I woke a few times in the night, when another vehicle arrived and when someone got up to use the facilities, and on neither occasion did I feel any earth tremors. I was disappointed!
I awoke with backache again although my thermarest didn't deflate as much as on previous occasions but then again I did remain fairly still throughout the night. The night was cooler than before and we had a slight shower too.
After packing up we made it out to the end of the road leading to the campsite and then spent several minutes photographing ohia lehua plants and the huge rifts in the land right by the campsite! There are lots of giant cracks in the lava, some that lead down several feet! I wouldn't want to be near there during an earthquake!
Our day of adventure began at the end of Chain of Craters road. We had decided to work our way up stopping at all the places of interest along the way.
At Holei Pali we had a great view across several lava fields and up the slopes of the cliff. The rain clouds had swept across the lava fields so we waited a while allowing the rain to disperse. Once that had passed I was able to get a great shot of the road cutting across the earlier lava flows from Kilauea volcano.
A short distance up the road we stopped at Alanui Kahiko where to our amazement we saw another stretch of road that had been engulfed by lava flows from a 1969 eruption from Kilauea volcano. Irrespective of how many times we had driven this stretch of road we hadn't seen this before and found it of particular interest. I made my way down to the former road and found that it too had a lay by with a kerb alongside it suggesting that prior to 1969 the road served as a tourist viewing spot just like the one that we had pulled into to gawp at this. It was amazing.
There were a couple more lookouts at Halona Kahakai and Muliwai a Pele that had wonderful viewpoints overlooking giant lava fields from flows from the 1970s.
At Mau Loa o Mauna Ulu we had views over yet more lava, a lava river channel where a huge volume of lava had drained away and our first distant view of Mauna Ulu, standing at 3,200 feet. There were more lava flows and pumice and ash falls to look at at Kipuka Kahali'i.
We spent the next 2 hours at the Mauna Ulu lava shield by hiking across pahoehoe lava flows from 1973 and 1974, past lava trees and beautiful ohia lehua trees, to climb the 300 feet summit of the Pu'u Huluhulu cinder cone. Although we had to pause for water during our ascent and to allow my dizziness to pass, the climb to the summit was well worth it. The view was spectacular. In the distance some steam was rising from Pu'u O'o Vent, where all of this lava is currently erupting from, and nearer to us was the Makaopuhi Crater which itself was letting off steam, all the way down to where we had walked across the lava flows. The crater had a dried up lava lake beside it. We were completely surrounded by old lava fields, some trees, lava tree molds and craters! It was a superb vista. Having made our way back to the car park I noticed there was a pair of nenes, the rare and protected Hawaiian goose, at the end of the old road which was cut off by another 1974 lava flow. We approached them silently and managed to get some good pictures of them. They weren't bothered by our presence and continued their hunt for food, all the time grunting to each other. It was a special moment.
We continued on our journey along Chain of Craters road stopping at all of the points of interest.
Pauahi Crater was a damn big crater with what looked like two former lava lakes that had simultaneously drained and hardened.
Ko'oko'olau Crater was an older crater that was surrounded by a forest. We couldn't see into it for the trees.
Puhimau Crater was the largest crater so far. It was enormous. It made me wonder what we were stood on for it just gave way to a very sheer cliff with a very sheer drop by 200 feet or so. I'm sure we were perched on an overhang! Ian spotted some steaming vents on the other side of the crater and then looked into the crater to see that the crater was steaming too! We made a semi hasty escape from the Puhimau Crater and went on to the Lua Manu Crater which was significantly smaller and easier to photograph. More lush ohia lehua trees surrounded it. The fourth crater concluded our tour of Chain of Craters road and we made an exit from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
In Volcano we had a late lunch just as the Lava Rock Cafe was about to close, then travelled back to Waiohinu to take residence in the Shirakawi Motel for the night.
Following a journal writing session Ian and I went into Naalehu for a lonely meal which was accompanied by a mute guitarist playing Eric Clapton songs. Naturally we didn't feel the need to tip. Well, we are atruggling to make ends meet!
Ian insisted on drinking three bottles of beer and persistently interrupting me as I tried to write my journal.
We had travelled 90 miles today around Hawaii.
Copyright 2003 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.