Memories of A Lost Land

Back in March I wrote about the Puna District on the Big Island of Hawai'i that I love so much. The last time we had been there was in January - and had I known that it literally would be the last time that I'd see it this way I probably would have taken way more photos than I actually did. But the memories of this now lost land are in my heart and it's where they will stay.

A big part of Puna has changed forever and is still changing every day. While it comes as no surprise that an active volcano would behave - well, actively - it is still heart breaking. Having your home being consumed by lava that creeps into your backyard is simply terrible. Even though the people had enough time to save a lot of their things, their homes are lost, and even those houses that remain standing may be unreachable because of the lava flow.

This beautiful road along the coast - Highway 137 - is cut off in several places, covered by lava. The lava flew down from Leilani Estates, crossed the highway and entered the ocean.

I fell in love with Puna during our first visit to the Big Island, and most of these pictures are from the summer of 2016.

It's a rugged coast, rough and black. No white sandy beaches are found here, only lava beaches, either rocky or with black sand. There's an abundance of palm trees and, since this is the rainy side of the island, rich and plentiful vegetation. It rains a lot here.

Along this coast there are (or should I say "were") bays and beaches where you could stop, just hang out, surf, talk to the locals or just sit in a chair and look out over the ocean. Often someone brought fruit for everyone to share.

Some of these places still exist since the lava didn't go everywhere, but it might be a challenge to reach these spots.

I'm pretty sure that this road no longer exists. It leads to Kapoho Bay - with wonderful tide pools and great snorkeling. The lava from fissure 8 has entered the ocean here and Kapoho Bay is no more.

While all of this is incredibly sad, it is also amazing and beautiful at the same time. Nature definitely never stops to fascinates, and it does what it wants. No way we can manage it. We can be smart and prepared, but in the end we can only react to what nature has in store for us - much of it as a result of our own destructive behavior. Remember the principle of the seventh generation I wrote about? It certainly doesn't apply to an active volcano, but it's still good to keep in mind.

This is what hot lava looks like (this is the lava flow in 2016) - you can see more pictures here:

I am forever grateful that I could experience Puna in January one more time. The avocado tree house is still standing, but it is difficult to get there. Highway 130 from Pāhoa to Kalapana has several cracks that are worrisome, but as far as I know you can still drive there (only if you're a resident though). At the moment an emergency road is bulldozed through the lava across Chain of Craters Road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (where I took the pictures of the lava above), but that would be a huge detour. Still, better than having no way out...

The Market in the Lava

Hawai'i is always on my mind, lovely memories of the beautiful islands in the Pacific Ocean. In particular I love the Big Island, and today I just want to continue with photos and tales from our vacation there back in August of last year.

I told you about Kalapana and its devastating relationship with Madame Pele. Once a thriving fishing village it was wiped out by lava from Kīlauea in 1990. However, a small part of Kalapana is still left, and it turns into a very colorful spot on Wednesday nights when people come to visit the popular Uncle's Wednesday Night Market.

You can buy all sorts of things here, from organic soap to jewelry to t-shirts to hand carved spears and boomerangs. It is fun to walk around and just watch people, a colorful palette of unique characters.

The main attraction, however, is the food. So much to see, smell and taste. An abundance of flavor for all the senses. Let me give you a few samples.

Kaefer and I tried the Huli Huli chicken which was delicious, and the Geek couldn't resist the Paniolo steak with a spiced Kona coffee rub. The Huli Huli chicken with its sweet ginger soy was a hit and the Paniolo steak was delicious as well. We also tried the Banana Lumpia and some wonderful tropic lemonade.

When we left the almost full moon was in the clouds, illuminating the sky over the ocean. It was a gorgeous and a bit unreal scenery, very fitting for the location.

When Pele Is Angry (The Volcano Part 5)

Compared to other volcanoes that like to explode and send clouds of ash and pumice into air, killing everything in its path, Kīlauea is a rather mild-mannered volcano. It mostly drools and dribbles, however on a grand scale. Whereas everywhere else on the planet people usually dread active volcanoes, in Hawai'i people drop whatever they are doing and drive out to see it (you should check out this site if you want to see the newest exciting development at the volcano). Just like so much in Hawai'i, even the volcano is laid back.

However, that doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. Lava destroys, and Kīlauea is no exception. Just ask the people of Kalapana, a historic fishing village and residential area that was wiped out by volcano goddess Pele's anger in 1990. No lives were lost, but 182 homes were swallowed by lava.

From Kalapana you have the best view of the lava coming down the slope and entering the ocean. It is not always accessible, but we were very lucky that it was no problem to get to the ocean entry and the lava flow when we were there. However, these once-in-a-lifetime views come at a price - a long hard hike. You can't just drive up to the lava, park your car and approach the flow. No, it involves a 8.5 mile roundtrip hike on a gravel road through the devastating landscape of lava. Believe me, it wasn't exactly fun.

In the parking lot at the end of Highway 130 you can rent bikes for $10.00 per hour, and many people did that. I don't think that riding a bike on gravel is easy, but it's still a bit faster than hiking through this moonscape.

There were warning signs at the start of the hike. Please note that you are not allowed to roast marshmallows on lava (would someone actually do that???).

And here we are, hiking along the gravel road. This used to be a real road before Pele consumed it. Along this road and up the slope there used to be homes. It is still all private property, and some people have come back and built some sheds on the lava or live in their camper van on their property. When you hike out to the lava you are asked to stay on the road and respect the property of the people who used to live there.

You can see that the landscape we were hiking through isn't exactly exciting or diverse. Far from it.

When you look up the slope you can see little red spots in the approaching darkness (yes, we started hiking out by 6:00 in the evening). That is lava flowing down from Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent, the origin of the current eruption (the current eruption started on January 3, 1983). You can also see the fumes creeping up the hill, but we couldn't smell them which, of course, was good and the wind was in our favor.

The first part of the road is on county ground, but then Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park takes over and everything is a bit laxer. The hiking becomes harder, too.

But slowly excitement was taking over. The glowing clouds over the ocean appeared in the distance, announcing the location where the lava enters the ocean. It caused a new spring in our step. We knew we weren't too far anymore.

Suddenly the road is at its end, covered by lava. First we turned left, towards the ocean, and climbed over lava boulders and rocks toward the cliff's edge. This is what we saw:

It leaves one speechless. This is so dramatic, so full of power. We witnessed how land was created - with a lot of steam, fume and sizzle. The powers of nature at work - it was unforgettable.

Fire and water met and they did it with a lot of show - the best show you can imagine. As far as I know this is the only place on our planet where you can witness this drama, performed by Pele. You don't mess with her!

This was the tiny little fence separating people from the heat and fragile ground of lava and new land. A piece of wire tightened between some poles - a good fence? A joke? Still a fence, and therefore shared with Theresa's Good Fences.

By the way, there was no fence at the edge of the cliff. I told you, everything was rather lax here. Wait until we get to the other side of the road.

The other side is uphill. This is where the lava flows down the slope, coming from P'u 'Ō'ō.

We were standing a mere 5-6 feet away from this piping hot lava flow - 5-6 feet (for everybody familiar with the metric system, this is less than two meters)! No fence (not even a joke one), no barrier. If you felt like it you could walk right into it. It would be your last walk, though.

I told you it was lax. And laid back.

The lava flow changes constantly. It doesn't flow particularly fast, but not really slow either. It certainly doesn't flow quietly - it sizzles, whispers and pops. The heat is intense. I was sweating and my face was glowing similar to the lava (okay, not quite).

The shapes and forms lava is building are incredibly beautiful.

For me this was the highlight of our vacation in Hawai'i. I still think of it often and feel the same excitement I felt back then when I was standing so close to earth's hot liquid. As a human being you feel very small next to this nature show. You know that you can't do anything to change the flow of lava or stop it or redirect it. It does its "own thing". Beauty and destruction are often very close to each other.

Here you can see how close Käfer and I were standing to the lava. This was the experience of a lifetime and well worth the long exhausting hike. My feet were hurting like crazy when we finally reached the parking lot again but such sweet pain!