Day 5

We are now based back in Kona and will originate our last two days of rides from here. Today we had a glorious day, the sun shone all day. We rode out from Kona along the coast (almost all of our rides have been along the coast as we have covered the perimeter of the island). The biking has been much less strenuous than advertised (at least in my opinion, Carole may differ). We usually bike between 30-40 miles/day. I had expected to do more but the elevation changes have been challenging, ride descriptions such as “gentle rolling hills” have turned into a cause for concern. Our first days ride, along the Ironman route was the hardest. Today we rode a nice route through some Hawaiian villages, to Captain Cook’s landing spot on the coast. The native flora we are riding through is magnificent, brilliant colors in the flowers and bushes. We ended our ride in a National Park, the Place of Refuge. It was another spectacular setting. Our van rolled up and we again had our star lunch. Many in the group went snorkeling after lunch. Our tour has all the equipment needed in the van. After lunch we hoped in the van and got driven most of the way up the mountain and then biked the last 15 miles back to Kona. What’s not to like about a van supported trip!
We had our last dinner as group, with much celebrating of our successful ride. There are 10 in our group, and at least 5 have traveled with Bicycle Adventures (BA) in the past. I can see why. BA does trips in the wine country of CA, the Pacific North west and New Zealand. I hope I’ve got a couple more in me!.