hawaii part 2

day 4 we moved houses to volcano.

on the way, we visited laupahoehoe.

this beautiful spot on the ocean was hit by a tsunami in 1946 (which destroyed a local schoolhouse, killing 24 teachers and children)

check this warning sign:


we also went to the hawaii tropical botanical garden


it was rainy. my best camera stopped working. not everything is native. but it was magical and worth the $15 admission fee.


we visited rainbow falls


and lava tree state monument

rough guide says the lava trees were formed when fast moving lava hit the trees and cooled, and then an earthquake drained the remaining lava flow. it also had some great trees.


our house in volcano was located in a rainforest.

day 5 we went to volcano natl park

we hiked down to the kilaueu iki crater floor, which last erupted in 1959, sending lava 1900 feet up. the hike down to the crater floor took us through a pretty lush rainforest with beautiful fern shoots.


the caldera floor was mostly dry and barren, with a number of steaming vents.


beautiful rocks

some plant life

after crossing the crater, we went back up through another lush rainforest


we spent the rest of the day on the road around the caldera. along the way, we saw these birds:

we stopped at halemaumau crater, which mark twain described in 1866 as a "heaving sea of molton fire"

it looked more volatile than the rest of the caldera

the lookout had color coordinated tourist

and the nene


who we were warned not to feed


check back for days 6-10