tat tvam asi

We took a long drive down to Volcano National Park where we started with a hike in Iki (=small) crater. Later in the visitor center I learned that we were walking on what was a lake of lava less then 100 years ago. I’m not sure the images can begin to capture the contrasts of the place. To my eyes so much of the landscape looked dark, yet the landscape is covered with fine-silica which reflect a bright shining light which dominates the pictures. It took a bit of post-processing to get the pictures to resonate with what I felt I saw.

The hike starts with a rain-forest-ish walk around and then down into the crater.

then the crater’s lunar surface appears

followed by a short walk into a lave-tube cave 

and then another drive took us down to the shoreline where vast black lava fields meet the pounding waves of the ocean … a collission of static and dynamic forces resulting in … life! in the distance you can see steam rising from where hot lava is currently flowing into the ocean.

It was fascinating to learn from the visitor center video that the Hawaiian island were (and are still being) formed by the same volcano. The under-water structure that is the Hawaiian islands is drifting east (away from the USA) ~10cm a year. The volcano is like the head of a 3D printer that is printing islands that are then drifting east … creating (ongoing!) the chain of islands.

A short flight brought us over to the Big Island. From the plane landing it became apparent that this is a very different island. First the powerful, raw, rough & rugged black lava that dominates. Then the large and full private jet parking lot at the airport!

We are staying at what is the most luxurious hotel I’ve ever been too (didn’t imagine I would ever spend time in one) on Hapuna Beach.

We took a beach walk to the neighboring Mauna Kea resort … and on the way passed a few deserted-looking (though actively maintained) villas of the rich and shameless (the jets at the airport are probably part of the kit when you build one of these villas):

… and arrived at the neighboring resort:

and on the way back …

Yesterday we started out with a surprising waterfall … small but alive and vital … and with the added playfulness of the people who were jumping into its pond and climbing out around it.

I found a quiet spot just before the waterfall to dip my feet in a gentle flow

Then we revisited another look-out (park and snap) waterfall this time with better light

On our way to drive up to the Waimea canyon road we stopped in the harbor once again … saw some kids learning to sail and another cruise ship (that today I saw out at sea again).

Stopped in a few lookouts with, again, poor lighthing / visibility down in the canyon) … still immense views:

Then we were surprised by this stream of green-ish looking water flowing the red-ish clay

We made it all the way to the end of the road again … and again found ourselves in a cloud that blocked ocean and cliff views

On the way down we a sunset found us on a coast, still on the west coast, which felt like a homeless neighborhood:

… and then what felt like a long drive home in the dark … felt tired throughout the day so today I took the day off to relax and prepare for our departure tomorrow to the Big Island.

After a first waterfall (poor light, no good pictures) we caught up with a group finishing a kayaking trip:

then a waterfall with decent light (not limited access … trails were closed)

then a beach … with end-of-the-day light

and we got back to the resort just in time for a sunset … mostly from the world-class golf course that sits between the resort and the ocean … which, according to the security guard who kindly asked us to leave, is not used much … so not making enough money … so the owners don’t allow people to just walk around … but we are welcome to rent a golf-cart and then freely roam the area … arrrrgh!

On the way we passed the harbor and saw a cruise-ship in it for the day … these things are HUGE …

And then drove all the way around the island to the last beach, just before the cliffs on the other side of the Na Pali Coast. A beautiful 12 mile stretch of beaches. I went into the ocean again … fantastic water. I also felt, beacause of the very active waves the powerful combination of forces … under-currents pulling at my legs to carry me into the ocean, while the surface water carries me back towards the beach.