of the tire from a wayward piece of lava. That stuff is SHARP!

So I call the guy at Dollar rent a car and he was USELESS...though he tried not to be and was friendly...but STILL! I barely had any cell service at the location, which causes all kinds of havoc when you are trying to navigate through "press this buttone then that button" hell. But the dude was like "um ok, you need to locate the nut on the floor so you can lower down the spare...It should be between two rear seats. NOPE. Uh, ok, then try in between the two second row seats..." Me: "is it under a panel?" because there is a plastic panel here." Um..yea, maybe. can you Pry off the panel?" Me: "With What?" Him: "um, well, do you have a screwdriver or something" Me: "Dude, I'm in Lava Tree State park, with almost no cell service, a completely flat tire and and I need some critical info here...like where is this "nut" and no I don't have a screwdriver." Him: "um, yea...ok, well does that minivan have stow and go seating, because I can pull up another manual for that...Me: CLICK.

Oh well, i'll call handy dandy Amex...they'll help, right? Last time I got my statement they said on it "Oh, and remember, when you rent a card with "THE CARD" you don't need additional insurance coverage, we've got you covered. And, i've been spending a few hundred grand a month with them in media so, yea...I should be ALL good, right. So...after a couple lost signal bummers, I finally got someone in roadside assist and she said "Great sir, I can help you!" Me: "GREAT! Please write down my number NOW so when we drop you can call me back! I'm in Hawaii at blah blah blah... " "Oh, is that a rental car?" Yea. "oh, well, normally we pay the First $50 of service...but since its a rental car, we don't pay anything. But, I can call you a tow or someone to help you.." Great...I can do that too and I don't have to try and be on hold forever either. um hmmm...yea, thanks um yea...ok buh bye..

I finally figured out where the "nut" was...up between the two front seats. Got the tire changed with the help of a very nice guy named Bill and we were on our way back to Hilo to exchange the car in the matter of about an hour or two.

Lots more fun to write about, but now i'm tired.

more soon,
B.