After a long day of travel, my family and I reached Kona, Hawaii late at night on August 3rd. As we drove to the condo we rented, I looked out the window even though it was pitch black. From the few shadows I saw of palm trees and lava, I knew this place was going to be beautiful.
My family and I went straight to bed only to be woken up by the rays of gorgeous sunlight blazing through our windows. My brother and I stepped outside to go for a short walk on the lava down to the ocean. As we reached the brilliant blue water we looked down and were amazed by the fact that we could see straight down to the bottom.
The water was so clear it was almost like glass. We sat for a few moments staring down into the ocean, observing the multicolored fish lazily swimming around. From that morning on, Hawaii’s natural beauty never ceased to amaze me.
Though we were staying in a completely manmade Mauna Lani resort, the areas around the resort were phenomenal. My uncle’s family joined us later that morning. We toured the resort and found a perfect spot for snorkeling.
The next day, equipped with our snorkel gear, we walked down to the beach excitedly. Though masks were almost superfluous because of the clarity of the water we used them to hold our snorkels. As I floated around I was astounded to see how calm the fish were when we swam up to them.
At one point in time I heard a crackling, crunching sound. I looked to my left and there was a huge parrot fish nibbling away at the coral. Fascinated, I swam a little closer. I could not believe how loud of a sound the fish was making — the ocean life in Hawaii is extraordinary!
Not only does Hawaii have beautiful, exciting waters, the land is also exceptional. Our last two days of our vacation were spent in the Volcano National Park. We were able to tour Kilauea, the volcano home to Pele the Hawaiian volcano goddess. Kilauea is one of the Earth’s most active volcanoes — it has erupted over sixty times. We were able to see the smoke and steam that the lava created, since there is continuous lava flow activity in the Halema`uma`u crater. It was stunning to see a volcano at work, and to actually walk on an active volcano was indescribable.
What gripped me most about Hawaii was its natural beauty. Living in Michigan, it was pure magic to see the sights in Hawaii. I will never forget my vacation in Hawaii — the sights of lava and foliage were beyond gorgeous, and the fact that it was all natural blew me away.
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