Frugal Bastard's Hawaii Trip 2007 - 25/5/07

This morning we needed to go to the supermarket. There were three shopping centres nearby on the map but I asked a delivery guy for directions and he showed me how to get to SackNSave. Drove around town a bit before finding it. The bill for three days groceries came to US$80 and that included US$13 of savings for picking up a makai'i card (type of loyalty card) which offered significant savings.

I tried to pay with travellers cheques and the checkout machine wouldn't input the cheque number. This created a wait for close to 15 minutes for the transaction to take place before receiving my receipt.

We had a large turkey and ham roll for lunch and it was nearly all meat. Can't believe what people will eat in this country. Miky wanted to stay in the hotel so Yu-Jin and I took the car to the volcano.

Weird banyan tree in Hilo


We visited the steam vents (very hot), the Jaggar Museum, a few craters (Yu-Jin almost lost his hat down one and had to crawl under a fence to retrieve it), Thurston Lava Tube and Kilauea Iki before driving another 20-25 miles down the coast to see the lava. From the car park it was about a four mile hike and we didn't have a torch or enough water so didn't attempt it.

Steam vents

Steam vents sign

Kilauea Caldera

The Steaming bluff (Akanikolea) at Kilauea Caldera looks like it's on fire

Earthquake reading from Hilo yesterday

Kilauea Caldera is desolate - the spot where Yu-Jin nearly lost his hat

Thurston Lava Tube - big, cool and wet

Kilauea Iki

Lava flow from in the 1970s - just missed my car

Active lava flow - this bit is dead though

Pahoehoe lava - very much like rope



Surreal lava


It was 8 o'clock before I got back to the visitor centre and I rang Miky to tell her that we would be late. Arrived home at 9pm after stopping at Taco Bell for some tacos, of all things.

As we left Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park we were greeted with a road block. The ranger asked me if I had been visiting the park and told me that they were checking for drink-drivers. Had I been drinking tonight? No. I even mentioned that, "I don't even drink," and the ranger said bewilderedly, "Don't even drink?"

Miky had cooked tuna as part of tea and it was delicious. Can't buy tuna like that back home.

Frugal Bastard's Hawaii Trip 2007 - 26/5/07

Drove into Hilo this morning and wandered around for an hour or so. Had a shave ice, they are advertised everywhere and I thought they must be a local delicacy, which was far too much sugary syrup for our liking, although the boy liked it. The farmers' markets were being held and we had a look at the somewhat poor quality produce for sale. Did a little bit more shopping at SackNSave.

Miky and Yu-Jin had a swim in the hotel pool while I cooked fish for lunch. We watched telly for a while then drove up to Volcanoes National Park together. Showed Miky the steam vents and the crater before heading down Craters Rim Drive. They both slept pretty much all the way.

The sign at the end of the road indicated a 4 mile hike due to take 4-6 hours in the daylight to get to the lava flow. When we arrived at walking marker no. 5 we asked everybody returning if they had seen the lava and how long did it take. Everyone had a different story - 4 1/2 hours, 2 hours there and 2 hours back, go to the 6th marker then walk 45 minutes. Other people said 2 1/2 hours past the 6th marker and hadn't seen anything. We had left the car park at 5pm and stopped at 10 to 7. Then two girls came and said that they had left the lava at 6:05, therefore, it was only 45 minutes away. We decided that I would go on alone and Miky and Yu-Jin would head back.

Impressive lava flow

Miles of lava

Warning Marker No.2


After 20 minutes of very quick walking I decided to turn back. Way in the distance. I had seen something orange but thought that it might be 1-1/2 hours away and wasn't worth the bother. Besides, it was getting quite dark and difficult to see. Time for the torch. Decided to turn back at 7:20. Thought that Miky would be cursing me anyway.

Caught up with them, after asking everyone that I came across if they had seen them, at 8:30. Miky had been really enjoying the serenity and solitude although Yu-Jin was a bit concerned. We arrived at the car park at 9pm. Having the wind at your back certainly made life easier but it seemed that the lava crumbled under your feet so much easier in the dark.

Temperature at sea level was about 73 degrees Fahrenheit after having been about 78 all day long and up at the visitors centre, at 4000 feet above sea level, it had dropped to 55. Arrived home about 10:10pm. My legs acted as though I was on uneven ground still. Had a hot bath to try to counteract the inevitable aches and pains. Dead tired.