Big Island - 7-10 July 2005

Got up at 5 this morning as I was to leave for Hawaii. Prasad's email from London suggested that something was not right there. New York Times' on-line edition described it. No one in the supershuttle that took me to LAX had heard the news. The van had its radio tuned to an FM station and London was not mentioned even in passing. So.Cal. is truly the epitome of kupamandukism.

I was afraid the security would be much tighter at LAX and hence lines longer. I did not notice the later. Cuts on various items are clearly visible though. While new airlines are springing up in India tapping into the now richer middle class and still being competitive by providing meals etc., United doesn't even give a snack without charging. Today I got second place in the "Halfway to Hawaii" game (in which you guess at what time does the 'plane cross the halfway point - my guess was 37 seconds off). I got a paltry free 6-oz chocolate coupon. The first wasn't much better. Earlier they used to give a bottle of champaign.

Another episode of shallowness or somesuch. The 50-something woman sitting next to me was looking at United's in-flight magazine "Hemispheres" which stated that they would screen "Sahara" on Westbound flights and some other on Eastbound. She did not know which way we were flying. She asked her husband who was not sure either. An air hostess was summoned. It was clear SHE was not 100% sure. She said she thinks its westbound and that we will anyway know when the movie starts!

This time I have 80 hours on the Big Island, and I am thinking of something like "Around the Big Island in 80 hours". Since I stay in Weimia which is to the North, I anyway have to drive there from Kona.

Polulu

I also went to the Polulu valley lookout and hiked down a few hundred feet to the then surfy ocean. I like that point. Its not very crowded and is beautiful. With the green trees thickly surrounding you, it feels so ancient. You may be alone, but you never feel it. Add to it the pounding of the waves when you get to the bottom. Its interesting that the Hawaiian islands are the youngest real estate the Earth has to boast about. Yet, within that short time span (astronomically speaking), so much of bio stuff has happened. It is at least 2000 miles from anywhere. So the birds here are very different. Or, WERE different. They evolved differently, then man got here with his animals. What the cats did in New Zealand, the mongoose has achieved here - eliminating a large number of indigenous species.

Pot of Gold

Saw a beautiful complete rainbow (semicircle) as I passed from sunny to foggy to drizzly areas. One sort of takes it for granted that rainbows form at an infinite distance from you. There was a small hill not very close to me. Part of the rainbow which would "actually" have been behind the hill (and hence not visible) was in fact in front of it. I took a picture. Will be able to pass it around in a few days.

I observe tomorrow and so will be busy. On Sat plan to go to Waipio valley and then to Hilo to stay with a friend. Then on Sunday plan to visit - again - the world's friendliest and drive-in volcano thus completing the circuit. I hope to write about it too, but once I am back in Pasadena, suddenly arbitrary affairs of life (a.k.a. "work") seem to take hold of me and whisk me away from writing - something I wish to pursue more regularly.

8 July: On 8th of July did not go out as we got the instrument early and started setting it up. The sky was clear but seeing horrible. Did get a couple of redshifts (between 2.5 and 3). By the time calibs were done in the morning, it was 6 AM. Slept well past 1 PM. Checked the backup, and discovered to my horror that it was not done properly. I had planned to go to Waipio and then to Hilo to Watson's. Emergency measures were needed. Mark volunteered to mail the DVDs to me. I FTPed a few important files and got going around 4 PM!

Waipio

Drove upto Waipio, took in the wonderful view and walked down a quarter of the way. Due to paucity of time there was no way I could go down, wander around, and come back in time. That short hike is a good test of the knees and the heart. It descends 900 ft within 3/4ths of a mile. Thats a grade of well over 20%. When the grade is above 8% you typically put your vehicle into lower gear. Even seasoned 4WD drivers do not take this ride lightly. At one point just the Waipio valley used to supply food for the entire Island. But since the tsunami several years ago, people have moved out. There is no electricity down there and you always have to use the 4WD (or horses) to get up. But the hiking is awesome as is seen from the switchbacks (I have not done those).

Kalopa

I had a little more time than I had anticipated. So took a 3 mile detour to the Kalopa state park. Its among the Gulches. Perhaps due to the way the word sounds, I like gulches. Here there is a native forest. It was quiet where the map was posted. Due to the obvious rain I was a bit reluctant to get out of the car. However, when I did get out I noticed that it was not raining, and thats why I proceeded. It was only 6 PM. (The sunset was around 7:12 which I knew because the previous night I had started observing at 8 PM at the 12 degree twilight). The moment I entered the forest though, it seemed suddenly much darker. The density of the trees is what was causing it. Here big drops were falling down from the trees. It was just the accumulated water finally coming down owing to the wind. I proceeded with the trail guide I had picked up. The leaflet had notes about 20 odd points. But once I am in such a place it is difficult to follow the written word and I just wander around. Of course I had to stay on the trail. The aroma was fantastic and made me feel suddenly alive. Remembered the starting point of "Dandellion wine" (Ray Bradbury) that I started reading recently and could immediately relate to it. This is so different from when you are surrounded by people in cities - most of them are living a mechanical life not knowing where they are going. The trees don't know where they are going either, but they don't claim they do or that they know. ith high canopies and trees that were engulfed by lava and were stranded in history as pillars. It was a park full of tree frogs croaking. Not having heard the symphony elsewhere, we marvelled at them. Now they have spread and they are a big menace in Hilo and other places (These are Coqui from Puerto Rico, and not real tree frogs).] About 15 minutes into the trail the intensity of the droplets had increased as the wind had picked up and then it actually started raining. Having been bred on detective stories of Dhananjay and Chhotu, I was prepared. I took out my umbrella from the back pack, and kept on moving. The umbrella provided a good cover for the camera too. Soon the rain water started gathering into small puddles. But as I was wearing my hiking shoes, I did not have to worry about that either. Towards the end of t he trail was a "strangler Fig" which isn't actually a fig but an Indian Banyan which is not native. There are many Banyan trees on the island, especially in Hi lo, and sometimes they do strangle other trees like one had done here. But the strangled Ohia survives. There is another trail by the gulch. One day I will return to do it. I also saw another firangi bird there: a Khalij Pheasent. On my way back I started seeing things I thought I had not seen on my way up. Attributed that to opposite direction. Then saw a few things I did see and was relieved. But then when I did not see the way after having driven more than the stipulated miles, I was getting worried as it was dark by now. Finally asked a lady I saw walking. I was close to the highway thoough at a different point on it. It was good to be back in the civilized world. Despite what I said about being alive. Perhaps we prefer the dead life despite ourselves.

Paul et al.

Got to Watson's shortly after 8. Smitha had prepared a fantastic dinner (Sambar, Salmon and all that). We washed it down with Pinot Noir from Napa and Mango and Longon for dessert (a fruit that can be considered to be the younger brother of Lychee). Hawaii, and especially the rain-blessed Hilo is so conducive to green life that it often springs up at odd places. Found one creeper on a stop sign - an indication that time itself stops here?

Stopped time

Mauna Ulu

Set for the Volcano national Park around 11. I was really at a loss deciding where exactly to go. Have done the highlights already. Also, I had to get out of the park by 3 PM in case there are problems on the drive back (100 miles to the airport).
I had earlier debated if I should go to the national park again or go elsewhere. but since the best hiking is in the park, I decided to go there again. The question then was: shall I get a years pass that is good for the entire National Parks system (for 50 as against the one time 7) and decided for the former which we have been doing for the past two years. With many park trips coming up soon, getting the value for the money won't be a problem at all.