Well, I've been back from Hawaii for over a week now and I just finished compiling my pictures from the camera and iPhone. I have a couple hundred and unfortunately not all of them are located on the Internet for viewing, but here are a few sites where you can find the ones I have posted:
My Flickr
Though I was there during a 30% drought you would have fooled me! I still cannot get over how lush and green the landscape was and almost every night it rained like crazy. I guess Hawaii is used to even more rain. I am a little glad that it held off during my visit. I love the fact that I could walk out and eat avocados, pineapples, papayas, mangoes and bananas from the surrounding gardens. The lettuce for the salads I ate were also from the nearby gardens.
Katherine found Polestar through WWOOF - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. I was excited to do some farming again and Katherine was interested in the yoga aspect of the community. When you WWOOF, you agree to work in exchange for a place to stay and maybe a few other things depending on the farm. All of the meals at Polestar are included for a minimal cost and there are a handful of sights to see nearby for entertainment and exploration. Let's just say that the "farming" was not as intensive as the farming I had done at Arugula's Star, more like gardening. Mainly I made sure the greenhouse was well watered and then there was a lot of weeding to do, specifically near some pineapples and in the lower vegetable garden.
On Wednesday nights we would have a community kirtan, a time of chanting and song. I went to two different kitans while I was there and the service reminded me of church, a time for worship and meditation. The kirtans hosted at Polestar are always followed by a community potluck, it's a great time to meet other people who live on the island.
Swimming was almost a daily activity. After my first full day of work, I was introduced to the warm ponds, which were heated from beneath the ground by volcanic activity. This swimming hole was a popular place for locals to unwind at the end of the day. One of the most picturesque swimming areas was called champagne ponds. A wonderful lady named Radiance, took Katherine and I to these ponds, along with her dog. You can never get enough swimming in Hawaii.
I also got to visit Volcano National State Park. At the park you could see the volcano that produces lava which still flows beneath the island's surface. As I walked along the trail I could see steam rising from cracks in the ground. The trail leads towards a preserved lava tube. This was a tunnel in the ground that the lava originally traveled through. The tube is cave-like, but it is also tall and I could not imagine that at one point the whole space had been filled with quick flowing lava. I was able to go closer to one of the larger volcanic openings and stand in one of the steam vents. It was so hot that I could only stand there for a few seconds. It felt like being in the sauna at the gym but smelled of earth and sulfur.
The highlight of my Hawaii experience was our early morning hike to see the lava flow. The hike was early enough to see the sunrise, which was beautiful! I got some great pictures. I could see the steam rising from the ocean water as I moved nearer and nearer. The lava was flowing underground and breaking out right near the water's surface. Since the lava was so HOT and the water was cold, a large amount of steam was created when the lava hit the water. Being that close to lava made me realize how much power and wonder there is in the earth. It started misting rain as we were heading back and a rainbow formed, which provided another picture taking opportunity.
Every weekend we would go to various markets. There was one called Space, which was run by acrobatic performers. Hilo also had a big farmer and craft market on Saturdays. In the end I think I made three visits to the one in Pahoa. All the markets had fresh produce, prepared food and handmade collectibles. My favorite vendor was Filthy Farmgirl Soap.
There were still so many adventures, from snorkeling, biking into town, hitch hiking after dark, and cliff diving. My last afternoon I finally caught a glimpse of a sea turtle which was one thing I was still hoping to do.
I loved my time in Hawaii and had a hard time leaving. I hope to make it back one day and see other islands. I am thankful for all the wonderful people I met and how well we functioned as a group. I say good-bye to Hawaii until another time and hello to Camden, NJ where my future awaits!
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