We spent a
day in each of two ports on the Big Island of Hawaii – Hilo on the east coast, and Kona on the west.
Our cruise was set to always travel between ports during the night. The evening we left for Hilo, our captain took the ship closer to land when we were passing the active Kilauea volcano, so that we could see the molten lava from "Madame Pele". It was still difficult to see from our distance, and didn't photograph well as it's lost some of its intensity over the past months, and also because we had to stay far away. However, it was probably still a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us that we won't forget. I encourage you to view the video of this volcanic action, taken in September when it was more active, and taken very close to where the lava entered the ocean. Go to https://youtu.be/xPVyO-5E03A.
As we came into port at Hilo, we were met by a beautiful sunrise. This photo was taken from our cabin balcony.
Hilo is the largest town on the Big Island, with a population of about 44,000. It is where we will do our next house sit, so we’d arranged to meet the homeowners. They picked us up, took us to their home, and we met their two dogs. Greg and I then spent the remainder of the day in Hilo, walking from the town centre along the waterfront, heading back to the ship.
Our cruise was set to always travel between ports during the night. The evening we left for Hilo, our captain took the ship closer to land when we were passing the active Kilauea volcano, so that we could see the molten lava from "Madame Pele". It was still difficult to see from our distance, and didn't photograph well as it's lost some of its intensity over the past months, and also because we had to stay far away. However, it was probably still a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us that we won't forget. I encourage you to view the video of this volcanic action, taken in September when it was more active, and taken very close to where the lava entered the ocean. Go to https://youtu.be/xPVyO-5E03A.
As we came into port at Hilo, we were met by a beautiful sunrise. This photo was taken from our cabin balcony.
Hilo is the largest town on the Big Island, with a population of about 44,000. It is where we will do our next house sit, so we’d arranged to meet the homeowners. They picked us up, took us to their home, and we met their two dogs. Greg and I then spent the remainder of the day in Hilo, walking from the town centre along the waterfront, heading back to the ship.
It was a beautiful walk, and we're looking forward to spending more time at that waterfront. These birds in the park wouldn't let me get too close, but I think they're canaries. My birding friends will correct me, if I'm wrong.
Greg stopped to look at the detail of the lava rock. You may notice the land in the background, and its contrast to Maui. The landscape rises far more gradually from the sea on this island, at least in the town area. It's also far more lush than Maui. Hilo is known for having the most amount of rain on this island. We learned that the eastern side of each island generally gets more rain than the western side. We've been told that if it's raining at our house sit, just drive west a little and we'll probably drive out of it!
At one waterfront park
we saw a Department of Defense vehicle belonging to the Youth Challenge Academy. In the park there were probably 30 to 40 young people, all wearing the same t-shirt and shorts, enjoying the parkland and the ocean. They were having a great time jumping off a
high stone wall.
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| I love the shades of green and blue in the water here |
Checking their website, I learned that this is a program run by the National Guard for those 16 - 18 years of age who drop out of school. It's a 22-week residential program, followed by a 1-year mentoring program. They focus on many areas of education and discipline, to help them get a good start in life. I think it's a great idea.
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| This photo is the view to the left of the previous photo |
Here you'll see Greg (on the left, under the tree, wearing a white t-shirt) speaking with a native Hawaiian man. He was happy to tell us many tales about the history of the island and how things have changed over his lifetime. Now "well into his 80s" (he wasn't about to share his actual age), he rides his own horse for hours and hours on the land in the background. When we travel, we find it interesting to meet locals and get to learn more about their culture.
Next post will be of our stop in Kona, famous for its coffee.
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Hawaiian Islands Cruise - December 10 to 17
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Part 1 - Honolulu & Maui
Part 2 - The Big Island - Hilo
Part 3 - The Big Island - Kona
Part 4 - Kauai - Day 1
Part 5 - Kauai - Day 2
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