Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Haha, this is like, some neverending vacation eh? I keep getting mocked by my US colleagues now they're like, so what're your plans for this weekend? Ok wait lemme guess.. the Bahamas? =p I guess Hawaii is a lil too much for them.. Most of them don't travel that much, but of course, they have their whole life to slowly explore the place.. unlike us who have only 1 yr!
To recap, we just flew over to the Big Island yday night. We actually had to fly back to Oahu, get our bags and check them in again, and then fly over to big island cos of some stupid internet booking nonsense. We didn't rent a car so we had to take a cab to the hotel. We walked up to a cab waiting at the airport, and a red eyed hawaiian opened the window casually.. They were sleeping in the cab while waiting for customers! Aiyoh. It was operated by a middle aged man and his wife. We didn't have much of a choice cos they were first in a line of 2 cabs. Well to sum it up the cab was smelly and dark. But we got to our hotel safely.
We had booked a one day tour cos that's the easiest way to go to many places without having to plan much. We woke up in the morning, bought breakfast from the lounge and sat around at the lobby to eat so that we could wait for the bus at the same time.. Haha, dapao also means no need to pay tips.
To recap, we just flew over to the Big Island yday night. We actually had to fly back to Oahu, get our bags and check them in again, and then fly over to big island cos of some stupid internet booking nonsense. We didn't rent a car so we had to take a cab to the hotel. We walked up to a cab waiting at the airport, and a red eyed hawaiian opened the window casually.. They were sleeping in the cab while waiting for customers! Aiyoh. It was operated by a middle aged man and his wife. We didn't have much of a choice cos they were first in a line of 2 cabs. Well to sum it up the cab was smelly and dark. But we got to our hotel safely.
We had booked a one day tour cos that's the easiest way to go to many places without having to plan much. We woke up in the morning, bought breakfast from the lounge and sat around at the lobby to eat so that we could wait for the bus at the same time.. Haha, dapao also means no need to pay tips.
yes.. french toast and pancakes... the fruit cup was pretty refreshing though I liked it. After waiting for some time, and seeing two buses with the name of our tour company 'Polynesian tours' or something, we started to worry and went to ask the recep to help us call them up. Turned out that someone's flight was delayed so they were still at the airport but they were here shortly!
The weather wasn't too fantastic. We later learnt that Hilo gets freaking lot of rain all the time. How stupid. I really should have booked flights to Kailua/Kona instead cos that's more popular and there are better tours from there but don't ask me why I went to book Hilo instead. They say that there's no rain in Kailua at all. -_-"
So first stop, Rainbow Falls.
The weather wasn't too fantastic. We later learnt that Hilo gets freaking lot of rain all the time. How stupid. I really should have booked flights to Kailua/Kona instead cos that's more popular and there are better tours from there but don't ask me why I went to book Hilo instead. They say that there's no rain in Kailua at all. -_-"
So first stop, Rainbow Falls.
looks pretty muddy to me.
this nice HK lady lent us her umbrella, and her daughter climbed up onto some higher ground to take this beautiful shot for us!
The rain didn't stop, so the driver drove us to Walmart so that we could get some ponchos. I also got myself my neutrogena moisturizer + sunblock cos stupid me, forgot to check it in and it got confiscated at the checkpoint =( I was actually quite happy to walk around.. I have this affinity for supermarkets, must be the auntie in me rising up hahaha.
After some drive, we reached the Thurston Lava Tube. Can't quite remember how exactly it forms la but basically there was lava in it and it drained out? OK, wiki says: "A lava tube is formed with a pahoehoe lava flow. As the lava flows, the top layer is exposed to air and cools quickly while the lava inside is insulated and still flows hot. As the top hardens and the lave flows out the flow keeps a shape that is like a hollow tube. The Thurston Lava Tube was formed through this process by an underground lava flow."
After some drive, we reached the Thurston Lava Tube. Can't quite remember how exactly it forms la but basically there was lava in it and it drained out? OK, wiki says: "A lava tube is formed with a pahoehoe lava flow. As the lava flows, the top layer is exposed to air and cools quickly while the lava inside is insulated and still flows hot. As the top hardens and the lave flows out the flow keeps a shape that is like a hollow tube. The Thurston Lava Tube was formed through this process by an underground lava flow."
pretty cool eh? The puddles were really irritating though and everyone got their shoes soaked for the sake of having walked through a lava tube before..
On the way to the next point, there were lots of volcanic ashes everywhere. Oops, did I tell you that the Hawaii islands are made from volcanic activity? As in, the whole thing is volcano..
On the way to the next point, there were lots of volcanic ashes everywhere. Oops, did I tell you that the Hawaii islands are made from volcanic activity? As in, the whole thing is volcano..
And we reached the lava viewing area. Er, kinda scary eh?
The caped adventurer ponders across the vast ocean..
The waters are really hot and steaming cos the lava actually goes into the water. We didn't have enough time to trek right to the lava flows.. Ok I was pretty freaked out I mean we were on a freaking volcano! I really don't understand how people can stay on a freaking volcano. It's like, oh, the volcano erupts and we just evacuate.. wth?! Why can't they just stay somewhere else?
On the positive side, the lava flows all the time, and it's basic which means it's more fluid and the eruption is more gentle, and it flows gently. Also because Hawaii is in the middle of a tectonic plate as opposed to at the boundary, the eruptions are also gentler. Haha, have you forgotten all your geography? (source)
On the positive side, the lava flows all the time, and it's basic which means it's more fluid and the eruption is more gentle, and it flows gently. Also because Hawaii is in the middle of a tectonic plate as opposed to at the boundary, the eruptions are also gentler. Haha, have you forgotten all your geography? (source)
The Nene, which is the Hawaii state bird. It's endangered.. so I think we were pretty lucky to bump into these. Can't help but be reminded of the dodo bird.
No water, no flashlight, no batteries.. Luckily we weren't stranded here.
Next stop was a buffet lunch at Volcano House, with a view of the Kilauea Caldera. I liked the food.
A pity it was rainy and cloudy.. but yeah, here's the crater as seen from the Volcano House Hotel! We went down along Crater Rim Drive to the Jaggar Museum after lunch for another view of the Kilauea Caldera.
too bad it was so smoky and hazy and rainy, can't see a thing. boo.
That was the end of the volcanic tour, which was our main reason for coming to Big Island. I've stepped on a volcano!! Haha sorry, must keep reminding myself. So next, was an orchid nursery. Kinda stupid given that there are orchids in spore anyway. I heard that there's some prized, very expensive orchid but it wasn't on show. Anyway I think Hawaii is exotic to the americans because of such things, so maybe Singapore will be very exotic as well since eh, we have orchids too!
Sorry toad I din buy some rare species for you but here are some pictures of a few orchids I saw. Probably too common for you lah! They're super strict about carrying lifestock/plants from one island to another /to the mainland. [hehe mainland sounds like china right]
Sorry toad I din buy some rare species for you but here are some pictures of a few orchids I saw. Probably too common for you lah! They're super strict about carrying lifestock/plants from one island to another /to the mainland. [hehe mainland sounds like china right]
huge ass orchid. Looks kinda monstrous like it could snap off my unsuspecting head anytime.
After the boring orchid place we went to a macadamia nut factory, yes again. this time it was Mauna Loa which is at least more well known. btw, Mauna means mountain.. Mauna Loa (on big island) is the highest volcano in the world, from base to summit, whatever that means. Cool thing is it's so high that it's cold up there and it snows. So people actually go up and bring truckloads of snow to their backyard in Big Island. Haha, can you imagine someone's garden in singapore with lots of snow. Hurhur..
we were greeted by samples of fresh, salted macadamia nuts =)
the shells of the nuts are burnt in this boiler to generate energy!
They allow you to peep into the factories.. There were 3 crazy New Zealanders beside us who kept waving at the Oompa Loompas workers and trying to get them to wave back. Haha that was quite entertaining. I was squinting at their equipment to see if they use Allen Bradley products. Haha, it's an occupational hazard I tell ya. I have this big urge to find out whenever I visit any factory.
After walking one round, we hit the gift shop.. pb bought like, 18 boxes of chocolates from here [and we still have more from oahu] and also 2 boxes of the nuts itself. We had a really hard time carrying all those stupid chocolates. The next day on the plane back to L.A., this old man looked at me struggling with all of them and said to me slowly,
"You could get those at Walmart.."
Thanks ah! now then you tell me? Oh well, at least they were wayyy cheaper and also definitely fresher there. While we were at the factory, the driver had driven some people to the airport to catch their plane, so we spent quite a bit of time there. We also got 2 free post cards by signing up our email addresses. Haha, cheap thrill. After the driver got back, he started to bring us back to our hotels.
We passed by King Kamehameha the Great's statue before reaching our hotel. This was taken by one of the New Zealanders.
After walking one round, we hit the gift shop.. pb bought like, 18 boxes of chocolates from here [and we still have more from oahu] and also 2 boxes of the nuts itself. We had a really hard time carrying all those stupid chocolates. The next day on the plane back to L.A., this old man looked at me struggling with all of them and said to me slowly,
"You could get those at Walmart.."
Thanks ah! now then you tell me? Oh well, at least they were wayyy cheaper and also definitely fresher there. While we were at the factory, the driver had driven some people to the airport to catch their plane, so we spent quite a bit of time there. We also got 2 free post cards by signing up our email addresses. Haha, cheap thrill. After the driver got back, he started to bring us back to our hotels.
We passed by King Kamehameha the Great's statue before reaching our hotel. This was taken by one of the New Zealanders.
back in the hotel, I put together some rock that I picked up from the lava viewing area. Pretty right? I remember seeing these in the geography room in sec school, so I thought it would be cool to bring some back. Free souvenir leh! =)
We walked out of the hotel for dinner at a thai place I'd seen on the way to the hotel.
We walked out of the hotel for dinner at a thai place I'd seen on the way to the hotel.
Fantastic pad thai, tom yam goong and green curry [a bit too coconutty for my liking though]
Ended the day with a tiny sago dessert.
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