Day Three

We continue to be gluttonous and devour as much of this island as we can. Today this meant hopping in the car for the two hour drive to Hilo. A half circle island tour, if you will.

Ross and I drove northbound along the Kona coast. Well, perhaps not exactly along the coast. After a brief stop at the airport to top off the car's tank, we cut inland and upward slightly, allowing for a better views of the dry, desolate coastline and old lava flows. You think of Hawaii and I doubt you think of dry prairie land, but on the northwest coast that is what surrounds you...complete with the occasional cactus.Rounding the northern coast, and entering the heart of Parker Ranch the brown grass gives way yo green and is dotted by cattle instead of succulents. This first leg of the trip the summit of Mauna Kea loomed gracefully off to our right.
As we began our trek southbound, toward Hilo along the Hamakua coast, the dry plains gave way to sugar cane and eventually dense tropical gulches. Off to your right we spotted two waterfalls tucked far back, though rushing strong: Nanue Falls and Umauma Stream. Unfortunately the lack of shoulder, speed limit and sharp curves prevented a photo op at these two beautiful sights.

To make amends, we did stop at Akaka Falls, a 442 foot falls. And it's little sister, almost hidden behind the scenery, Kahuna Falls. Some claim Akaka is the tallest falls in the US. I have yet to find any info to challenge that.

The drive to Akaka Falls led us through Honomu, a small town known for antiquing. It was a very cute town, again reminiscent of the small towns around the Dells, Mt. Horeb, New Glarus and the like. A beautiful art store and a glass crowded antique shops seemed to be the cream of the main drag's crop. It was cute, but really failed to leave a lasting impression.

Hilo on the other hand...Hilo was another 11 miles south of Honomu. Half of the town was wiped out by a tsunami in the 60's. As a result, the rest of the town has remained in a time warp of sorts, all old store fronts and street preserved from that time. It is a beautiful town, and in a way a trip back in history. They promote and push the nostalgia, despite the dying tourist trade. The antiquing here, however, to die for. Not only do you have the run of the mill used book stores and second hand clothing, but also a smattering of those specializing in Asian artifacts, coinage and other rare finds. Rare finds indeed. And some a true steal. Ross and I popped into one on a whim and were immediately sucked fully in. Ghana and Thai masks dotted the walls. Indian and Greek jewelry lined the cases. Buddhas sat peacefully along the shelves. A lotus shoe peaked out from one pile. A dirk from another. It was a true treasure trove. And along one wall hide two Javanese puppets. They were already a steal, hovering at about $100 each. The proprietor is hurting for business. Severely hurting. Apparently, despite the drop in tourism he was still doing a decent trade on eBay. Particularly to Europe. Even as our own market started to drop he pressed on. Once the drop hit Europe...he said it just stopped. Business is dying and he was trying to make a sale where ever possible. In the end, I picked up both puppets at less than half their marked price. A steal. Had I more funds, or even more luggage room for that matter, I could have done much more damage in that store. Pity he is a 45 minute plane ride away...I'd love to stop by again and peruse his foreign wares...

Three o'clock was rolling around. We'd already poked through many shops, had lunch and spotted the farmer's market. An hour still lingered before everything shut down so we drove another 15 minutes or so to the Hilo zoo. It too seems stuck in a bit of a time warp. Many of the birds are still housed in the free standing Victorian-esque cages. Well, most of the birds were. Peacocks littered the grounds, though all were strangely quiet. No sharp whining cries echoed throughout the tropical grounds. But it was a cute little zoo, and a good way to kill an hour. I think most would be hard pressed to spend much more time there unless they had a small one in tow...

After the zoo, we headed northbound again, following the same trail the bus had taken the day before, sans the multiple drop off at resorts along the coast. But the sunset tonight was not as impressive.Tomorrow night's sunset however...the goal is to see it from the summit of Mauna Kea, some 13,790 feet above sea level. I hope my head stays clear that far up!