Now I Know that Man is Nothing
We thought we had signed up for an 8 hour tour. Nope - it was 14 hours. This Monday, April 14, 2013 is one of those profound experiences I will never forget. After picking up the last of the couples, we headed south, passing through the coffee plantations. I learned more about coffee and why Kona coffee is so good, than I will ever need.
Our first stop was a Bakery. Normally Hawaii isn't known for its baked goods. Wrong - we have found the two best bakeries in the world - one on Kauai and this one in the town of Na'alehu. We got some apple stuffed things that were to die for, so we bought more and carried them with us for the rest of the day.
We ate is a little gazebo The weather was sunny, clear and very nice.
We had a few more minutes, so we walked around taking pictures, 'cause that's what we do.
These Afrikan Tulips are high up on a tree. Kayleen's lens couldn't get the blooms, so guess what, I'm elected. They are certainly majestic.
Here we see some of the southern most bays in the United States. The picture is a little fuzzy since it was taken in a moving vehicle/
From here, the topography changed. The influence of the recent (100,000 year or so) of volcanic activity was evident. the mountain peaks and valleys assume the shape of cinder cones and lava flow.
In the distance we could see the smoke or steam coming out of the vents. The air is a little sulphuric,
but not as bad as the day before driving through Kona. Those with allergies to VOG or VEG started to become affected by the atmosphere.
The terrain in many places is rough and sparsely vegetated.
After lunch in a very peaceful campground, we rive into the museum.
The first thing we see is the summit crater. From time to time (not for a few years though) this may partially fill with lava. When lava is not in evidence, the fumes, or VEG, vent through this hole, relieving some pressure so that the lava can flow out of the fissures and tubes instead of exploding out.
There are other rings around the edges as evidence of other, additional seismic and volcanic activity.
The VEG comes out constantly, sometimes in trickles, sometimes in plumes, but it is always present
We drive a few miles away to the edge of a nearby cinder cone. from here, we still see the VEG from the summit vent. Down below we see the crater of one of the ancillary flows from this volcano.
Because there has been no recent activity, and no indicators of imminent activity, people are allowed to hike down into this crater and walk across the floor. It is about a 2-4 hour walk, and we have other things to do, "miles to go before we sleep" so to speak.
We do walk about 1/2 mile around the rim to a lava tube. Kayleen's camera is dead at this point, so I make sure I get the bird for her.
This is Nohe (No-Hay). She is an amazing and passionate guide. We could feel her passion for the history of Hawaii, the respect and reverence for the Hawaiian culture, along with a passion for the quest for knowledge and truth. Every moment of the day, she spent teaching us about something, mostly by word, and also by example.
The lava tube is not very long, but it is contained. We hike down about 150 feet into a small crater or fissure to enter the tube. We actually exit the tube through a stairway in one of the vents.
We will pick up the remainder of the day on the next post. The day was overwhelming and Awesome (in the true meaning of the word) seeing the power and destructive forces of this planet. I know that I will never look at the creative process the same. So much needs to be understood before se seek to create new or different life. The consequences of transplanting life from one environment into another need to be understood, and all that stuff.
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