Wow! Another incredible day. I have to admit I have never been so scared in my entire life. We took an hour ride in a no door helicopter. Now I am not complaining by any means and I would probably do it again for the experience but.... YIKES! First of all you have to know I am scared of heights, but only when I look directly down so thought I would be fine. Well the wind was whipping through the back of the chopper desperately trying to pull me out, the turbulence was just like an airplane, I could not help looking straight down every time I looked out my side of the aircraft, I could feel the skin on my face being blown around like the sheets hanging to dry in a storm, and then if that wasn't scary enough pilot Pete kept banking the helicopter to go in a complete circle and I thought for sure every time that it was the end for me and I was going to be the next sacrifice to Pele the volcano god. I am not sure why they had us go through an emergency training on water landing either because we spent most of our time over land. Matt kept reminding me that we were like a paper weight in the air when over land - actually the last thing he said to me before we got on the chopper was, "Did you notice how they didn't show us the emergency procedure for a crash on land." Nice calming moment! Now it may sound like what I just did was complaining, I assure it was not - I was just really, completely and utterly terrified. Matt on the other hand loved every moment as it brought back some of his favorite memories of the Marine Corps - helicopter rides always meant they were going to do something exciting. The rest of the day we spent eating and wandering through Volcano National Park.
Matt knew exactly what we were in for but at this point I was still clueless!
Have to say the views are breathtaking.
Current lava flow
Lava flowing into the ocean
Us with our pilot Pete.
The beautiful Rainbow Falls seen from the air
Our chopper with doors on (for us they were off)
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| A local favorite we were told we had to try called Loco Moco. It is rice with some kind of meat on top followed by brown gravy and a fried egg. It is like their fast food here. Interesting to say the least. I can see if you have been eating this since a child how it would become a comfort food. For us it can kind of be described like Big Mac from McDonalds - haunts you the rest of the day! Matt had his with spam - they eat that here like we eat chicken. Everything we ate today was Hawaiian - stopped at a road side stand and had some of the best food either of us have ever eaten - Pit turned Kalbi ribs and Huli Chicken - out of this world and cheaper than anything else we have eaten or bought at the grocery store. |
Thurston Lava Tube
Me in the lava tube
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| We walked 4 miles total down to and then through this crater - Kilauea Iki. Steam vents were everywhere and at some point you could feel the heat from the magma (underground lava) below. It was a cool experience. This time it was Matt who was freaked out. He did not enjoy walking where he knew lava was 300 feet or less below him at all times. He says a rational fear when compared to mine of the helicopter. |
This is the volcano at night
Matt feeling the steam come from the vents
Love to all XOXOXO
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