After the work trade in Hawi, Zach and I tried to head south and look for places that Zach could work while we traveled. This was unsuccessful and we realized it after the second day. (The first day was our Captain Cook’s Monument day). We had trouble finding places to park the van, and were asked several times to move on. We went back to Kona where both of us caught up on work at Starbucks for the week. We also installed curtains in the van and mounted the solar panel. By the end of the week we really wanted to leave Kona so Zach and I headed South again, this time with a better plan.
We started by going straight to Ho’okena Beach Park where we had stopped once the previous week but didn’t have time to stay. This time we stayed for 2 nights. The snorkeling here is almost not worth it except for one major factor: dolphins. This was my favorite day in Hawaii so far. Zach and I headed out to see the Spinner Dolphins that hang out here every day. The dolphins were pretty far out, but we managed to get out there. It’s really hard to get near them because they move so fast. They really have to be where you are, not vice versa. It was so amazing! Both Zach and I had dolphins swimming near us. Some would come up to 6 feet away while others would swim 10 feet beneath or more. Some were jumping, and there were even babies to see. We left when we realized we’d swam into an area filled with tiny jellyfish lol. It was an awesome experience overall.
After Ho’okena, we headed to Ocean View (where I stayed at a bed and breakfast a few months back). We spent about half a day hanging out in town to use our 3G. Here I realized that I’m about ready to head home, so Zach and I planned the remainder of the trip. Zach will be here another 2 weeks and I’ll be here about 3 weeks.
That evening, we headed to Volcano National Park (known as ‘Volcano’ by the locals) and found a spectacular camp site in the park. I was surprised to find that a week’s pass to the park is only $10! We’ve had amazing weather so far and are having a great time! We’ve been leaving our tent up during the day while we take the van to other parts of the park. Yesterday, we traveled down Chain of Craters Road, where we saw immense spans of lava rock. The road stops where an old eruption covered the road with miles of lava. We had lunch at one of the lookouts and then headed up to the Mauna Ulu trail. We weren’t planning to stay, but Zach noticed a ranger who was talking about a hike and went to ask. She was taking a group on a free tour, so we joined in and learned a lot about the area and the current lava activity.
We went to the Kilauea Caldera for sunset (thanks for the suggestions Tad!). There were too many clouds to see sunset unfortunately, but in the center of the caldera there is a crater that glows red as the sun goes down. The picture above is just after dark. Very cool!
I’d really like to see a Nene (pronounced nay-nay) while I’m here. Nene are the Hawaiian state bird. They look kind of like the Canada Goose, but are smaller, with dark stripes on their white throats. They are shy, quiet and don’t spend much time flying or swimming. They walk around in lava fields eating vegetation as they go. I was so excited about the Nene that I told Zach I wanted to wake up to quacking in the morning. Yesterday morning, as I opened my eyes, Zach started to quack. This morning as I began to stir I heard a big honk followed by heavy wings. Obviously, I got what I asked for two mornings in a row! =P
Today, we headed straight to the Thurston Lava Tube. We beat the crowds, and really had a great time there. Outside the tube, the greenery is lush. The ferns and flowers are beautiful and we even saw a pheasant. The Lava Tube itself is magnificent. It’s so big; it’s amazing that lava could create something like that! There were roots hanging out of the ceiling too.
We’ll be here another day and then we’re going to South Point and back up to Kona for a little while. I’ll update again when I’m there.
I’ve started a flicker set so you can view many of my photos on the trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94612325@N00/sets/72157627311319450/.
P.S. Selling my van if anyone is interested!
