|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Dina Gan How to Find Lava and Happiness on the Big IslandLike the weather, travel can be unpredictable. When I hiked to the top of Mt. Fuji by night, I didn't know if I'd see the sunrise (I didn't) and when I snowmobiled out across a frozen lake in the Swedish arctic, I had no guarantee I'd see the aurora borealis (I did). So when I visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I could only hope to see lava. 
Well, I did. Sort of. The island of Hawaii is comprised of five volcanic mountains that together equal the size the state of Connecticut. One volcano is extinct, one is dormant, and the other three are considered active. Kilauea is the one that's been getting most of the attention lately because its Pu'u O'o vent has been producing a steady eruption since 1983. In fact, Kilauea has produced the most continuous eruption in history and experts predict it to go on for another century or more. So take your time heading out to Hawaii for a visit. The lava will be there. 
My husband and I went in January. As a somewhat
seasoned traveler, my motto is "Expect nothing, and
you always get more than you expect." My husband,
however, had no such reservations. He expected to see
fountains of lava erupting like blood from a corpse in
a slasher movie. He imagined hiking up a mountain and
promptly arriving at a volcanic lake gurgling with a
molten soup. I reminded him that if we did see such
sights, we wouldn't live to have the children who'd
give us the grandchildren to whom we could tell the
tale. Secretly, though, I really hoped we'd see some
red-hot lava.
Lava at First Sight After paying the entrance fee to the Hawaii Volcano National Park, we drove as far down to the coast as we could. That's where visitors can get up close to the lava. There is a way to hike to the actual Pu'u O'o vent, but why would you? It's dangerous. See for yourself at the Pu'u O'o webcam. And the reality is that the Kilauea flow, after exiting the vent, doesn't shoot up in the air like a trained dolphin, but oozes down into the mountain through lava tubes and tunnels, only to re-emerge somewhere at the coast. At least that's what it was doing the day we visited. I've seen the news footage of Kilauea doing a Mt. Saint Helen's, too. 
We parked at the end of the Chain of Craters road. The road used to go farther around the coastline, but in 2003, lava flowed across the road and covered it up for the next five miles. A few dozen yards away there's a viewing area where visitors can stand at the coast and watch steam rise from the lava flow from a safe distance of more than two miles. Most visitors stop here and call it a day. 
My husband and I were prepared to get closer. I'd
brought a brand new pair of hiking shoes, and we even
brought flashlights in case we felt like sticking
around till after dusk, like some guide books suggest,
to see the smoldering lava in better contrast against
the evening sky.
We set out across the lava field at 2 p.m. The landscape was like nothing I'd ever seen. A black sea of hard rock, the freshly solidified lava is a result of two main forms of lava flow. Pahoehoe ( "pah-ho-way-ho-way") is the name for the smooth-textured lava that either looks like twisted ropes of licorice or billowy folds of shiny, still-wet brownie batter. The other kind of lava is called a'a ("ah-ah") and it has a rough, sharp texture like shards of broken glass. Pahoehoe is far more photogenic, while walking on a'a was better at ripping up the treads of my soles. After two hours of carefully picking out a foot placement for each step and occasionally losing sight of the trail markers spaced apart every one-third mile, I decided that trying this in the dark might not be a great idea. By 4 p.m., we'd crossed 2.5 miles of uneven, unearthly terrain and finally got our first sight of true lava. About a quarter-mile inland from the shore, the park service had put up a rope fence around the section of coast where lava cooling off into the ocean was sending white puffs of smoke into the air. I followed the nearest plume of steam to its source. Then I saw the warm glow against the cliffs. 
"There it is!" I said to my husband. "That red spot.
It's lava. Can you see it?"
He stared in the direction I was pointing. "I see it,"
he nodded, as if I were pointing out a blue jay in our
backyard. "Very interesting."
There were no rangers in sight and this rope, along with our sense of judgment, was all that prevented us from walking as close to the active flow as we wanted. Of course, we'd read the lava safety pamphlet at the park visitors center. It warned of lava benches collapsing into the ocean and sudden splashes of steam burning the careless onlooker. So we stayed behind the ropes, except for a few seconds when we ducked under them and tiptoed a few yards closer to try to snap a better picture. 
Somewhere just over in the distance, lava was flowing. That day, the flow was quiet and unassuming, noticeable only because of the plumes of volcanic steam. In the past, this same flow had demolished trees, roads, homes, and towns on its journey to the ocean. It had also formed hundreds of acres of new land. I gazed at the glow like it was the smoldering tip of Pele's cigar and enjoyed the eerie feeling of bearing witness to the literal creation of earth. There were three points of lava entry into the sea that day but no way to tell whether the other two would be any more dramatic than this. "Do you think we're looking for lava in all the wrong places?" I asked my husband. He smirked in reply. Judging from the gentle steam plumes, it didn't look like there were erupting jets of lava in the distance. Three or four tourists walked past us along the rope fence, and we saw them return 20 minutes later, not looking more impressed. We decided to head back so we could get back to our car before sunset. 
The return trek was grueling. We faced due west, hampered by the glare of the setting sun reflecting off the shiny surface of the lava field. We'd run out of water and had finished our bag of pork rinds, which was, unwisely, the only food we'd brought. By 6 p.m., we arrived at the end of the Chain of Craters road again, tired and relieved. By that time, the evening shift of tourists was beginning to arrive, looking fresh and full of energy for a night hike. I looked at them with envy. And, as I always do when I've had a taste of a destination I wouldn't mind revisiting, I reassured myself, "Next time." Ain't No Mountain Higher Hawaii has another unpredictable sightseeing spectacle to attempt and that's Mauna Kea, the tallest volcano on the island. At 32,000 feet, it is in fact the tallest mountain on earth, when measured from its base on the ocean floor. However, its peak is only about 14,000 feet from sea level, a runt compared to Mt. Everest, so you have to wonder why all the world's best telescopes are planted on top of this Pacific peak. The long answer has something to do with the mountain's stability and an atmospheric inversion layer creating cloudless nights the better to see the galaxy with. And the short answer? Astrophysicists aren't stupid. As a place to work, there's no better than Hawaii. Mauna Kea is considered an active volcano, but because it hasn't erupted for while and probably won't any time soon, its attraction lies in visiting its peak, which, if you're lucky, will be covered in snow. The island boasts 10 of the world's 12 climatic zones, from arid to tropical rainy. With a visit to the summit of Mauna Kea, you can experience the polar zone. Go with a guide service like Hawaii Forest and Trail , which has a reputation for having the island's most knowledgeable tour guides. You'll get continuous narration and expert four-wheel driving in a comfortable van. Warm parkas and a meal stop are included. Then it's up the winding dirt road to the top of the mountain where you'll literally feel giddy from the altitude and, if the weather is willing, a snowy Hawaii sunset followed by a night of gazing at a sky studded with more stars than a tabloid weekly. Staying the Night Like all the other islands of Hawaii, the Big Island has great beach resorts. Most of them are concentrated on the west side of the island, where resorts line the coast. In Kailua-Kona, we stayed at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, which has a great stretch of beach. The beach at its sister resort, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is even better, although the hotel itself was undergoing renovations due to the October 2006 earthquake that shook this part of the island. It was winter when we visited so the ocean was rough and the weather was a bit chilly for sunbathing, but there's a scenic beach trail between the resorts along which you can whale-watch depending on the time of year. 
Further south, we stayed at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, which does not have a sand beach, but does make dramatic use of the natural lavascape to adorn the hotel grounds. Even at night, the lava cliffs are spotlit so you can see the tumult of ocean waves crashing upon them. The light draws plankton, which attracts manta raysÑand we caught sight of one from our lanai. The fitness center also has a sea view, and we spotted a school of dolphins as we jogged on the treadmills, a perk of nature that definitely made our morning workouts less painful.
The luxury portion of our trip was spent at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii on the Kohala coast. This grand property has spectacular mountain views and lush landscaping that accents the oceanfront location. A sheltered beach cove provides calm waters for swimming even in winter. Just ask the sea turtles that gather here. The Fairmont Orchid also has an exclusive Gold Floor, which is like a "hotel with a hotel" with its own check-in desk and concierge, plus complimentary coffee, continental breakfast, and hors d'oeuvres several times a day. I appreciated the free Internet access and that pampered feeling of staying on a floor accessible only to guests with a special card key. While the beaches are on the west coast, the volcano is a three-hour drive to the other side of the island, and you'll want to stay in Hilo or near the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park when you're exploring that side. We stayed at the only hotel inside the park, the Volcano House Hotel, and to its owners, I must say, "Shame on you!" We reserved a crater-view "deluxe" room, but our room was so run-down, damp, and mildew-odored that I have to wonder what the "regular" rooms were like. This historic property is the only one situated right on the edge of the Kilauea crater (not that it mattered to us, since it was so foggy and rainy we couldn't see anything through our "crater-view" window), but its prime location shouldn't mean that the hotel can lure unsuspecting tourists and overcharge them for less-than-basic accommodations. If you do stay for the novelty of sleeping at the crater, at least eat dinner elsewhere. The Volcano House restaurant serves mediocre meals too. A Mix of Plates To me, a visit to Hawaii means unfettered license to eat a plate lunch with a scoop or two of rice and macaroni salad on the side. While the resort areas are full of top-class restaurants with prices to match, we stuck to budget-friendly local joints like L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and Kona Mix Plate in Kailua-Kona. Trini's Mix Plate and Catering at the Kona International Market will tempt you with Filipino dishes like chicken adobo and menudo. If you're shopping at Costco (a must if you're a member and looking for unique snacks like wasabi macadamia nuts), stop by the Rainbow Café on Kauhola Street for the Chinese take on mix plate. Our one notable exception to eating off styrofoam was lunch at The Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong . Located within the Four Seasons resort, this golf club restaurant is an airy oasis where you can indulge in fresh Hawaii Regional Cuisine amid serene tropical dŽcor. I've been a fan of Alan Wong ever since I first tried his miniature foie gras "hamburger" in Honolulu years ago. Here at The Hualalai ("hwah-lah-lie"), I had the "shrimp moco," a seafood twist on Hawaii's classic "loco moco," which is a bed of rice, topped with a hamburger patty, topped with an egg and smothered in gravy. Served as surf or turf, it's pure happiness.
|
|
|
|
We would like to hear from you! If you have any comments or questions, please send an e-mail to: writeus@jademagazine.com or click here Write Us!
Reproduction of material from any jademagazine.com pages without written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. © 2007 Dina Gan. All rights reserved. DISCLAIMER |
