We know by experience that to get the most out of your day in Hawaii, you have to wake up early and head out for adventure. Today we are driving over to the wet side. We will circumnavigate the entire island by day’s end.
We drive up to Waimea for breakfast at Auntie Alice’s. Fish and eggs. Keep it simple. We know the food available at the volcano is not that great, so we take an ice chest full of snacks and water. The Hamakua Coast gives us a view on all sides: the blue Pacific on the left side, the blue sky above us, and the huge thatches of greenery dotted with red flowers on the right.
It is a two lane road and full of turns and curves – terrifying at night. The roads at night are dark, I mean black. Black lava, black road, no lights. No lights. This is to protect the views of the Mauna Kea Observatory. And then it begins raining. We are almost in Hilo.
We stop at a farm specializing in anthuriums and orchids, rent a golf cart and drive around looking at coffee trees, Norfolk pines, taro plants, and all the colorful tropical flowers. There are peacocks roaming the property. They go into a frenzy as we pass calling out in their nasal twang, “Help! Help!” I call back in imitation and now the whole flock chimes in, “Help! Help!”
Up at the caldera, we stop at the Volcano House to look out, use the facilities, and purchase some prints by Varez and an ipuheke at the Volcano Art Center. It is so truly amazing. In the twenty trips or so that we have taken over the years, I never get tired of making the journey to pay my respects to Pele. It’s part of our Easter tradition.
We drive around the Volcano National Park, take a walk through a Lava Tube, and head down to where the action is. The volcano is always erupting and you can usually see evidence of this right up close and personal. This time we were lucky. There was a giant hose of molten lava flowing out to sea from a cliff that was viewable by taking a short hike.
Stay on the Trail! Do Not Go Past This Point! There were warnings. If you went off the trail and stepped into a freshly scabbed stretch of the stuff, you could lose a foot. Still we ventured forth until we saw it. I have to say that it was probably the most fantastic thing I have ever seen.
A huge flow of lava dumped itself into the ocean. There was a lot of popping and hissing as the lava hit the water and then was transformed into very large steaming hot pumice stones which floated up to the surface and deposited themselves on the black sand beach below. We stood there silently in amazement. “Auwe! e Pele e…. ” I chant silently in my head.
The long drive back around is desolate. Scruffy patches of grass and a few spindly trees are trying to reclaim the wrath of Pele’s furor. There are no restrooms for miles and hours. We will be desperate by the time we reach Kona.
Back at the hotel, we dress for what will be a very nice casual dinner at the Tiare Room: Caesar Salad and Portuguese Sausage and Seafood Soup with big chunks of crusty bread. Enjoyed a drink at The Terrace Bar and collapsed into dreams of fire and brimstone, Persephone and Hades. Auwe! e Pele e.
(First published 4/9/12)
