For example, Thursday of this week found me awake by 6:30, out the door by 7. I filled the car up with gas, picked up a sandwhich at Safeway to tuck in my cooler with my waters, did a quick drive thru at Starbucks and was hittin' the road by 8. I drove two hours south, right around the tip of the Island and back up a little Hilo-side. I was in good spirits...the day was bright, cheerful,I had provisions and was prepared come what may, all around, things were good. I was Volcano-bound.
This is the first time I have been that far south on the Island, and I swear I am befuddled and awed at the difference in landscape, in climate. I've always known that Kona-side is considered the "dry side" of the Island, but every time I venture beyond the limits of my daily bubble, I am whapped in the face with why. Volcano National Park itself was much like Kona (hello, duh-Kona is an old lava-flow path) but the drive to get there was not:
The scenery, well, it speaks for itself. The whole day does, really.
The following pictures were all taken once I arrived at the Park, hiking on the trails to the lava face:
That's a Big Rock! Also, hooray for self-timers!
That's the lava face, with the crater at the horizon, right in the center. After I hiked the trails in the forest part, I hiked the lava face to the crater, where legend has it Pele lives. When I first emerged from the hiking trails, this is what I saw:
And I thought, how am I supposed to know where the trail is? I gazed around and spotted the answer to my question:
Of course! I had to follow the rock piles. And I did. For two and a half miles in, and two and a half miles out. It was beyond beautiful. My favorite part was, I didn't see a single solitary soul the entire time--it was just me. I took an offering to Pele, to show my appreciation and thank her for accepting me to this place.
Thank you, Pele.
