Today I set off to see Volcano National Park, situated about one hour from where I was staying near Pahoa. At the visitor’s center I learned several interesting things. First of all, The Big Island of Hawaii is larger than all the other major islands of Hawaii put together (Kauai, O’ahu, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai). It is largest because it is the youngest. The islands were all formed over a hot spot in the earth’s core (or one of the layers down below the crust), and eventually moved away from that hotspot as the Pacific plate moved. As the islands move on, and the volcanoes that formed them die, they begin to erode; thus, they shrink. The Big Island is formed out of five volcanoes. One is considered inactive – the one up in the northwest under the area known as Kohala.
The other four are active to varying degrees. The most active at the moment is Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since 1983. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. Mauna Kea, up to the north, has been quiet for a somewhat longer time. Hualalei is the volcano closest to the Kona resort area, located right under the current airport, in fact. The ranger who gave an orientation talk when I arrived at Volcano National Park said that Hualalei is overdue for an eruption. She erupts about every 200 years, as far back as records go, and the last eruption was in 1801. So people planning to visit The Big Island soon might want to consider flying in and out of Hilo, though it is often more expensive! Eruptions here are not the sudden volcano blows its top eruptions of cartoons, however, so there is usually time to escape from a lava flow. Or reroute a plane.
Despite the rain, I set out to examine the Kilauea Caldera from a few different angles. It is smoking away from a vent on the caldera floor, which glows red at night. Back in the 19th century the Caldera floor was a pit of lava, which sometimes sprouted lava fountains. Writers at the time, including Mark Twain, often likened it to the pits of hell. Now the molten lava is estimated to be about two miles underground, and has made itself some lava tubes in order to transport itself into the sea, and build a new coastline for The Big Island. The Hawaiian state government owns any new land created by lava. This can really wreck someone’s investment in beachfront property, so I recommend investing in one of the older islands.
As I tooled around the park, I stopped off to stand in a steam vent. When rain water falls into the fissures in the ground the lava heats the water up, and it flies back out as hundred degree steam. It’s very relaxing, and I think they should build little steam huts over some of the vents, but nobody asked me. Soon a heavy fog set in over the caldera, obscuring my view, so I returned to my hotel for a rest and dinner before the evening hula show.
The evening concert at the Kilauea Military Camp Theater was quite enjoyable. It featured Stan Kaina, a native of Maui, singing falsetto and playing the ukulele (which Hawaiians say “oo-koo-lay-lay” not “you-koo-lay-lay”) (and it is a Hawaiian word, so they probably know) (just FYI), Dwight Tokomoto, a native of O’ahu, on steel guitar, and Al Kaula, also from O’ahu, on bass and back-up vocals. Then there were 11 dancers, 3 men and 8 women, all of whom appeared to be over 50, who danced the hula. I thought it was really cool to see older women dance the hula, since they are the elders, and probably the masters of the dance. I thought Stan was a scream, too. He talked a lot, and about every third thing he said was “of course.” His hair was this weird orange color that looked like the color people’s hair turns sometimes when they dye it and then go swimming in a chlorinated pool. Kind of “vivid rust.” He was a great musician, and seemed very kind. He told everyone that the ukulele, though a Portuguese instrument, has a Hawaiian name. He said that “uku” means “flea” in Hawaiian, and “lele” means “jumping around” so the name “ukulele” means “fleas jumping around.” It is called that because that is how people’s fingers look when they play – from his gestures he seemed to be indicating the fingers that finger the notes look like fleas, not the strumming fingers, although I think that either or both could make sense. All in all it was the perfect way to spend the summer solstice! They even did a song for Pele, called “Aia La ‘O Pele.”
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Hawaii Day Eight: June 20th, 2008
Today I had a wonderful time visiting the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. It is on the Old Mamalahoa Highway, a scenic road with lots of one lane bridges, about 8 miles north of Hilo. The garden also overlooks Onomea Bay, which is very beautiful. Part of the reason this garden was created was to preserve the beauty of Onomea Bay and its surroundings. I’ve included a few photos from the garden here, but I added a lot more to my Ofoto page (see link at side) if you want to see more. There are especially lots of photos of orchids, which I love. There would be more photos of orchids, but my camera ran out of battery power while I was photographing all the orchids.
I also had a really delicious smoothie at the What’s Shakin’ smoothie place just north of the Botanical Garden, also on the Mamalahoa Highway. I got the Lava Java shake – coffee, bananas, and chocolate, but they have all kinds of shakes. They also feed stray cats! I could just go live there … hmmm.
Anyway, short entry tonight because I’m getting ready to trundle off to Volcano National Park and visit Pele for the Summer Solstice. I may not be able to blog again for a few days, so Happy Solstice everyone! Enjoy the longest day of the year.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Hawaii Day 7: June 19th, 2008
What an adventure today was! I booked myself on a mule wagon trip into the Waipi’o Valley. It is a fantastic, scenic drive along Highway 19 from Hilo to Honoka’a, the jumping off point for trips to the remote Waipi’o Valley. It is not possible to drive a 2 wheel drive car down into this remote valley, since much of the road is about a 25% grade. Translation: the road is hecka steep (see photos of the road in my photo gallery – link should be at the side here – maybe I’ll put a few up on the blog itself eventually). I tried to sign myself up with the Na’alapa Stables to ride a horse through the valley, but they were booked solid. So I chose to take the mule wagon, although I really felt bad for the mules. The people at the Waipi’o Valley Ranch are very nice, though, and I’m sure they treat the mules well. More about them at www.waipiovalleywagontours.com. You don’t actually take the mule wagon down the steep road – they drive you down in a 4 x 4 van, and then you board the mule wagon and tool around the valley.
The Waipi’o Valley is known as the Valley of Hawaiian Kings, since it is both very secluded and very fertile, qualities that Hawaiian kings look for in a valley. In the early part of the 20th century, thousands of people lived there. Taro cultivation was very popular, and just about anything will grow well there, apparently, if it grows in Hawaii at all. Then, in 1946, a tsunami came and destroyed pretty much everything in the entire valley. Everyone abandoned it hastily, and no one came back for about 25 years. It has gradually been repopulated, but not nearly to the same level. At this time about 50 people live in the valley. There is no electric service, telephone service, cell phone reception, or water service in the valley. Current residents are rugged individualists, to say the least. It is a truly stunning place, though – I can see how the natural beauty would make you want to live there, despite the obstacles. My photos do not do it justice at all – it is full of absolutely wild beauty everywhere you turn.
There are also wild horses there. The horses were left by folks who fled the valley after the tsunami, and they gradually became wild. A mare and her 2 day old foal came to see us after the mule wagon ride, and the mare didn’t seem that wild. She let people pat her neck. She also stole some of the mules’ food, which made the mules whinny at her. They were being put back in their paddock, however, so could do nothing to prevent the theft.
After the wagon tour, which lasted about an hour, I had lunch in Honoka’a, at the Il Mondo Café, which was quite good. Then I set off to see Akaka Falls, which is a lovely waterfall about 13 miles outside of Hilo. Thirteen miles may not sound very far, but when you drive like a Hawaiian, or behind a Hawaiian, on a one-lane road, it can take a long time. I’ve found that folks here have a hard time going the minimum speed, which is posted prominently on major roadways, along with the maximum speed. It’s a little more laid back here, for sure. Anyway, Akaka falls is a lovely waterfall – a tall, thin one that falls an incredible distance. Its sister fall, Kahuna, is currently closed (well, the path to see it is closed, and it is not visible from anywhere you are currently allowed to walk), but Akaka itself is worth the trip. [Waterfall Note: The double waterfall in Waipi’o Valley is not running at the moment, due to the drought there, which has been going on for six months, according to the guide who took us on the mule wagon.]
On the way back to my rental house outside of Pahoa, I made a brief stop at Banyan Drive in downtown Hilo, and walked around Lili’uokalani Park. It’s a great place to stop and walk around. The park is right on the water, and it is landscaped rather like a large Japanese garden. There are lots of reflecting pools and graceful bridges. This was apparently the heart of the Japanese neighborhood in Hilo at one time. While walking around, I discovered a carved rock indicating that the island of Hawaii is a sister island of the island of Oshima in Japan. The mayor of Oshima had come to install the rock stating this, according to the inscription on the rock. I don’t know if the mayor of any part of the island of Hawaii ever did a similar favor for Oshima, or what other sisterly activities the two islands have undertaken. So I leave it to you, dear reader, to investigate this situation if you are curious.
Tomorrow I just may visit a Botanical Garden, so stop by and find out!
Hawaii Day 6: June 18th, 2008
Once again I passed the day mainly at my lovely rental house, relaxing, writing, and meditating. In the evening, I decided to investigate Kalani, on the web at www.kalani.com, the resort a friend of mine has told me so much about. It is about a 20 minute drive from where I am staying, down highway 130 towards the current lava flow, then around and up highway 137 a bit. There is a great sign on this road, where you can choose to go to The End of the Road, or follow highway 137 to Kalapana. Incidentally, Highway 130 didn’t used to end abruptly – it was consumed by lava when the current eruption began.
So I headed towards Kalapana to check out Kalani Oceanside Retreat. First, I had dinner on their lovely lanai. The grounds are fairly picturesque, and the dining area overlooks them, which makes for a pleasant place to enjoy a meal. The dinner, at $24 for a rather average buffet, was very overpriced, however. Lunch might be a better bet here, since it is probably similar, but only costs $15 for the buffet. It might have been more worth my money if I ate fish, since shrimp scampi was the main dish. Even then, the food was good, but more on the dining hall end of things, as opposed to the gourmet end. It’s a good way to get to observe the folks at Kalani, in any case. There appear to be quite a number of characters either in residence or passing through, so great people watching abounds!
After dinner I stopped by the café, which was sparsely populated, but playing great music. Then I decided to check out the Open Mic they were having in The Rainbow Room. This was quite an adventure! The performances consisted of a wide variety of talents. First a man played the ukulele. Then a French Canadian woman put on a very decent belly dance performance. Following her, two men did the Hawaiian Cowboy Hula (you can just imagine – it was better than that!). I think one of the men who performed the hula was Richard Koob, part owner/founder of Kalani, but I can’t guarantee this. The guys performing the dance said that this hula was performed by some Hawaiian cowboys, who participated in a rodeo in Wyoming. The cowboys won a number of awards, and performed it as a sort of victory hula. There really are cowboys, and a history of horse and cattle raising, on The Big Island. Whether any of those cowboys went to Wyoming and performed a hula dance is unverified by Yours Truly. After the hula performance, a woman read a poem by Hafiz, and had everybody hold the hand of the person next to them. After that came a trio of girls singing along to acoustic guitar. They also demonstrated about 15 different ways to wear a sarong. Then there was a very funny stand-up comedian, who told sarcastic, borderline inappropriate stories. He was followed by a guy who juggled very well. The juggler turned out to be the partner of the belly dancer, who also juggles, so they did partner juggling at the end of that segment. Then they (the juggler and the belly dancer/juggler) also did a salsa dance number for everyone. Talk about multi-talented! Finally, a girl taught us a few dance steps and a song about the moon, and everyone sang and danced for the full moon. At the end everybody held hands again. I felt all warm and fuzzy by then end of the evening!
So, my evaluation is that Kalani is a lovely spot full of lovely, if somewhat eccentric, people. And the full moon over the ocean was absolutely beautiful! Luckily no one was behind me on the road on the way back down 137, because I had to stop a few times to look at the moon.
So I headed towards Kalapana to check out Kalani Oceanside Retreat. First, I had dinner on their lovely lanai. The grounds are fairly picturesque, and the dining area overlooks them, which makes for a pleasant place to enjoy a meal. The dinner, at $24 for a rather average buffet, was very overpriced, however. Lunch might be a better bet here, since it is probably similar, but only costs $15 for the buffet. It might have been more worth my money if I ate fish, since shrimp scampi was the main dish. Even then, the food was good, but more on the dining hall end of things, as opposed to the gourmet end. It’s a good way to get to observe the folks at Kalani, in any case. There appear to be quite a number of characters either in residence or passing through, so great people watching abounds!
After dinner I stopped by the café, which was sparsely populated, but playing great music. Then I decided to check out the Open Mic they were having in The Rainbow Room. This was quite an adventure! The performances consisted of a wide variety of talents. First a man played the ukulele. Then a French Canadian woman put on a very decent belly dance performance. Following her, two men did the Hawaiian Cowboy Hula (you can just imagine – it was better than that!). I think one of the men who performed the hula was Richard Koob, part owner/founder of Kalani, but I can’t guarantee this. The guys performing the dance said that this hula was performed by some Hawaiian cowboys, who participated in a rodeo in Wyoming. The cowboys won a number of awards, and performed it as a sort of victory hula. There really are cowboys, and a history of horse and cattle raising, on The Big Island. Whether any of those cowboys went to Wyoming and performed a hula dance is unverified by Yours Truly. After the hula performance, a woman read a poem by Hafiz, and had everybody hold the hand of the person next to them. After that came a trio of girls singing along to acoustic guitar. They also demonstrated about 15 different ways to wear a sarong. Then there was a very funny stand-up comedian, who told sarcastic, borderline inappropriate stories. He was followed by a guy who juggled very well. The juggler turned out to be the partner of the belly dancer, who also juggles, so they did partner juggling at the end of that segment. Then they (the juggler and the belly dancer/juggler) also did a salsa dance number for everyone. Talk about multi-talented! Finally, a girl taught us a few dance steps and a song about the moon, and everyone sang and danced for the full moon. At the end everybody held hands again. I felt all warm and fuzzy by then end of the evening!
So, my evaluation is that Kalani is a lovely spot full of lovely, if somewhat eccentric, people. And the full moon over the ocean was absolutely beautiful! Luckily no one was behind me on the road on the way back down 137, because I had to stop a few times to look at the moon.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Hawaii Day Five: Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Today I once again spent the morning at the house, then headed up to Hilo after lunch for a 3 PM massage at the Big Island Academy of Massage. This is a massage school, and you can get a one hour massage for $35 from a student. You can also pay more and have a licensed massage therapist. I didn't really get offered a choice when I called, so I got a student by default. When I got there, it was very laid back. The premises are not fancy, but they are clean and comfortable. I arrived about 15 minutes early, since I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to find the place. The young woman, Beth, who was going to do my massage told me it would be a few minutes while she got the hot rocks ready (I added hot rocks to my massage treatment for an extra $10). I told her there was no rush, since I knew I was early.
Overall the massage was a very good experience. I like firm pressure, and Beth had just the right touch for this. The hot rocks were nice, although they weren’t used as extensively as I had hoped, so I’m not sure it was really worth the extra $10. When I got them before, the therapist rested them in spots on my back while she massaged other areas, and this had a very relaxing effect. Beth actually used them to do part of the massage on my back, for perhaps a total of 10 minutes. It was nice, but again, not what I had expected. She also disappeared for about 5 minutes in the middle of my massage, ostensibly to wash her hands. I thought that was odd. So, in total, I got about a 50 – 55 minute massage for $45, including hot rocks. I thought it was a good deal, and felt very relaxed afterwards. More about The Big Island Academy of Massage at www.hilomassage.com.
Incidentally, Beth, who told me she was born and raised on the Big Island, said that the guidebook I’m using is the best one. It is called The Big Island Revealed, and it is by Andrew Doughty. It’s updated frequently, and written by someone who lives in Hawai’i. Beth said she has the ones for Maui and Oahu. Their website is www.wizardpub.com/bigisland/bigisland.html.
Since I was in Hilo, I decided to take a yoga class at Yoga Centered. It’s just a few blocks from the Big Island Academy of Massage. I went to the all levels Vinyasa Flow class with instructor Molly. I really enjoyed the class. Molly encouraged people to go at their own pace, and she offered modifications for people who couldn’t handle the full poses (that’s me, sometimes). It was a fast paced class, and it is humid in Hilo on a June afternoon, so I was quickly sweating, and felt very much like I had done a lot of work by the end of class. There were a lot of people at the class – probably about 20, but it is a nice big studio, so I didn’t feel crowded at all. Drop in classes are $14, but if you pretend you just moved to Hilo, you can get 10 days for $10. They didn’t seem to check that you were actually a Hilo resident in order to give you this deal, as I found out from watching the guy behind me check in. So, if you plan to do a lot of yoga while visiting Hilo, that could be the deal for you! But you might get some bad karma from lying. I just paid the $14. Find out more about their classes and boutique shop at www.yogacentered.com.
Afterwards I decided to treat myself to my first dinner out in Hawaii! First, I investigated a restaurant called Pescatore, right near Yoga Centered in downtown Hilo, but the vegetarian options looked meager, and it was expensive. It is highly recommended in my guidebook, and it looked very nice, but it just wasn’t what I was in the mood for. It looks like it would be great if you like Italian style seafood. So, instead, I set off in search of a highly recommended Thai place called Sombat’s. It is on Highway 11 (also called Kanoelehua Ave. in Hilo), just south of the Kamehameha Ave intersection, next to Ken’s House of Pancakes. I mention this because it is not exactly easy to find, especially at night. It’s in a little shopping complex building. I want you to know how to find this place because it is a great little Thai place! It was full when I got there, on a Tuesday night at about 7 PM (always a good sign for a restaurant). I got a salad and coconut soup, and everything was very tasty. The service was attentive without being intrusive, as well. Portion sizes are large, and I had a lot of soup left over to take home with me. They have a good selection of vegetarian, meat, and fish entrees. If you are ever in the mood for Thai while in Hilo, check out Sombat’s! Their website is www.sombats.com.
Thus passed another beautiful day in Hawaii. On the schedule for tomorrow is a visit to Kalani, so stay tuned!
Overall the massage was a very good experience. I like firm pressure, and Beth had just the right touch for this. The hot rocks were nice, although they weren’t used as extensively as I had hoped, so I’m not sure it was really worth the extra $10. When I got them before, the therapist rested them in spots on my back while she massaged other areas, and this had a very relaxing effect. Beth actually used them to do part of the massage on my back, for perhaps a total of 10 minutes. It was nice, but again, not what I had expected. She also disappeared for about 5 minutes in the middle of my massage, ostensibly to wash her hands. I thought that was odd. So, in total, I got about a 50 – 55 minute massage for $45, including hot rocks. I thought it was a good deal, and felt very relaxed afterwards. More about The Big Island Academy of Massage at www.hilomassage.com.
Incidentally, Beth, who told me she was born and raised on the Big Island, said that the guidebook I’m using is the best one. It is called The Big Island Revealed, and it is by Andrew Doughty. It’s updated frequently, and written by someone who lives in Hawai’i. Beth said she has the ones for Maui and Oahu. Their website is www.wizardpub.com/bigisland/bigisland.html.
Since I was in Hilo, I decided to take a yoga class at Yoga Centered. It’s just a few blocks from the Big Island Academy of Massage. I went to the all levels Vinyasa Flow class with instructor Molly. I really enjoyed the class. Molly encouraged people to go at their own pace, and she offered modifications for people who couldn’t handle the full poses (that’s me, sometimes). It was a fast paced class, and it is humid in Hilo on a June afternoon, so I was quickly sweating, and felt very much like I had done a lot of work by the end of class. There were a lot of people at the class – probably about 20, but it is a nice big studio, so I didn’t feel crowded at all. Drop in classes are $14, but if you pretend you just moved to Hilo, you can get 10 days for $10. They didn’t seem to check that you were actually a Hilo resident in order to give you this deal, as I found out from watching the guy behind me check in. So, if you plan to do a lot of yoga while visiting Hilo, that could be the deal for you! But you might get some bad karma from lying. I just paid the $14. Find out more about their classes and boutique shop at www.yogacentered.com.
Afterwards I decided to treat myself to my first dinner out in Hawaii! First, I investigated a restaurant called Pescatore, right near Yoga Centered in downtown Hilo, but the vegetarian options looked meager, and it was expensive. It is highly recommended in my guidebook, and it looked very nice, but it just wasn’t what I was in the mood for. It looks like it would be great if you like Italian style seafood. So, instead, I set off in search of a highly recommended Thai place called Sombat’s. It is on Highway 11 (also called Kanoelehua Ave. in Hilo), just south of the Kamehameha Ave intersection, next to Ken’s House of Pancakes. I mention this because it is not exactly easy to find, especially at night. It’s in a little shopping complex building. I want you to know how to find this place because it is a great little Thai place! It was full when I got there, on a Tuesday night at about 7 PM (always a good sign for a restaurant). I got a salad and coconut soup, and everything was very tasty. The service was attentive without being intrusive, as well. Portion sizes are large, and I had a lot of soup left over to take home with me. They have a good selection of vegetarian, meat, and fish entrees. If you are ever in the mood for Thai while in Hilo, check out Sombat’s! Their website is www.sombats.com.
Thus passed another beautiful day in Hawaii. On the schedule for tomorrow is a visit to Kalani, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Hawaii Day Four: Monday, June 16th, 2008
Today I spent the morning at the house, writing and so on. In the afternoon I decided to go explore the coastal area near here. I started out driving across route 132. After passing a residential area, I entered this gorgeous tunnel of tall, stately trees. Pretty soon, on the left, I saw Lava Tree State Park (no, the tall trees weren’t lava trees!). I pulled in to check it out. Apparently a lava tree somehow forms when lava flows around a wet ohi’a tree. It leaves a tall lava tube. It looks sort of like weird, black, concrete ruins. The trees die as a result of being engulfed in hot lava, so just the tube is left. These were formed some time ago, so they are covered in plants. It’s a peaceful little place.
After about 20 minutes at lava tree state park, I continued on to the dirt road at the end of route 132, which leads to the easternmost tip of the island. Scientists use this place to set a baseline for clean air quality, since the air here is about as clean as it comes. It has traveled across the Pacific all by its lonely for days by the time it reaches this spot. I was thinking of visiting nearby Champagne Pond, where there are supposedly sea turtles, but just as I parked by the 4x4 road that leads down to the pond, I saw a truck full of men with a dog head down there, so I decided it was quite possibly not the ideal time to walk down there by myself.
I set off, back down the long dirt road, to look for the Kapoho Tide Pools. They proved to be elusive, though I may try again, since I think I’ve figured out where they are now. Finally, I settled on an early evening visit to Ahalanui State Park. This is a really unique spot, at least in my experience, where the volcano steam heats ocean water in a large pool next to the open ocean. I think the area has been somewhat enhanced by humans, and the result is a lovely warm ocean pool. It isn’t quite a steam bath – more like a very warm bathtub temperature. The temperature varies, as well, and even though I mainly stayed in one spot, I felt a variety of temperatures in the water. There were also tropical fish swimming around right by my feet! I was afraid I would step on one, so I tried to keep my feet on the bottom. There was a raccoon butterfly fish, among other fish. They zipped about, enjoying the warm water and some snacks (natural, not human donations) while people soaked near by. It was totally idyllic, and had a great view of the clouds getting a bit tinted as the sun went down. The view over the ocean here is east. so dawn is probably more spectacular, but it was very peaceful and tropical. The pool was not crowded at all.
Since it was almost dark, instead of heading down the coast as I had previously planned, I headed back up 137, across 132, and stopped in Pahoa town for a look around before heading back to my cozy cottage. I have not much to report about Pahoa, other than it is small. Perhaps I'll try a restaurant there before I leave. The natural foods store, where I stopped to get a box of tea, seemed nice. So, more on Pahoa as it is warranted!
Aloha.
After about 20 minutes at lava tree state park, I continued on to the dirt road at the end of route 132, which leads to the easternmost tip of the island. Scientists use this place to set a baseline for clean air quality, since the air here is about as clean as it comes. It has traveled across the Pacific all by its lonely for days by the time it reaches this spot. I was thinking of visiting nearby Champagne Pond, where there are supposedly sea turtles, but just as I parked by the 4x4 road that leads down to the pond, I saw a truck full of men with a dog head down there, so I decided it was quite possibly not the ideal time to walk down there by myself.
I set off, back down the long dirt road, to look for the Kapoho Tide Pools. They proved to be elusive, though I may try again, since I think I’ve figured out where they are now. Finally, I settled on an early evening visit to Ahalanui State Park. This is a really unique spot, at least in my experience, where the volcano steam heats ocean water in a large pool next to the open ocean. I think the area has been somewhat enhanced by humans, and the result is a lovely warm ocean pool. It isn’t quite a steam bath – more like a very warm bathtub temperature. The temperature varies, as well, and even though I mainly stayed in one spot, I felt a variety of temperatures in the water. There were also tropical fish swimming around right by my feet! I was afraid I would step on one, so I tried to keep my feet on the bottom. There was a raccoon butterfly fish, among other fish. They zipped about, enjoying the warm water and some snacks (natural, not human donations) while people soaked near by. It was totally idyllic, and had a great view of the clouds getting a bit tinted as the sun went down. The view over the ocean here is east. so dawn is probably more spectacular, but it was very peaceful and tropical. The pool was not crowded at all.
Since it was almost dark, instead of heading down the coast as I had previously planned, I headed back up 137, across 132, and stopped in Pahoa town for a look around before heading back to my cozy cottage. I have not much to report about Pahoa, other than it is small. Perhaps I'll try a restaurant there before I leave. The natural foods store, where I stopped to get a box of tea, seemed nice. So, more on Pahoa as it is warranted!
Aloha.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Hawaii Day Three: Sunday, June 15th, 2008
While researching the Hilo area before my departure, I discovered the Hilo Zen Circle [check them out at hilozencircle.org ], and they have a Sunday morning program, from 9 – 12. I found my way there this morning, arriving just before 9 AM. They meet in an unpainted wooden house in a residential neighborhood in Hilo. When I got there there were 8 or 9 other people present. We did a short bowing and chanting service, and then proceeded to sit for about 2 hours. There were periods of walking meditation every half hour or so. After meditation there was a potluck lunch. Even though I didn’t bring any snacks, they let me stay. Everyone was so friendly and kind! One woman gave me her own bus schedule so I could take the bus around town in if I wanted to, and another woman gave me her phone number, just in case I needed anything while I was visiting the Big Island. I also learned a lot about the history of Japanese Buddhism on the Big Island. It was great fun.
Then I set off to look for the Aloha Sunday celebration at the East Hawaiian Cultural Center. It was scheduled to run from 10 AM to 4 PM. I arrived around 2 PM and quickly found the center, but alas! It had finished early, due to low attendance. There is a lovely gallery at the center, however, so I looked at the current show, which had some great pieces. I really liked the prints by Evelyn Klein, who is apparently based in Carmel, California. If I had a spare $600, I would have certainly thrown it down for one of her prints! Maybe I’ll go find her studio when I’m rich. I also talked with the woman who was supervising the gallery, who told me a lot about how hard it is to find places for Hawaiian artists to perform or exhibit their work. If you ever come to the Big Island, you should definitely check out what is happening at the East Hawaiian Cultural Center. Their website is www.ehcc.org.
Finally, to cap the day off, I went lava viewing in the evening! Only about 9 miles from the house I am renting is a spot where lava is flowing into the ocean! When it is safe, there is a viewing area open. It is somewhat intimidating because the closer you get to the viewing area (and, thus, the flowing lava) the more you see signs that say “Danger! Continue at your own risk! blah blah blah …” I’ll put my photos of these signs up, as well, when I get a chance. For up to the minute information on the ongoing eruption, you can check out www.lavainfo.us. The final stage of the journey to watch the lava is a long walk (well, ¾ of a mile) over an old lava flow to the viewing location. It was totally worth it, though! I stayed and watched the lava flowing for almost an hour. It is bright red where it hits the ocean, and ever-changing. Sometimes big chunks of the cooled lava go plummeting into the ocean, sometimes the lava creates a “fire hose” and sprays energetically into the air. Other times showers of sparks fly 20 or 30 feet into the air. I just sat there thinking “This is how the earth was formed, at least partly! This is how this whole island got formed. A new island is forming right now, this way, to our south.” The new island is forming from a different flow deep in the ocean, to the south of the Big Island, in the very same way that all the other Hawaiian Islands formed. The only annoying thing was all the people taking flash photos of the lava from where we were, which was at least a mile away. Those will come out great, folks! Not.
Hawaii Day Two: Saturday, June 14th, 2008
Today’s adventure was visiting the Farmer’s Market in Hilo. Check out their website at www.hilofarmersmarket.com There was an abundance of locally grown produce, including lychees, three kinds of mango, at least two kinds of papaya, two kinds of banana, baby eggplant, pineapple, and more! I bought lots of fresh fruits and veggies to eat back at my house, which has a fully equipped kitchen. I also got a wonderful shoulder massage from a woman named Blanche who has a stall at the market. It was only $20 for 30 minutes, and she seemed surprised when I gave her a tip. She was great! If you are ever in Hilo on a Saturday I highly recommend getting a shoulder massage from Blanche.
I also walked around downtown Hilo a little bit. There were a few tourist shops, a book shop, food shops, and a natural foods grocery store. I saw a couple of street people, as well. They were walking around talking to themselves. Hilo is, in fact, the second biggest city in the state of Hawaii, second to Honolulu, of course. It doesn’t seem all that big, especially because all buildings are capped at two stories, but it is a sizeable city. The downtown is small, but there is a wide spread of residential neighborhoods and little strip malls.
After visiting Hilo I stopped at the Borders on the way out of town to pick up a guide book to the Big Island, and headed back to my little sanctuary to prepare a tasty spaghetti dinner.
I also walked around downtown Hilo a little bit. There were a few tourist shops, a book shop, food shops, and a natural foods grocery store. I saw a couple of street people, as well. They were walking around talking to themselves. Hilo is, in fact, the second biggest city in the state of Hawaii, second to Honolulu, of course. It doesn’t seem all that big, especially because all buildings are capped at two stories, but it is a sizeable city. The downtown is small, but there is a wide spread of residential neighborhoods and little strip malls.
After visiting Hilo I stopped at the Borders on the way out of town to pick up a guide book to the Big Island, and headed back to my little sanctuary to prepare a tasty spaghetti dinner.
Hawaii Day One: Friday, June 13th, 2008
Can you believe that Hawai’i is a state? I can’t! Every time I come here I feel like I should be in a foreign country, but I’m not. It is the greatest thing! It has all the benefits of a tropical paradise, except you don’t need a passport, you don’t have to convert money, and everybody speaks English. Of course, folks here also speak Hawaiian, which is a beautiful language – the source of words like Aloha (hello/goodbye – and a lot more that you’ll have to look up on your own) and Mahalo (thank you, basically). I found out yesterday that there is even a Hawaiian immersion school here on the Big Island! They teach almost exclusively in Hawaiian. So, Aloha from the 50th state everybody!
Upon arriving at the airport in Kona, on Friday, June 13th, I was greeted by hula dancers. They weren’t there for me personally, but to greet everyone. Knowing that luggage always takes awhile to come out of the plane, I sat and watched a few dances – this also helped me gear down into the island pace of life. The airport is completely open air – I guess it pretty much never rains on the Kona side of the island.
Then I got my bag, picked up my rental car, and immediately set out to violate the rental agreement by driving across what is known as the Saddle Road. It’s a relatively sketchy, partly dirt, sometimes one lane road that goes between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, two of the big volcanoes on the island. The scenery was stunning, and I really wished I had a driver with me so I could just look out the window at the verdant green vistas below me. Luckily, there weren’t many other cars on the road, so I could look around a lot on the straight stretches.
After about 3 hours I reached my rental home outside of Pahoa, 30 minutes south of Hilo. It is such a lovely place! I was completely delighted upon exploring it. I will post photos as soon as I can get a working card reader for my compact flash cards. There is a wrap-around lanai (patio), a beautiful living room/kitchen, and two adorable bedrooms. The house is on 2 acres of lush jungle. There are lots of tropical flowers, and the woman who takes care of the property left two beautiful bouquets to greet me. I spent the rest of the day settling in, and went to sleep early.
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