Our Roberts bus picked us up bright and early (very bright and early) this morning to take us back to Kahalui Airport, where we boarded our Hawaiian Airlines flight for the Hilo, on the Big Island. We reached the Hilo Bay Hostel, where we will be for the next four days by 10:00 a.m. The hostel is located in the center of Hilo town, with easy access to grocery stores, and restaurants, which was a priority in finding lodging for this leg of the trip, based on student evaluations in 2012.
These stairs WERE a bit daunting with luggage in tow… but once you get upstairs there is a “homey” feel to the place, and we were warmly welcomed by Terry, the owner!
Hilo Town is most likely the most “rural” (and least touristy) area that the students will visit and experience throughout the course. The hostel is a beautifully restored 1913 hotel with old world charm that provides guests with modern amenities… We are all in “dormer” style rooms and there are shared bathroom facilities. [I’ll be very interested to receive student feedback on this at the end of the course!]
The common room of the hostel. (There is a pair of Cockatiel’s in the cage with the green cover)
A view of down town Hilo from Kumu Searing’s & Kumu Noel’s room…
There is another student group here from Quebec, Canada. Marvelous opportunity for some cross-cultural experiences over the next few days!
Students from Quebec in the hostel’s kitchen, making a sushi dinner for their group…