I haven’t written a longer text sequence, and I think i owe you an update. However, the daily photo and video section may have given you an idea of what’s been going on.

So I currently have three days off in a row and I thought I’d take the occasion to rent a car and get out of the bunkhouse and the park a little. This sounds easier than it really is, though, as every somewhat businesslike activity (such as renting a car) requires a 50 km ride down to Hilo to get anything accomplished at all. Getting down was somewhat easy as Chuck (the volunteer from the previous 3 months term) was leaving anyway and I could just jump on the ride that was offered to him. However, getting the rental car back on Tuesday was not such an easy feat, and involved another driver. Because I am currently the only one with the DOI government defensive driving certificate, this means I had to register whoever was accompanying me so he could drive the rental car back down, while I was driving the government vehicle. And as always, Andrej needed to get some shopping done, so suddenly nice Melissa driving Chuck down to see him off was confronted with a really full carload…

Another thing that struck me was that I needed to present the rental voucher in print – I had just booked online three days earlier and was glad to have received the voucher per email. I was told that this was not good, as it was not an “e-voucher”, and needed to either print or mail it to the lady at the counter of the rental agency. Sorry that I don’t carry a printer around with me all the time, and I also wanted to avoid the Wi-Fi fee of 6.95 at the airport – finally the rental lady agreed that I could take the car as long as I drove it to Starbucks first (free Wi-Fi) to send the voucher immediately across, which I did.

Finally, mobile again. I went down Chain of Craters road inside the park to discover whether anything was going on at the active lava flow, but it was really pitch black – not a thing to see. Disappointed of the wasted hour, I called it a day (I am reporting Day 30).

So, Day 31 started with a ride down to Pahoa and the beaches at Kumukahi Cape & Lighthouse – the place we went to visit with Jay last weekend already, but I thought I’d give it another try during the day to take a swim in the so-called Champagne Pools (bubbling thermal water mixes with the salt water of the ocean that is blocked off partially by a rocky beach, really an interesting swim with warm water and little salt content) and try out the Lava path myself. Poor Jeep (and don’t tell the rental agency, I am sure I am in hell already for taking the car to all the roads and paths that are off-limit by the contract). I then discovered the thick and immensely green tree tunnels of “Mango Grove” and the Nanawele sand hills, littoral volcanic cones that formed during intense explosive ocean entry of lava flows. There even is a sea arch there! Not much after that, spending the hottest and least photographic time of the day at Starbucks – the day has flown by, also reading a chapter or two of our “Interpretive Bible” in the shade. Took in Rainbow Falls in Hilo at the end of the day, also trying to do an after dark shot of the waterfalls, but not too successful. And not to forget: The return drive to the park is always 30+ minutes and 1200+ meters in elevation gain!

Day 32: Off to Pahoa again – I had left my beach sandals at the beach – not that the name of the shoes would suggest where they belong. Luckily, they had stayed put at the exact same place in that secluded parking lot at Nanawale sand hills, really lucky me! I took a leisurely pace up the cost along the Belt Highway up to Waipio Valley and ventured down in the car. It does take a bit of courage, especially if you think that once you are down you have no choice but must make it back up – I usually prefer to drive a critical path up so I can turnaround if it does not work out. You may imagine that I made it back up somewhat safely as I am writing these lines, but there were a few moments I did not feel so comfortable. And during all my stay back down inside Waipio there was this nagging question whether I would make it back up easily or not. Alas, I was down at the beach, parked the car in the sand and got going. The stream crossing with my big photo backpack was really tricky and I couldn’t afford to slip, so the tripod came in handy as an additional stabilizer for myself. Surf was really way up, almost nothing left of the famous black sand at the beach. Hiking was slow in my sandals across the surf as I made my way to the other side – I wanted to try the switchbacks up the trail to at least half the height so I had that perfect venture point into Waipio Valley itself. And what a magnificent sight it is (also check the daily photo!). The gallery below gives some impressions including the car and the dirt road. And there even is this commercial van driver that really must be crazy, driving a 25% grade up with the rear doors open for the fun of it! Fingers crossed that the rental car agency does not jump up and down when I return the car, I put so much effort in cleaning it here at the car wash station of the Law Enforcement at the park!