HOT ROCKS

                                                            HOT ROCKS

            Up until Monday we had never seen any flowing lava.  Monday morning by 3:45 we were on the road on our way, courtesy of a cousin who lives on Oahu but had just finished a brief work stint here on Hawaii, to meet a small boat that would take us and twenty others on a sunrise viewing of the longest continuous lava flow in the world.  We arrived a little early but my cousin and her co-worker were there. The State park we were meeting at has no dock so after we signed what I suppose was a disclaimer (it was dark so who would really read it all by flashlight) the launch procedure was for everyone to climb a step ladder up into the boat while it was still on a trailer then it was backed down a ramp into the Ocean and when the truck driver stepped on the brakes we were launched!  An exciting beginning but nothing compared to what followed.

The captain turned us bow out to sea and hit the throttle right away and we were lurched about by three or four sharp jolts as the bow crashed through the surf.  Then it was relatively calm when we turned more parallel to the waves.  Occasionally a little spray would hit us but we had been warned to expect that and wore rain jackets with hoods.  Since we left shore at 5 it was still full dark and we had a 40 minute ride watching the waves fly from the bow lit up brightly by bioluminescence – sometimes just a glow, but often with fistful balls of bright light.

Before we reached our goal we could see where the lava field was showing bright red from either cracks or spots where the mostly subterranean lava was heating the surface enough to glow.  Where the lava actually hits the Ocean what you mostly see is a huge cloud of steam but as the boat circled sometimes the breeze would clear the view of the river of lava hitting the Ocean.  I asked how much the Ocean is heated by this and the steward put a bucket on a rope overboard then brought it around for each of us to feel.  It was like a VERY hot bath and we were a hundred yards away at the time.  The boat was steel hulled and the captain took us in closer than I felt safe considering that periodically lava hitting the water would explode and send pieces flying up to 30 feet.  Occasionally we could hear pieces of hot floating rock hit the hull.  When I looked overboard they were scooting across the water looking like gas propelled hot cow pies zigzagging about.

Before long I was wishing the tour was over because I was getting a bit sea sick from the slow circling.  In fact one person did make the trip to the rear railing.  So when we finally did start back I was very glad to feel the speed of the boat instead of the swells of the sea.

It was full daylight now and the captain kept us closer to shore for the view.  But this direction we were cresting waves and slapping down on the other side so hard that we were not just getting a little sprayed but actually drenched.  Luckily it is always warm water here so that was better than getting sea sick.  We saw one pair of dolphins and flying fish glided besides us twice – both firsts for us.  

The company warns people with bad backs or necks to not come on this trip.  I leaned way forward to protect my back but we ended up with sore necks for a couple days.  That problem would have been less if we were seated more towards the back.  All in all it was a great adventure but one I would not want to repeat.  Myrna, on the other hand, would consider going again with guests which I consider strange because she is afraid of deep water in small boats.  This one was large enough for her!

In fact, we were on the water in Hilo Bay last Saturday in our SeaCycle and had a pleasant tour of the south half the bay.  At one point Myna thought it looked like 3 racing canoes were on a collision course with us.  I was sure that it was not a problem and we proceeded straight after a brief diversion.  Those racing crews are fast and they put on full steam for practice even, so they were moving a lot faster than us!  Next time I go out on the bay I want to fish also.

Last letter when I wrote about politics a bit I should have mentioned environmental politics.  One issue is the opposition to geothermal power.  The best I can make of it is that it is a NIMBY group who fear there will be noise and sulfur in the air because of it.  These seem to me to both be solvable problems, not show stoppers.  Another is that we are running out of landfill space for the garbage.  Efforts are being made to reduce the waste stream.  They do allow the recycling of more things at transfer stations here than in Spokane County with a two bin system – all glass in one bin and all other recyclables in another.  They are way behind in building the sorting facilities and are discussing sending waste to the mainland.  And the private waste collectors are not required to separate their waste stream yet.

Another potential issue is fish farming.  Huge tuna raising pens are being planned a couple miles off shore and so far I’ve seen no discussion of the effects of the waste.  At this point there is only one experimental one.  They hope to raise Big Eye and Yellow Fin, two of the smaller, so far not endangered, species.  Both are found in every market here and even being sold off of trucks on the street.  Sometimes they are sold as “POKE”, a spiced ready to eat diced raw fish.  In fact, lots of things are sold on the street here from trucks or car trunks.  I don’t know if they are legal or just ignored.  I get my fish from the bayside fish market so far!

One issue that gets a lot of press but not much action is food self sufficiency.   They do have a good program for saving future farm land from development but several large tracts of public land are about to be sold to try to balance the budget (while the county commissioners took 15% pay raises  this year.  And I don’t see a lot of interest in community gardens although that is talked about.  I guess it is just a lot more profitable for people to go to the supermarkets and I know we all find it a lot more convenient much of the time.  Here I have a lot less tillable ground than I would like and I find myself coveting my neighbor’s flat lawn space.  But so far I have plenty to do with just our tiny garden.

I’m glad I’m not in Spokane County this week with the 100 degree days.  The 85-87 we get here nearly every day this time of year is a bit too hot for me!  But at least not much of the day is that hot.

Keep Cool!

Rico

P.S.  Myrna has posted a bunch of photos on her Facebook page, if you’re into that.