Back to Kilauea
For the second day in a row, we are up and out of the hotel by 7:30 (give it up for Ang as this is a new record). As we are heading to the other side of the island to see the volcano again, we added a side trip to go on zip lines through the rainforest. Sam really, really wanted to go on a zip line while he was here, so this one’s to make his wish come true (the first time we were at the volcano, they all threw pennies into one of the steam vents and made a wish).
After the two hour drive along the coast, we arrive at our destination and get a whole set of pleasant surprises. The first is that the guides agree to take Joey (the normal cutoff is 70 pounds, so we planned on he and Ang having to sit out). Second, as the first group of the day they knock a third off the price. And to top it all off, we are the only ones in our time slot, so it ends up being a private tour 🙂
There are a total of 7 zip lines, but two in particular stand out as the boys’ favorites. On the sixth one, once strapped to the line, you run right to the edge of the canyon and jump off into space, flying about 100 feet over a river and waterfall. Then on the seventh, there are a pair of cables where two people race each other.
Our next stop of the day is down the coast, where heat from the volcano has created a number of natural hot pools. The one we end up at is connected to the ocean, so also has a number of fish swimming around. The kids gear up and snorkel for the next couple of hours, free diving to the bottom (even Joey) to see who can bring up the biggest lava rock. The long drive is quickly forgotten as by the time comes to leave, they are asking if we can come back tomorrow.
As it is getting close to sunset, it is time to head to the viewing area for the volcano. We park as close in as we can, then get all geared up for a walk across the lava (the books all recommend long pants, close-toed shoes, and a flashlight). The viewing area is outside the national park, right near a small town (or what used to be a small town) that was overrun by the lava about 15 years ago. A few people have since rebuilt, so there is a paved road now, making the trek no more difficult than walking down the street.
As darkness falls, we are able to see some lava flowing up to the surface, and from time to time, a bush burst into flames. Its pretty cool to see a live volcano, but a little more action would have kicked the experience up a notch. It turns out that on Thursday a new crack opened up near where we are standing and has filled a depression about 30 acres in size in that short time. What was the viewing area two days ago, now sits under 8 feet of new ground.
The crazy thing is that after the park ranger told us there was nothing to see at the viewing area on Thursday, Nick’s wish at the steam vent was for it get more active. His wish came true that very night as the lava broke out, and unfortunately, had we driven down that night anyway, we would have been able to see much more lava on the surface. Still, as I’m 40 and seeing my first live volcano, I can’t feel too sorry that my 10 year old son is seeing a live volcano, but that its not as explosive as what they show on the Discovery channel.
The catch to the fun we had today is that once it is all over, there is still a two and a half hour drive back to the other side of the island and our hotel. The kids sleep through most of it (and from time to time I am tempted to pin them), so as long drives go, it is pretty quiet and uneventful.