Saturday, Feb 29th, a very early start for our first full day on the island.  Awake at 3am!  Yikes!  I don’t know if it was due to being keen on getting out of this tiny, musty hotel room, or our plan to check out the farmers market, or that we were still functioning on east coast time which is 5 hours ahead.  No matter, we took advantage of this rare motivation.

We check out of the hotel and head out. 

First thing on the agenda today was the infamous KCC Farmers Market. 

We were very much looking forward to eating our way through the various offerings we have been reading about.  We are foodies.  We love to try new things.  We travel to eat.  

We lucked out and stumbled onto a car pulling out of their parking spot, which we quickly nabbed.  Wow, people weren’t kidding when all the posts I’ve read said to go early because it will be crowded.  It is very popular with tourists.  I say that as if we weren’t part of the “tourists” crowd.  Ha ha.

Kona Abalone was one of the top things to try on our list.  We quickly spot their tent and Hook makes a beeline to order a sampler to share.  The sampler consisted of 3 pieces of abalone, one plain, one topped with garlic butter, and another topped with miso garlic.  We decide that the miso garlic was our favorite of the three.  They were good, but not quite up to the hype that we read.  Glad we got to try them.

Next up, the Hawaiian Cane Juice stand.  I get a cup of fresh pressed sugar cane juice.  You can get one with some tropical fruits mixed in like passion fruit, or pineapple, but I prefer the plain-jane pure unadulterated sugar juice.  😉  Very refreshing for this hot day.

We continue to walk around the market.  There are many food vendors to choose from, and crowds galore at each stand.  It’s overwhelming.  I’m not much of a crowd person.  I especially do not like waiting for something when there is no defined line to get to the front but rather having to push your way in.  I’m not much of a pusher.  

I thought there would be more vendors that offered tropical fruits.  I was really looking forward to that.  I absolutely love tropical fruits and I seek them out whichever island we are visiting.  We end up purchasing a papaya, some star apple fruits.  I guess it’s not sugar apple season.  I’m bummed.

We stop and admire the vendors selling tropical plants and flowers.  Such gorgeous orchids.  If only I could ship them home!

It starts sprinkling and dark clouds have moved in.  We make a dash to our Jeep and barely get in and shut the doors before the sky opened up with a downpour.  It’s a sign, time to move along.

More photos from KCC farmers market… So many choices… so few inches to spare on our waistline! 😜