Hilo Road Trip

We tend to save our road trip adventures for the weekend since Christopher is working during the week and since these adventures can be hours long. The island of Hawai'i is the largest in the chain of islands and it can take you 10+ hours to drive the highway(s) that encircle it, that does not include and site-seeing stopping time and it's mostly because the speed limit here is never more then 55 and in a good number of places it's only 45....things move much more slowly in Hawai'i.
This day (actually last Friday), once again, Makoto took the wheel of the demon (just in case we needed her for an off-road moment) and with Ira as our guide (he used to live in Hilo) the four of us headed out to see the Hilo side of the island.



We headed north passing through my favorite town of Waimea....I was going to write an entire post about Waimea but then I realized the photos I have cannot do the area any justice and no one is as excited about that place as I am....
Here are the couple of photos that I do have and you can read more about Waimea's rich history here.

This first photo was taken along the road to Waimea, showing snow topped Mauna Kea in the background and a old, volcanic cinder cone in the foreground.
This second photo was taken from the Waimea airport, showing the town nestled up at the base of the green, rolling hills.

I guess I fell in love with Waimea because of those rolling, green hills, open grasslands and the brilliant sunshine!...I have been to or through Waimea at least five times since we've been here and, even though it's green (signaling rain!) and those big clouds are always rolling over the top of the hills behind town, I have yet to see anything but sun there. All the locals tell me that's atypical, I'm not sure I believe them.....
I will say, the area is quite windy and the temps are a full 15 degrees cooler in Waimea then they are in Kona. This has prompted me to say that we will one day own a winter house in Kona and a summer house in Waimea....guess I gotta keep making those leis.....
Waimea is known as a cowboy town (really, check out the link to the town's history), Hawai'ian cowboys, ka’ aina o ka paniolo in the Hawai'ian language, are a plenty; there are a lot of ranches and big trucks but the place has an air of class to it...those wide open grasslands, the well planned and tended town center (with only two stop lights) and it's cultural diversity along with some great (we've heard) restaurants and a really fabulous wine store have given me the impression that it's a place I could live.
One really great attribute is the area is not overly built up...the Parker Ranch, at one time the largest private land holding in the United States, topping out at over 225,000 acres, is still the largest land holder in the area though not as large as it once was. Most of the open land you see in the photos is Parker Ranch land, full of cattle and horses and turkeys; I think that's how the turkeys arrived here in Kona, through Parker Ranch.
So enough about Waimea....







Our first stop of the day (besides Tex's for a malasada!) was in the town of Honomu (population about 600) where, on the very small main street we noticed a shop called "Same, Same, But Different"..no kidding...I wasn't able to get a photo of it but from what I could tell, they sold sari's. We also noticed this Japanese Buddist Hongwanji Temple with it's Palladian windows (there are a lot of little temples and churches all over this island), and directly across the street from the temple is this ENORMOUS! banyan tree. Actually there are two trees side by side and they are immense! Christopher used his photo splicing abilities to get the whole shot. Once you enlarge the photo, notice the car and the people to the left of the tree...like I said, immense!
A banyan tree has this method of sending roots back down to the ground from other parts of the tree, clinging to itself or whatever other plant form (or man made structure) is nearby, strangling the life out of it. Notice the "tree" to the left of Christopher in the third photo. That's a coconut palm that happened to be in the wrong place, it's completely engulfed in the banyan's roots. Awe-some!






A bit further on up the road from Honomu, on a walk through the rain forest on this wet side of the island (although, once again, this entire side of the island was brilliant sunshine; barely a cloud and certainly no rain), we wandered through some HUGE! bamaboo to see Akaka Falls with it's 420 ft drop. Makoto says this falls is minuscule compared to some on another part of the island....an adventure for another trip!






























On the way out of Akaka, Maktoto and Ira grabbed their machetes from the boot of the demon and took the time to cut some sugar cane for us to chomp on...
Sugar cane, although no longer an industry here like it once was, is still farmed on a smaller scale on this side of the island and, like you see in this photo, it will occasionally jump it's field and grow "wild" along the road.
The cane is as hard as bamboo and quite fibrous to chew on but it certainly is sweet (duh) and once you carve off the outer layers you can float the inner part of the stalks in your margaritas or screwdrivers where it will soak up a little of the liquid, making it a bit easier to chew on. Yum.


























We continued making our way around the island and eventually came into Hilo, the second largest city in the state of Hawai'i after Honolulu. It's a port town with the island's supplies arriving here first before being trucked to other areas...everything from new cars to food makes it's stop here. There was a pretty park along the ocean front and some interesting architecture on the main street that borders the park but we pushed through to points further down the coast.

If you look at the map above you'll see rt 130 that shows up as a little, yellow spur near the eastern most point of the island...out in that direction we came to Ahalanui, a county park with a thermally heated, spring and ocean fed pool. The brackish water was a maximum of 6ft deep with many, shallower places, about 95 degrees and has a man-made wall and inlet separating it from the ocean. But, with every crash of a wave, a rush of fresh ocean water would flood into the pool.
Since it was a Friday afternoon the pool was full of geris (old folks) and children (think pee!-ew.) and since there were signs saying the water is not disinfected (staph runs a bit rampant on the island) and that the fish and eels can be aggressive, we decided only to put our toes in. It took no time at all for a small school of fish to try and exfoliate our feet!
This little break from driving allowed time to drink some beer and eat the huli huli chicken we picked up along the side of the road! It's all about the food, right?!











BUT! the day wasn't done yet!
On the way into Ahalanui park we tried to take the little walking tour of the lava tree forest but the sign said it was closed for renovations until the end of March. The place was torn up and there were state workers in there doing whatever it is state workers do so we moved on to Ahalanui but, on the way back past the park it was 4:30 and state workers were done for the day.....
Not one to be deterred, Makoto decided (and we fully backed him) that we were going to jump the fence and take a tour anyway. Hawai'i belongs to the people, right?!

The first photo shows the the huge canopy of monkey pod trees at the entrance to the park (with the construction accoutrement strewn about) but around the corner and onto the newly torn up foot paths, we saw the lava trees. They're kinda eerie....blackened, entombed sentries scattered about a living, breathing, green jungle. They gave me the heebie-geebies.
What is a lava tree, you ask?
These lava trees formed in 1790 when fast moving, molten lava (11 ft deep!) hit living 'ohi'a trees. The wet trees cooled the lava that was encasing them at the same time burning the tree itself into ash.
The molten lava then drained away in gashes in the earth that were caused by an explosive eruption, the slightly cooler lava surrounding the trees had already started to harden and remained above ground....weird.

As we were jumping back over the fence that was supposed to keep us from entering in the first place, a pick up truck came onto the entry road with a charcoal grill tied down in the back of the truck bed....the grill was still spewing smoke.
As the husband jumped the fence to use the restrooms of the park, his wife took tongs and reached into a pot that was in the back of the truck and offered each of us a long marinated, smoked chicken thigh! Now that's Hawai'ian hospitality!
She said they had been at the state beach, cooking her delicious chicken (which, btw, she said she loves to do) and they tried offering it to anyone passing by. They didn't get any takers so they were on their way to another park to try and feed some of the homeless (read..HIPPIES! they're everywhere down here! tent dwelling, no bath taking, dreadlock wearing, patchouli smelling hippies!).
The chicken was delicious! and with our smokey, greasy fingers we gave her a hug and a mahalo and wished her aloha.



























BUT! we still weren't done!
We were off to see the steam vents; these were totally not what I expected. I thought there was going to be a rocky outcropping with holes into the earth and steam coming out. Now that I think of it, that's exactly what we saw but it wasn't quite as I pictured it.
We parked along a highway and hiked off into a jungley scrub land of ferns and orchids all the while ignoring the "Trespassers will go to jail" signs (meant more for the naked hippies then for us) and listening for the tow truck that was going to come take the demon should a passerby have alerted the property owner.
The steam vents (there were a number of them) were rocky outcroppings that allowed steam to escape from the earth below (imagine that). Makoto said they were sometimes filled naked hippies (actually the word "dong" was used more then once) steaming themselves into a state of higher being. We found no "dong" this day, probably because of the no trespassing signs and the expletives that were spray painted on the blacktop at the entrance to the overgrown path. What we did find we, well, were steam vents. Very cool (actually steamy hot) outcroppings of rock that, somewhere in the middle of them, had a chasm into the warmer depths of the earth. A couple of them had make shift benches to sit on. One of them was a slit just big enough for a human to slip through and it opened up to a "cave" of sorts that could accommodate a few people..we took Makoto and Ira's word at this...and the last one we visited was pretty deep and also contained a small cave with a bench. Christopher did crawl into this one while I took pictures...spelunking is not my thing, especially if there's heat involved.
The second photo shows a little steam around Christopher's head and the third photo shows him in the little cave....

We still were not done with our adventure! But, I will have to write the last part in another posting...stay tuned. All-in-all it was a very full day with 12 hours on the road but so worth it!

Waipi'o Valley

The only way to describe this place is gorgeous!
The two lane, state highway follows high up on the sea-cliff coastline and comes to a dead end at the place where I took this photo. There are a number of houses at the end of the highway, along both sides of the road and a visitor's "perch"/park at the very end. Valley visitors park along the highway,in front of the houses and take in the views from this lookout point. And..those adventurous enough and with the mandatory 4 wheel drive (all wheel drive does not count and there is a state employee there to check) can take the steep road to the bottom of the valley.. When I say steep, I mean steep!...a 25% grade which has you climb/descend 800 vertical feet in .6 miles...it's a titch scary. The 1 lane (+-ish) road is now paved and there are guard rails; not sure when these were installed but our guide(s) for the day said it was within recent memory. Cars going down must yield to cars going up..there are a couple of sections of the road that are wide enough for two cars to pass but only if you fold in your side mirrors.
The ride is not for the faint of heart.
If you arrive at the lookout point and do not have a 4 wheel drive, you can still go down...on foot. This also means you come back up...on foot. It's grueling and it's hot. Sometimes those driving up are nice (brave!) enough to stop and take on a passenger. Makoto once witnessed a poor guy throw-up from the strain of the ascent so he stopped and offered him a ride.....


There were six of us in total this day; we took two vehicles to the end of the highway lookout where we parked one of the vehicles and all piled into Makoto's demon for the decent. We were a little tight in the demon and Ira even volunteered to sit on the spare tire that's mounted on the back door of the demon...that's how steep it is! Then he tells us he's a little bit afraid of heights..such the brave gentleman (and I have a feeling that's the first time anyone has described him that way-heehee). Needless to say, I did not take any photos of the descent...I was in the demon, holding on; this photo was pilfered...
Other then the clinched teeth, there was no descent drama for this valley virgin (eh-hem). We were passed by a couple of vehicles on their ascent and of course there were the pedestrians that clung to the guard rails when any vehicle passed by.









Once at the bottom, a right turn on a heavily rutted and puddled road (another reason for the 4 wheel drive) will take you to an incredibly large and beautiful black sand beach that seems to be a mile long and is cut with a fresh water river that flows from the valley floor and into the ocean . If you enlarge the first photo, take note of the zig-zag trail that leads up the side of the cliff. This leads to two other valleys and eventually to Pololu Valley at the other end of this chain of valleys. That was the place where we abandoned an earlier hike due to rain and not having the right hiking shoes...remember that from an earlier post?
This photo of Christopher has him facing the ocean...that's the stormy, rainforest Waipi'o Valley at his back.
After fjording (I know that's not a real word but I like it) the river, as you see Miho and Christopher doing here, we had a leisurely stroll to the opposite end of the beach passing visitor-made cairns and gnarly rooted trees along the way.
The sheer size and immense beauty of the trees that were beach side can't be captured in pictures. They did remind me of something one may have seen in the movie Jurassic Park (although that movie was filmed on the island of Kauai).



































The valley is actually home to a few people and from what we heard, the children that live there have to hike out (and back in) each day to go to school....can't even imagine! I would guess the valley is entirely off the grid...no electricity, to public water or sewer...I could be wrong about that but I didn't see anything to the contrary. I read that the valley residents aren't the friendliest either. We didn't have any interaction with them as we drove past their homes and taro farms but I would think a daily trove of thrill seekers and their big vehicles might set the locals on edge a bit.

Also making their home here....wild horses which really are not all that "wild". They're always looking for a handout and, like baboons on a safari ride, they'll put their noses into your vehicle and pluck what they can in hopes of a free snack.
Of this group, all of the bays were mares including the foal and the very dark bay was the stallion.











So taro.....this is a food I didn't cover in the "What Do Hawaiians Eat?" part of the blog.

It's a plant grown mostly in flooded "paddies", as seen in this first photo, but there are "upland" varieties that are grown in Hawaii as well. The root is cooked and mashed into something that's the consistency of a paste, it's then topped with, what I term, a salmon salsa..although it's not always salmon and there's a Japanese word for it that I can't remember. We had it at Miho's parent's house and although good, it wasn't my favorite thing on the table.....

Now the leaves of the taro plant, that's what I like! At Miho's parent's house we were also served the leaves, cooked like spinach, with squid and coconut milk...Fab-U-Lus!
Back on the mainland, most of us know taro in the form of a chip...pretty fabulous too. What isn't good when fried?
















Our ultimate goal for the day was to drive and hike back into the valley, to the base of a very tall waterfall, but upon our first, distant view of said waterfall, we realized it was almost dry.
Never one to be dissuaded, our ever fearless guide took the demon further back into the valley anyway, on the narrow and rutted "roads" that crossed a multitude of streams. Some the "roads" were the actual stream bed itself! There were a few times Makoto was driving right up the middle of the stream bed before "signaling and merging" out of the stream and onto another rutted road. Totally fun! and basically how it works down there.
We ended up at a swimming hole where a rope swing hung from a tree....only Ira, god love him, took the plunge into the cold river. We cheered him on (and got eaten by mosquitoes).

The ride out was just as harrowing as the ride in but totally worth the experiences of the day.





oh..I forgot to tell you...on the way to the valley, in the little town of Honoka'a there is a road-side eatery that you MUST visit should you come here. It's called Tex Drive In, I thought for sure we were in for a Mexican food fest prior to hiking in the valley, for strength gathering purposes of course...
The menu had nothing to do with Mexican food...it was a nice lunch place that serves wraps, subs, burgers and the like BUT! the best menu item of all?
They make malasada!....a Portuguese donut without a hole, rolled in sugar and served HOT! and your choice of plain or with jam or cream fillings. Crispy Creme has nothing on them! Nothing.
Traditionally the malasada was made just prior to lent in order to use up the lard and sugar in the house (foods that are usually verboten during lent). Now they're available year round, gracias a dios!
And the VERY best thing about Tex? You have to pass it on the way to and from Waipi'o, doubling the pleasure for your palate!

The 'Ohi'a lehua Tree

The mythology behind this tree says that 'Ohi'a was a strapping young lad whom the volcano goddess Pele became enamored with.
Pele made herself known to 'Ohi'a and announced her affection but 'Ohi'a turned her down because he was helplessly in love with Lehua. In a fit of jealousy and anger, Pele turned 'Ohi'a into a gnarly tree.

When the other gods saw what Pele had done, they tried to reverse the spell but were unable to. They could see how broken-hearted Lehua was by the transformation so they took pity on her and turned her into the beautiful, red blossom on the same tree.
Even today, picking a Lehua blossom is discouraged as the skies are expected to fill with rain, representing the tears of separated young lovers.

Cirque du Soleil on Pualani Drive?!

Don't get too excited....more like Cirque du Termite.
This is what happens if you get termites in your home: a company comes by and tents the entire house then it blows a cypermethrin based poison into the tent and lets it sit over night. The next morning they come back and pick up their tent.
The company is in and out within 24 hours but who knows how long the muscle spasm and paralyzing chemicals float around in your house. They say the chemicals used don't accumulate in the blood stream of warm blooded animals but I certainly can't imagine moving right back in the house after the treatment occurs and god help the fancy aquarium you left in the living room.
I would have to get new furniture, mattresses and bedding....and carpeting and dishes......I guess it's best just to move.....

Random Photos For Your Pleasure......

In the northeast it's poison ivy; in the southeast it's kudzu and in Hawaii it's bougainvillea!















The Ka'upulehu lava flow c. 1800 from Hualalai volcano as seen from Mamalahoa Highway. The dark brown is the lava, the tan color is dried grasses (this is the arid side of the island) and the turquoise bay to the right is Kiholo Bay, home of calm lagoons, freshwater springs and oodles of turtles.





A view to the north, through Kohala. The coastline is miles beyond the trees on the left.











The cutest damned fence ever!












Proof that Bigfoot exists! (so not funny)













Keeping the cattle off the shore at South Point.

















Old South Point wind farm with the new stand of windmills in the far background.











¡Para nuestros amigos en Espana, la pitaca crece aqui tambien! Pero esta pitaca es más hermosa, lo siento.......

















Makole'a Black Sand Beach at sunset, with Makoto and Ira-not Jewish-(inside joke) and Makoto's off-roading demon. This is the only black sand beach on the Kona side of the island and it's only accessible by 4 wheel drive...over a very primitive, lava rock mogul path with the final push to the ocean over the lava field itself...no path, only little chunks of white coral to guide you......crazy..but gorgeous and deserted.














The Mauna Loa lava flow c. 1859 as seen from Mamalahoa Highway. This lava flowed 30 miles from the top of Mauna Loa to the ocean. I promise this is the last lava photo until we go to the still active Kilaeua volcano.









The welcoming committee at Kualakekua Bay.














The most fabulous roof top deck!