The next morning we woke up and went down town to the market in search of souvenirs. There was a great market next to Jack and Zola's church, and we were able to pick up fresh coffee, macadamia nuts, and other small gifts to bring back home. The second order of business was to get our excursions scheduled, so we found a tourist shop downtown and prepared to negotiate a night time Manta Ray snorkel and a plane tour of Volcano National Park. Since Patrick and I are a little thrifty, we decided that we would sit through an hour long time share presentation. Yes, it saved us about $350. It was both of our first presentations, and we agreed that we would only do it again if we saved at least $300. The folks weren't pushy until the end, where I kept telling the guy that we really didn't see the value in the whole deal. We were just having fun with him, but still got our discounts.
The next morning we woke up and got ready for our airplane tour of the island. We jumped on this plane:
We headed towards Volcano National Park where we flew over active craters and lava flow. Looking back at these pictures, I can't believe how close we got...
The National Park area looked like a completely different planet, so it was a surprise to see Hilo which gets over 300 inches of rain a year. This area is known for its orchid farms and lush climates. It had rained the previous day, and got an incredible sight of these waterfalls. 
The airplane tour was the perfect way to get a complete view of the island! In a car, we would have never seen these sights.
The next day we took it easy snorkeling and getting ready for the Manta Ray snorkel that evening. Patrick kept warning me that these animals had a large wing spans, and may be an incredible sight to see. I had no idea what to expect, but it was amazing. Manta Rays are plankton feeders, so the set up these guys had was incredible. They strung a series of pairs pool noodles with dive lights attached in the middle out behind the boat. The lights attract the plankton, which attracts the Manta Rays. I bought a really cheap underwater camera, hoping to capture what we saw. This camera had no zoom, so the picture below is the Manta Ray approaching us, with his mouth open. It was an incredible sight, as these guys made large circles in order to feed on the plankton. This picture doesn't do it justice, but gives you an idea of this incredible sight. 
Our trip was now complete, and we were sad to have to get back to the real world. It was an incrdible trip, and we hope to come back soon!
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