Bargain Shopping at the Old Sugar Mill

Next stop, Waialua -- a sugar mill turned soap factory. I wanted to get a bargain on some awsome soap, and see how they used to make sugar. But this was not an educational spot, nor a tourist spot. Just an old mill building now used to make soap...and not inexpensive soap. I'm always looking for a bargain and this wasn't it. Very disappointing.


Across the parking lot looked like my opportunity to find a bargain. As we walked in, the man asked if we'd like him to show us how they grow coffee and cocoa. A personal educational tour--how could we turn him down. He was an interesting guy with lots of stories. And we had a chance to see coffee "berries" in various stages on the tree and taste them and see how they dry the cocoa beans. "Kona" coffee can be grown in many places...but to be marketed as "kona" coffee, it has to be grown on the big island of Hawaii. And the cost of harvesting coffee in Hawaii is much more expensive than in the rest of the world. 100% pure Kona costs $19.99/lb. It's delicious -- really delicious -- but $20/lb. plus shipping not exactly a habit I want to start. He gave us a taste of his chocolate covered coffee beans that's becoming a real hit with folks. (The first time I had one was at Chapters in Newberg, OR. They're good...sorta.) We bought 5 oz. of coffee which he meticulously ground for us--after a personal tour and free chocolate coffee beans what could we do?

Now that I've been drinking 100% pure Kona coffee the last two mornings...I'm getting hooked. It is so delicious -- dark roasted without a hint of bitterness. So much for bargain shopping.