Day 5 - Blogabond

Our Silver Wedding Anniversary
It was a strange night and even earlier morning with no curtains at the window and no door either. Our loo and shower were peculiar again no curtains at the window and they were quite low. I sort of showered stooping over and got dried in the shower. I am sure no one could see me but I wasn’t taking that chance!
Back to our wedding anniversary. Abbie and Tam got up early to make us breakfast – juice, coffee, bacon and pancakes. Then it was off to the park- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that is.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

We went to a talk by the ranger, looked at the exhibits and watched the film to orientate ourselves before setting out to explore.
Our next stop was at Thurston lava tube – a lava tube that runs 27 miles down to the ocean.

Entrance to Thurston Lava Tube, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Only a little bit is accessible and you have to share with lots of other people so it was a very different experience to the one at Waimea. However it was still quite eerie with tree roots coming through the ceiling dripping water on us. There were also small ferns growing around the lights that lit our way over the bumpy ground. We didn’t see any but there are reported to be small insects that have adapted to living in this darkness. At the far end of the accessible tube you could see quite clearly how far the later flows came up the tunnel from the tide marks left up the walls.

Thurston Lava Tube, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

After the lava tube we headed down to Devastation Trail an area that had been covered with ash from the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption but is now starting to recover with some plants starting to get a hold.

Devastation Trail, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

It was getting quite dark now but we kept coming across Kalij pheasants. They were quite comical as they were desperately trying to jump up at bushes to get ohelo berries and missing by miles! I have no idea how they get up into the trees that they are supposed to roost in at night – step ladder maybe?
By that time night was creeping in as it does quite early in Hawaii so we had a quick piccie stop at Kilauea Iki

Abbie taking photos at Kilauea Iki, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

and then went on to Halemaumau overlook at the Jaggar museum. Unfortunately, even though it was our anniversary, Pele didn’t oblige and there was only a slight curl of fumes coming from the crater. It was still an awesome sight to think of the potential of the magma a liitle way beneath our feet. Then as the Sun finally lost all its power we headed back to the Turtle House for dinner and to open our cards – thank you anyone who sent us one.

written by

AnneC on August 13, 2009 from Hilo, United States

from the travel blog: summer 09

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