Friday, October 29, 2004
Hawaii, Part 2: Second day on the Big Island
Awoke early the morning of October 4th. It was one of those good news, bad news situations. Being awake early was good because it meant I would have more time for sightseeing, but the reason I was awake was due to a headache. My left eye was red, swollen and itchy for some reason. The really cool thing, though, was that unlike most days that I don't get any sleep, I didn't have any nausea from the gastroparesis. I believe this was due to the fresh papaya I had the night before. I was so encouraged that I ate either papaya or pineapple every day for the rest of my trip, and the nausea stayed away.
Since I had some time to kill before my scheduled helicopter tour of the island that afternoon, I took the camera and walked around the condo to get pictures of all the flowers around the complex. The plumeria blossoms look just as lovely as they smell, and the distinctive hyacinth, Hawaii's state flower, can be very photogenic. The wind from the day before had died down, so it was easy to get good shots.
After I'd made my way around the complex, I came back to the condo to see if Dan was ready to go. He was, and we still had another hour or so before our tour, so we went to the nearest beach to look around. Anaehoomalu Bay, or A Bay as the locals call it, is lovely....just enough trees and rocks to make the scenery interesting, and enough sand for castles and setting out a mat to lie upon in the sun. The waves were very gentle, perfect for wading and swimming. Because the beach is behind the Marriott hotel, it's not overly crowded in spite of it being open to the public (I guess people think the hotel owns it). We took pictures and wandered around until time to leave for our tour.
I had arranged a full two-hour helicopter ride to explore all of the Big Island by air. We were a total of seven people to a copter including the pilot and grouped according to weight to ensure safety. Dan and I were in the back, but the helicopter had lots of windows, so were were able to easily see out no matter where we were. We had headphones to shut out the noise, and the pilot's voice went over a PA system into the headphones so he wouldn't have to shout. Neither Dan nor I had been in a helicopter before....Dan found the quick dives, turns and extreme close-up views unsettling, but I was thrilled (I like roller coasters and things).
The first places we looked at were the massive mountains Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Mauna Kea was obscured by clouds as it often is, but we were able to get above Mauna Loa's clouds and see its summit. You can truly get an appreciation for the size of Mauna Loa, especially its width, when you see it from the air. It takes up much of the island.
I was surprised how quickly we reached Kilauea. I was also surprised to find out that it was so far inland, as most of the articles I'd seen about it showed lava flowing into the sea. The pilot told us that unlike Hollywood's portrayal of volcanos erupting from their summit, many eruptions occur in cracks along the mountains sides, far from the center. We did see a considerable amount of smoke coming from the crater that day, but the red lava floes were some distance away. The pilot knew just where to look and circled the most impressive areas a few times so that we all got a chance to see and take photos.
Some of the more interesting sites weren't just where eruptions had occurred, but where small groups of trees and homes had been spared....some were islands or narrow strips of color amongst huge seas of black rock. And the floes that had reached the sea in recent years were especially impressive, rough black cliffs against which the brilliant blue waves crashed. A few places have become black sand beaches, and unless there are new eruptions in those areas, more beaches will form over the coming years. The coastline was just breathtaking.
We stopped briefly in Hilo, the Big Island's largest city, to re-fuel. About 30 miles north of Kilauea, it is surprisingly lush and green, being near the rain forest portion of the island. This city would no doubt be even larger than its present day size had it not been for some tragic tsunamis claiming both life and land. These occurrences are rare, fortunately, so the city has had time to bounce back somewhat.
Part two of the helicopter excursion was scenic in a different way. We got to see the awesome north coastline stretching out toward the horizon. We also got spectacular aerial views of waterfalls that are generally inacessible on land. We went right up the lush green cliffs so close that I half expected the waterfalls to splash on us. We saw areas that were formerly sugar cane fields (the sugar cane industry is pretty much gone from Hawaii now) filled with alternative potential cash crops such as Austrailian eucalyptus trees. We got a good look at the Waipio valley, a relatively unspoiled area with very limited access for tourists. Everything was so very green that it seemed to belong to a different island altogether from the first half of the flight.
As we made our way to the northwest part of the island and headed back south, we flew over the Parker Ranch, home to a great deal of Hawaii's beef supply and the paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboys. It is by far the largest cattle ranch I have ever seen.
Before we knew it, we were going back down the Kohala coast and approaching the helipad. I was surprised how easily a helicopter lands, sitting right down in a small circle painted on the pavement. I was a bit stiff from sitting so long but didn't mind a bit. Dan I think was happy to have his feet on solid ground again as the ride had unnerved him.
After we returned to the condo, Dan decided he wanted to rest while I wanted to explore the sights north of Waikoloa. So after I had some lunch, I hopped in the Kermit-mobile and found a good oldies station on the radio. I found the Jeep Wrangler suprisingly easy to drive....good acceleration and tighter turns than I was expecting.
My first detour from the highway was to find Hapuna Beach, a popular place for both locals and tourists. The road there was great fun....lots of ups and downs and twists and turns, and only one lane wide in some places. The beach itself was very nice....large enough for sunbathers, and the waves were sufficient for boogie boarding without being dangerous. I took pix for awhile and listened to the people around me....someone answered their cell phone with "Aloha", and some people were talking to each other in what I believe was "pidgin", a hybrid slang borrowed from many languages. Also, I heard English spoken in many different accents.
As I headed further up the coast, the highway I was on split, and I accidentally made a wrong turn and ended up at Kawaihae Bay. I decided to take a look around as long as I was there. There was a small beach there, and it was actually grey sand...it looked exactly as though someone had mixed salt and pepper together. I found this so interesting that I decided to take some sand home with me, so I gathered up some and put it in a sandwich bag. As I was doing this, I saw part of the sand appear to move on its own! Turned out it was one of those small crabs like the ones I had seen at Napoopoo, except this one was speckled just like the beach it was on! I took a few photos and watched the locals fishing on the pier and playing basketball on a lot near the harbor.
When I got back on the highway, the sun was beginning to set. I found the side road to a beach I wanted to visit, but it had closed for the day. I pulled up to the gate next to a lady who had also pulled over to take pictures of the sunset. She and I chatted for a bit....she was from Homer, Alaska and was heading back the next day but wanted to enjoy one last Kohala sunset. I got some nice shots of the sun on the water and trees in silhouette.
I made one more stop, at a beach called Kapaa, where you can see Maui on a clear day as it is only 20 miles away from there. It had gotten too dark to see much, though. I stayed until the sun had completely set and then head back south to the condo.
I experienced quite a feeling of freedom, driving back down the coast, singing at the top of my lungs to "Revolution" by the Beatles. It just doesn't get much better than that.
Since I had some time to kill before my scheduled helicopter tour of the island that afternoon, I took the camera and walked around the condo to get pictures of all the flowers around the complex. The plumeria blossoms look just as lovely as they smell, and the distinctive hyacinth, Hawaii's state flower, can be very photogenic. The wind from the day before had died down, so it was easy to get good shots.
After I'd made my way around the complex, I came back to the condo to see if Dan was ready to go. He was, and we still had another hour or so before our tour, so we went to the nearest beach to look around. Anaehoomalu Bay, or A Bay as the locals call it, is lovely....just enough trees and rocks to make the scenery interesting, and enough sand for castles and setting out a mat to lie upon in the sun. The waves were very gentle, perfect for wading and swimming. Because the beach is behind the Marriott hotel, it's not overly crowded in spite of it being open to the public (I guess people think the hotel owns it). We took pictures and wandered around until time to leave for our tour.
I had arranged a full two-hour helicopter ride to explore all of the Big Island by air. We were a total of seven people to a copter including the pilot and grouped according to weight to ensure safety. Dan and I were in the back, but the helicopter had lots of windows, so were were able to easily see out no matter where we were. We had headphones to shut out the noise, and the pilot's voice went over a PA system into the headphones so he wouldn't have to shout. Neither Dan nor I had been in a helicopter before....Dan found the quick dives, turns and extreme close-up views unsettling, but I was thrilled (I like roller coasters and things).
The first places we looked at were the massive mountains Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Mauna Kea was obscured by clouds as it often is, but we were able to get above Mauna Loa's clouds and see its summit. You can truly get an appreciation for the size of Mauna Loa, especially its width, when you see it from the air. It takes up much of the island.
I was surprised how quickly we reached Kilauea. I was also surprised to find out that it was so far inland, as most of the articles I'd seen about it showed lava flowing into the sea. The pilot told us that unlike Hollywood's portrayal of volcanos erupting from their summit, many eruptions occur in cracks along the mountains sides, far from the center. We did see a considerable amount of smoke coming from the crater that day, but the red lava floes were some distance away. The pilot knew just where to look and circled the most impressive areas a few times so that we all got a chance to see and take photos.
Some of the more interesting sites weren't just where eruptions had occurred, but where small groups of trees and homes had been spared....some were islands or narrow strips of color amongst huge seas of black rock. And the floes that had reached the sea in recent years were especially impressive, rough black cliffs against which the brilliant blue waves crashed. A few places have become black sand beaches, and unless there are new eruptions in those areas, more beaches will form over the coming years. The coastline was just breathtaking.
We stopped briefly in Hilo, the Big Island's largest city, to re-fuel. About 30 miles north of Kilauea, it is surprisingly lush and green, being near the rain forest portion of the island. This city would no doubt be even larger than its present day size had it not been for some tragic tsunamis claiming both life and land. These occurrences are rare, fortunately, so the city has had time to bounce back somewhat.
Part two of the helicopter excursion was scenic in a different way. We got to see the awesome north coastline stretching out toward the horizon. We also got spectacular aerial views of waterfalls that are generally inacessible on land. We went right up the lush green cliffs so close that I half expected the waterfalls to splash on us. We saw areas that were formerly sugar cane fields (the sugar cane industry is pretty much gone from Hawaii now) filled with alternative potential cash crops such as Austrailian eucalyptus trees. We got a good look at the Waipio valley, a relatively unspoiled area with very limited access for tourists. Everything was so very green that it seemed to belong to a different island altogether from the first half of the flight.
As we made our way to the northwest part of the island and headed back south, we flew over the Parker Ranch, home to a great deal of Hawaii's beef supply and the paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboys. It is by far the largest cattle ranch I have ever seen.
Before we knew it, we were going back down the Kohala coast and approaching the helipad. I was surprised how easily a helicopter lands, sitting right down in a small circle painted on the pavement. I was a bit stiff from sitting so long but didn't mind a bit. Dan I think was happy to have his feet on solid ground again as the ride had unnerved him.
After we returned to the condo, Dan decided he wanted to rest while I wanted to explore the sights north of Waikoloa. So after I had some lunch, I hopped in the Kermit-mobile and found a good oldies station on the radio. I found the Jeep Wrangler suprisingly easy to drive....good acceleration and tighter turns than I was expecting.
My first detour from the highway was to find Hapuna Beach, a popular place for both locals and tourists. The road there was great fun....lots of ups and downs and twists and turns, and only one lane wide in some places. The beach itself was very nice....large enough for sunbathers, and the waves were sufficient for boogie boarding without being dangerous. I took pix for awhile and listened to the people around me....someone answered their cell phone with "Aloha", and some people were talking to each other in what I believe was "pidgin", a hybrid slang borrowed from many languages. Also, I heard English spoken in many different accents.
As I headed further up the coast, the highway I was on split, and I accidentally made a wrong turn and ended up at Kawaihae Bay. I decided to take a look around as long as I was there. There was a small beach there, and it was actually grey sand...it looked exactly as though someone had mixed salt and pepper together. I found this so interesting that I decided to take some sand home with me, so I gathered up some and put it in a sandwich bag. As I was doing this, I saw part of the sand appear to move on its own! Turned out it was one of those small crabs like the ones I had seen at Napoopoo, except this one was speckled just like the beach it was on! I took a few photos and watched the locals fishing on the pier and playing basketball on a lot near the harbor.
When I got back on the highway, the sun was beginning to set. I found the side road to a beach I wanted to visit, but it had closed for the day. I pulled up to the gate next to a lady who had also pulled over to take pictures of the sunset. She and I chatted for a bit....she was from Homer, Alaska and was heading back the next day but wanted to enjoy one last Kohala sunset. I got some nice shots of the sun on the water and trees in silhouette.
I made one more stop, at a beach called Kapaa, where you can see Maui on a clear day as it is only 20 miles away from there. It had gotten too dark to see much, though. I stayed until the sun had completely set and then head back south to the condo.
I experienced quite a feeling of freedom, driving back down the coast, singing at the top of my lungs to "Revolution" by the Beatles. It just doesn't get much better than that.
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