Day 12---Lava Walk

The gentleman pictured above is Bo Lozoff, who leads walks onto the Kalapana lava field. Bo does a great job and if you really want to see lava up close, this is the way to do it. (You can reach Bo at (808) 443 7247, which is a local call anywhere on the Big Island.) I feel like I can make that statement as I tried several methods while I was on the Big Island. We did the Hawai'i Volcanos National Park trip, we did the open door helicopter tour, there was the ill-advised lava boat tour and finally, the lava walk.

Bo demonstrated that you can actually get some lava onto the end of a stick, then knock it off the end and you will have a piece of rock molded around the stick, the shape to last as long as the rock remains whole. It is really hot to walk right up to the lava this way, but it was so slow moving, not particularly dangerous.

The Kalapana lava field in the East Riff area of the Kilauea volcano. It completely buried the village of Kalapana in the 1980s-90s.

This sort of lava is known as pahoehoe. I sent my daughter a copy of this photo to show to my 5-year-old granddaughter. this little girl thinks it would be great to grow up to be a vulcanologist....or one of Santa's elves. Anyway, my daughter shows her daughter the photo and says, "Look at the photo that Gramma Gramma sent us from Hawaii.

"Do you know what this is?"

My daughter waits for the expected reply of "lava" but instead, "It's pahoehoe."

Well, she is a budding vulcanologist.

This is Peggy's old VW van. Peggy lived here on the lava flow until late in January of this year, when her house burned down. This van was old and apparently not running any longer. It surely isn't running now!

I think it's sort of eerie how the lava entered the van and drooped over the steering wheel. As our guide, Bo, said, I bet no one on the manufacturing line at the Volkswagon factory ever thought that this van would end up buried in lava!

I love the sign.

We spent the rest of our last day doing a lot of snorkeling....and packing. I liked the snorkeling part a lot, the packing and straightening up the rental house part not so much. I truly hated to leave.
Here's a convict tang. I love how the stripe continues right through their eyes.

A parrot fish.

And this lovely lady is a Moorish Idol. Isn't she elegant?

I hate to say it, but this is the last post from Hawai'i. I had a positively wonderful holiday, from start to finish. I'd love to go again sometime.

Aloha and mahalo to the Big Island.

Hawai'i--Day 8 & 9

Spotted near Pahoa....mer-matron (obviously not the skins of mermaids....) skins left to dry in the late afternoon sun.

A view of our "snorkel pond" just out front of the little hale (house) here. It's an unusual photo because there is no one in the water snorkeling. There is almost always at least one or two snorkels going by---with good reason!

We went to the Sunday market in the little village of Pahoa. The little place we've rented is close to Pahoa. It was a very nice market and was larger than we expected.

There were wonderul offerings of fruit and vegetables, mostly organic.

And, of course, the very inexpensive fantastically beautiful orchids for sale. You've no idea how much these cheap orchids annoy me. I would like to buy them all. I would take them all home with me---and promptly kill them. (Not on purpose.)

Pahoa has the look of an old Western town. I love the buildings and how the boardwalk goes up and down a few steps between each of the store fronts.

This is the Pahoa Cash and Carry. It's one of those wonderful little stores you find in tiny towns. It has EVERYTHING. We spent a happy half our cruising the aisles and enjoying all the varied items for purchase.

This is a breadfruit tree. Isn't it beautiful? I think it is the most wonderful green.

This morning we drove to the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. It was just a short drive from Pahoa, but about 3500 feet higher in elevation.

There is lots of steam to be seen around the crater of Kilauea. There is a road that circles the crater rim but part of it is closed due to elevated levels of sulfur gas. We only went as far as the steam vents in one direction and to the lava tube in the other.

I found the juxtaposition of the moon-like crater with the beautiful native vegetation surprising.

These leis were left in the tree as offerings. To Pele? Note the steam rising out of the crater in the background. You could hear ominous rumblings and rocks falling in the distance. The whole thing made me very nervous.

this is the crater floor of Kilauea Iki (Little Kilauea, I think).

On our way home we stopped at the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens. It was chuck-a-block with the most gorgeous orchids in a rainbow of colors. Everywhere I looked was a bloom more fantastic than the last.
When we got back to our little house we immediately headed for the ponds to go snorkeling. It was a good afternoon for seeing lots and lots of fish.

Grant Creek Weekend

This has been a weekend of discovery for me. My new camera is amazing and takes photos I never dreamed I would be able to take. And it's so easy! Sometimes you get just the right tool for what you are attempting to do and just the right tool for your skill level, and that's what this new camera is for me---the perfect tool at the perfect time. And the weather cooperated, too. Friday afternoon there was the most amazing rainbow, the brightest double rainbow I have ever seen. I took many photographs of it and the light show lasted a very long time.I also spent quite a bit of time this weekend working on the current journal I have for the Sensual Journey round robin that Deb Denton is hosting. The journal I have now has the theme of "Intimations of Immortality," apparently taken from a poem by William Wordsworth. I am, sadly, unfamiliar with the poem but we have been asked to "explore your senses and share with me that thing (or things) which exist in this world which are truly magical to you." Naturally, I have gone for water, sea life---wet and wonderful things. There is, and has been and always will be, something truly magical for me about being in the water (or even near the water). I am never happier than when I am snorkeling. I love the feel of the water as it glides over my skin, the play of light refracted through the watery lens, the underwater life that abounds and, especially, the silence---where my own breathing and heart beat are loud and any other sounds are muffled. I always fully expect to catch a glimpse of a mermaid or some fantastic fish.

Nonie and I leave for Florida next Friday morning. Really early. We will spend Friday night near the airport in Fort Meyer and then transfer to North Captiva on Saturday, with a stop first at the grocery store where our order will (hopefully!) be "boat bagged" and ready for us to pick it up. We will take Island Girl to the island and will be settled in well by this time next week. I am so ready for this break! Two weeks making art, taking pictures, snorkeling, shelling and just generally turning beach bum sounds like heaven to me. I can't wait!