Hawaii '09 - Day 4

Day 4 - Hilo, Hawaii

The weather in Hilo was less than desirable when we arrived at 10 a.m. for our first day on the Big Island of Hawaii. A haze that hung over the town was later described to us as "Vog" , a fog caused by the gasses being released at the Kilauea Caldera from the Halema'uma'a Crater, the firepit where the goddess Pele makes her home. We were warned as we boarded our tour bus for a journey to Volcanoes National Park and the Caldera that the trade winds that normally keep the smoke away from Hilo were quiet, and that the air quality was very poor.

Lauren, our tour guide provided an interesting and informative narrative on Hawaii, its history, people and politics as we drove the 45 minutes into the Park. Our first stop was the Visitors center where we made several purchases to support the park operations, including a panoramic poster of Kilauea eruptions and a cd of Hawaiian music recorded inside the park with the Hawaiian Symphony . The center has a number of interesting exhibits on the geology and formation of the Hawaiian Islands. From there we headed to the Jagger Museum and the Kilauea Overlook, a vantage point which looks directly into the Kilauea Caldera and the Crater with its huge plume of gasses billowing out of the ground below. The heavy haze made photography difficult and the air quality was so bad that most visitors quickly sought refuge inside the museum, coughing and gasping. We stayed only long enough to observe the seismographs and their patient scribbling, and to look at the exhibits of hardened lava before returning to the bus and a retreat to better air.

A short drive took us to the Thurston Lava Tube, formed when rushing lava cooled around its own flowing core and left a perfectly formed tube 450 feet in length. The tube is a dark, cool, wet tunnel and was a nice respite from the choking air of the Caldera. Those who wished were let out of the bus to walk the 20-minute route through the tube and then picked up at the outlet to conclude our visit to Hilo with a stop at the Mauna Loa Macademia Nut factory. A sample of machademia nuts was given to us as we left the bus, and then it was inside for Chocolate Macademia Nut Ice Cream and a couple of souvenirs.

A good day in Hilo was followed by an entertaining early show with Carl Andrews, a magician/comedian who was very good with his sleight-of-hand and constant amusing patter. We then went to dinner, knowing that later on that evening we would be passing by Mount Kilauea. The Captain had promised to get us in close and we were not disappointed. We left dinner before dessert and hurried to Deck 20 with the camcorder and camera.

At 10 o'clock an announcement by the Captain heralded our approach to Mount Kilauea. We were told that the ship was within a quarter mile of the lava flow, and as we made our way to the upper decks, the spectacle that is Kilauea came into view ahead of us. What an amazing sight!. The red hot molten lava was flowing into the sea, the steam billowing high into the air and the night sky alight with a bright orange glow. We recorded the breathtaking scene on video and stills, and as the Captain slowly rotated the ship 360 degrees we raced to our balcony on Deck 6 to once again take in the beautiful sight.

A wonderful end to another great day in Paradise.

Tomorrow : Kona, Hawaii