Lee was dismayed to hear the first coqui frog ever at Lee’s little cabin. An invader from Puerto Rico, the coqui is a problem for those who are fed up with hearing him tirelessly whistle his mating question “co-KEE?” all night. She is hoping he doesn’t attract any of his colleagues to our bit of paradise.
Yesterday we swam in the ocean. We went out 200 feet from shore in a small cove created by man-made surf break. The ocean bottom was covered with rounded boulders and sand, and even in the cove, we could feel a bit of undertow. Beyond the cove, surfers were riding waves about six feet tall. The ocean temperature is about the same as the air, 70 degrees. This beach is intriguing because hot and cold springs surface under the ocean bottom. While one hand might be in water that’s 100 degrees, the other can be at 60 degrees.
We stopped at a market by highway 130 outside Pahoa. Lots of Hawai’ian clothing for sale. A banner over one table announced “The Lawyer is In. 20 minutes for $20”. However, the lawyer was out. We could also have tarot cards or palms read for a dollar or less. We ate scrumptious salmon and artichoke crepes at a picnic table under a tarp while listening to Hawai’ian music very capably played by a native guitarist and a haole flutist. Haole (howlie) is a derogatory term for white folks, one of over 1,000 invasive species that have changed the character of these islands. A large and lovely smiling Hawai'ian woman in a straw hat and shell necklace danced a graceful hula dance.
At MacKenzie Park, we saw turquoise surf crashing against the black cliffs.
On to Lava Tree State Monument. This magical rainforest draws the eyes up and the mouth open. 'Ohi'a lehua trees and ferns towered above us, but plenty of sunlight was able to filter through the leaves and cast a glow on the forest floor. In 1790, lava flowed through the forest, covering the tree trunks to 12 feet deep. Moisture in the trees cooled the lava, creating hardened shells. Fissures opened in the ground and the lava drained into the fissures. The lava-covered tree trunks remain, creating spooky tree ghosts. The fissures are still there, too, extended far into the earth toward Pele’s home. Tame red jungle fowl (moa) strut around, as they apparently own the place. They were brought to Hawai'i by Polynesians for food, and now many have gone feral.
I have never seen photos of Hawai’i that made me want to visit. The problem turns out to be as I expected. Photos can’t capture the scale of the trees, the color of the light, the smells and sounds that are so much a part of the experience. But now I have seen some sights that live up to Hawai’i’s well-deserved reputation. One of the first big “wow” moments came as we drove through a tunnel made by trees arching over the road, with the ocean less than 50 feet away.
We drove several miles past “Road Closed, Do Not Enter” signs across a black lava field created by eruptions in the 1980s. Several towns were destroyed and the road was covered by the flows that stretched from the hill top miles away into the ocean near us. Tough little ferns are beginning to sprout from the cracks in the lava, and they are the only vegetation for miles. Like the ferns, some intrepid humans have rebuilt their homes on top of lava. A pretty bleak and ultimately temporary environment for a home.
Some of the ropey pahoehoe lava has weathered with a beautiful gold iridescent finish. We got as close as we could to the eruption that’s been threatening Royal Gardens subdivision since last week. A tourist got out of her car holding a camera and told us that someone at “The Center” said she could get pictures at sunset of the lava glow reflected in the clouds. Although it was almost dark when we left, we didn’t see any glow.
