Byodo-In Temple

 After the gardens, we saw this place called Byodo Temple not far from where we were. This was supposed to be a replica of a Japanese temple, and since we are definitely wanting to hit Japan one day, we thought this would be a great stop at the end of our day.

The clouds were getting dark and stormy, and it did sprinkle on us a bit. That only added to the beauty of the island though. It's Hawaii, so it's not cold outside. 

You drive through the most beautiful cemetery and Japanese style graves which are all this beautiful polished black stone. It's just gorgeous resting against the lush green of the island. Such a beautiful resting place to be at. 

Then we reach the temple. It is just lovely. I love Japanese style architecture, and this did not disappoint. There was a giant bell that people were in line to hit, as well as coy fishponds all over. You could buy fish food the feed these giant guys. 

We couldn't go into the temple. You could just look through the main doors as you walked by and see a giant statue of Buda. The incense inside was burning very strong. This is a tourist spot, so of course there were a few souvenir places. They did have a local artist there selling jewelry, which was quite beautiful. I did get a few necklaces.

We didn't stay long as the rain was coming, and we were exhausted with an hour drive ahead of us. We'd arrived on the island about midnight the previous night, then had to be at the beach at 7am. We were tired, and starving. There was a McDonald's right by where we were. 

Now, I'm not a fan of McDonald's at home, let alone when I'm on vacation. But it was there, it was fast, and we were starving. We ate burgers and frosties as we sat in traffic on the way back to the hotel. When you're hungry, anything tastes delicious. We were then quickly passed out after a long a busy first day in Hawaii.