It smelled sulphur all around as soon as we landed in Kona Airport on the Big Hawaii Island. The giant volcano seems to be farting a lot while shitting lava through its ash-hole.
Don't understand why they have Interstate Highways in the Islands. There is no other state which connects Hawaii group of Islands by road, California the closest state of USA is just 3000 miles away.
A unique thing about Hawaii is the difference of rainfall on parts of the island. On the Windward side where the mountains faces sea, they get no less than 150 inches of rains in a year. Travel a handful of miles on the other side of the mountains called the Leeward side, they get hardly 15 inches of annual rainfall, apparent from the cactus like vegetations in those areas.
I went to a local Wal Mart in Kona, Big Island. To my surprise, I discovered there were no plastic (polythene) bags. Lack of plastic bags and littering, coupled with strict recycling is a small step towards keeping the Islands clean - a Giant step towards Environmental friendliness.
Unlike in the crowded, commercialized Honolulu and Oahu where we took guided tours, on the Big Island we hired a rental car to explore on our own. First stop was the Black sand beach where the sand was pitch black, so dark that even mosquitoes can't see it at night. The volcanic soil has given the beach its unique hue.
We drove through miles of undulating mountain roads, surrounded by long Banana plants waving their gargantuan elephantine leaves at us. Giant mango trees provided canopy on the serpentine roads as tall, lanky coconut trees bended their backs to welcome us. A la a giraffe
dropping its head, the coconut trees were wobbling and struggling to stay steady like a drunk sailor under the influence of cool oceanic breeze. We drive by scores of ripe mangoes strewn around on the roadside, never quite imagined such a sight on American soil.
The next stop was the Volcanic National Park. No sooner we got periliously close to it, than we could sense Volcanic activities with a huge mushroom cloud of dust visible on the eastern horizon, blocking the sun, spray painting the sky in gray. The white ash could be seen sprinking the road like snow fluries in the middle of summer.
Saw bewildered black chickens running haywire and crossing the road, hoping today as our lucky day to try some volcano roasted chicken. But our luck would run out soon as blazing lights of cop and park ranger cars detoured us by with a huge digital display - PARK CLOSED DUE TO VOLCANIC ACTIVITIES.
After taking the route prescribed by the authorities, we proceeded to Akaka Falls amidst foggy mountain tracks. It was raining at the precinct of the Fall, giving our car a natural car wash, wiping off the Volcanic dust from its surface.
Now it's time to say "Au Revoir" to this Island Paradise on earth. Don't know if I will ever have a chance to visit arguably the most Isolated, inhabited and enchanting place on earth. Such chance encounters in life reminds me of a passage from our epic BHAGVAT GEETA (Hindu sacred text) as I look at the vast Pacific - Two logs floating in the middle of Ocean collide with each other to get separated forever, never to meet again. Hawaii and I could be very well be those two logs.
Don't understand why they have Interstate Highways in the Islands. There is no other state which connects Hawaii group of Islands by road, California the closest state of USA is just 3000 miles away.
A unique thing about Hawaii is the difference of rainfall on parts of the island. On the Windward side where the mountains faces sea, they get no less than 150 inches of rains in a year. Travel a handful of miles on the other side of the mountains called the Leeward side, they get hardly 15 inches of annual rainfall, apparent from the cactus like vegetations in those areas.
I went to a local Wal Mart in Kona, Big Island. To my surprise, I discovered there were no plastic (polythene) bags. Lack of plastic bags and littering, coupled with strict recycling is a small step towards keeping the Islands clean - a Giant step towards Environmental friendliness.
Unlike in the crowded, commercialized Honolulu and Oahu where we took guided tours, on the Big Island we hired a rental car to explore on our own. First stop was the Black sand beach where the sand was pitch black, so dark that even mosquitoes can't see it at night. The volcanic soil has given the beach its unique hue.
We drove through miles of undulating mountain roads, surrounded by long Banana plants waving their gargantuan elephantine leaves at us. Giant mango trees provided canopy on the serpentine roads as tall, lanky coconut trees bended their backs to welcome us. A la a giraffe
dropping its head, the coconut trees were wobbling and struggling to stay steady like a drunk sailor under the influence of cool oceanic breeze. We drive by scores of ripe mangoes strewn around on the roadside, never quite imagined such a sight on American soil.
The next stop was the Volcanic National Park. No sooner we got periliously close to it, than we could sense Volcanic activities with a huge mushroom cloud of dust visible on the eastern horizon, blocking the sun, spray painting the sky in gray. The white ash could be seen sprinking the road like snow fluries in the middle of summer.
Saw bewildered black chickens running haywire and crossing the road, hoping today as our lucky day to try some volcano roasted chicken. But our luck would run out soon as blazing lights of cop and park ranger cars detoured us by with a huge digital display - PARK CLOSED DUE TO VOLCANIC ACTIVITIES.
After taking the route prescribed by the authorities, we proceeded to Akaka Falls amidst foggy mountain tracks. It was raining at the precinct of the Fall, giving our car a natural car wash, wiping off the Volcanic dust from its surface.
Now it's time to say "Au Revoir" to this Island Paradise on earth. Don't know if I will ever have a chance to visit arguably the most Isolated, inhabited and enchanting place on earth. Such chance encounters in life reminds me of a passage from our epic BHAGVAT GEETA (Hindu sacred text) as I look at the vast Pacific - Two logs floating in the middle of Ocean collide with each other to get separated forever, never to meet again. Hawaii and I could be very well be those two logs.
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