Hilo, Hawaii

Land Ho!  Terra Firma!  What a joy to walk in a straight line.

Michael and I both had escort duty on the same tour, different bus.  We were in Hilo two years ago, and it rained.  Today no rain, but no sun either.  Our tour took us to Akaka Falls, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory, and Nani Mau Gardens.

Hilo is located on the east side of the big Island of Hawaii and is the center of government and commerce for the island.  It is also a very rainy place with lush vegetation – 120” of rain per year, making it the rainiest place in Hawaii.  The west shore only receives about 40” per year, thus the resorts are on the Kona side of the island.  There are 132 islands in the Hawaii archipelago, but there are only eight named ones.  The Big Island is 4,000 square miles and is still growing, courtesy of Kilauea, the youngest of the five volcanoes that make up the Big Island.  Stay tuned to this blog for an exciting narrative about Kilauea.

Not far from Hilo is the Kilauea Volcanoes National Park.  Here you can visit the lava tubes and if lucky, see lava flows.  We didn’t go here on this trip.  Our last visit here was disappointing; we didn’t see Kilauea because of the heavy rain clouds and the VOG – that’s volcanic smoke.

Much of original downtown Hilo was washed away in a tsunami in 1960.  What has survived has been restored to its characteristic 1920’s and 1930’s rustic plantation style.  We drove by Banyan Park where 50 huge banyan trees with their aerial roots dangling from their limbs were planted some 60-70 years ago by visiting celebrities such as Babe Ruth and Amelia Earhart.  By the way, a collection of the dangling roots make up the trunk of the tree. 

There are no more sugar plantations, but you will see wild sugar cane plants in the countryside along the roads.  The last plantation closed in the 1990s due to competition from other countries where the labor was cheaper.  Today, Hawaii produces 60% of the world’s macadamia nuts, and is the only state in the nation that produces coffee, vanilla beans, and cocoa.  Fact:  the macadamia nut shell is the hardest nut shell known to man and Hershey owns Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory.

Everywhere we went, you could see how nature could overtake the entire populated areas.  Everything grows here except for Arctic and Saharan vegetation.  Ninety five percent of all vegetation has been imported, much of it from the sailors of yore who would use the tropical islands as a supply depot to repair their ships, the 1800s version of West Marine.  There were vines and ferns draped from utility lines strung over the street, some with bright flowers and berries. 

The houses all have either tin or metal roofs.  There are two main reasons for this:  it rains a lot and it is a cost effective material; and, it is used as a water collection device.  Most homes are not hooked up to a water supply company so they collect the rain water for irrigation, and cooking and cleaning (after a filtering and purification process).

I always seem to pick up obscure trivia and this is no different.  In the Hawaiian language, beef is called pe pe; appetizers are called pu pu.  Beef appetizers are called pe pe pu pu!  Oh, I crack myself up!

Our first stop was Akaka Falls, an impressive 420 feet high (by contrast Niagara Falls is only 200 feet by really, really wide).  OK, there is no comparison. J  We walked down several sets of stairs and walked about ¼ mile to see the falls.  Poor Michael wound up carrying a lady’s walker back up the many sets of stairs.  What a gentleman!  Yours truly navigated this walk splendidly.

We then took a guided tram ride at the Nuni Mau Gardens and saw some incredible plants and trees.  There was the cannonball tree, the sausage tree, the cocoa tree and many different flowering plants, palms, bamboo and stuff I had never heard of.  And, of course, the orchids, in all colors and sizes.

Our final stop was to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory.  Free Samples!  Both Michael and I received a gift bag of goodies from our guide – we have already broken into the can of nuts.  I think I’ll save the chocolate covered nuts for another day.

As we were leaving Hilo Bay, we were greeted with gray whales breaching all around the ship.  By the time I got the camera out and opened the veranda door, we had passed them.  Drat, no pictures. 

Here is the exciting narrative I was talking about earlier:  the Captain decided we would skirt the shore of the Big Island and cruise by the lava flow from Kilauea about 9 pm.  After a nice leisurely dinner with a lovely couple from Boise, we went on the pool deck to wait.  The evening air was mild and there was no wind.  The Captain finally comes on the PA and announces that we are abeam of Kilauea.   It is dark and the lights from the ship interfered with visibility, so up to the top most deck to get a good view.  Camera in hand, we spot something red.  The Captain nudged the ship closer to shore and as we closed in you could see a river of molten red lava flowing down to the sea and actually see the steam cloud as it hit the cold ocean water.  Plumes of red hot lava were shooting high up in the air.  We were so close you could almost roast marshmallows from the heat!  Click click went the camera shutter, trying to get a good shot of this thick, viscous goo.  In your wildest dream -- another dud, just like Vesuvius last year in Italy.  So disappointed; the weather did not cooperate and all I am left with is my imagination.