Volcanoes, Fish, and a Telescope: Days 3, 4, and 5
The cockroach count is up to 9 and I’m burnt like a lobster. That’s how you know you’re really having fun.
Tuesday we went to Volcanoes National Park. It was amazing. The altitude changes caused a lot of headaches, but it was worth it. We started on up high and looked down over the shelf where old lava flows had built up and led into the ocean. We then drove down a narrow, winding road that took us down onto the shelf. Looking up at the cliff, we could see where the lava had flowed down. We got to walk out onto a relatively newer lava flow. Seeing hardened lava up close was really interesting. It’s hardened into all kinds of shapes and in some places it has a silvery finish, while in others it looks blue or pink. Walking out into the middle of the lava flow, surrounded by nothing but volcanic rock and glass, was kind of like walking out onto the moon or some alien planet. We could also see the big billows of steam where the lava is currently flowing into the ocean.
The most amazing part was finding some little ferns growing in the hardened lava. Ferns are the first colonizers, meaning they’re the tough plants that move in first and grow in the most impossible landscapes. Many thousands of years from now, with the help of the wind and rain, grasses, and then trees, and then maybe eventually animals will be able to move in. But right now, the contrast of the little green ferns in that black, barren landscape leaves you in awe of the amazing things nature is capable of.
After our excursion, we got to walk through an old lava tube. We then got to look at several craters formed by the collapsing of some lava tubes. It was an interesting day, but also long and hot.
Wednesday we went snorkeling at the Pahoa tide pools. It was one of the prettiest landscapes I’ve ever seen. There aren’t really beaches in this area, just volcanic rock leading into the ocean. But the volcanic rock at this part of the coastline was scattered with interconnected blue-green pools, some shallow, some deeper, that gradually turned into the Pacific. Each one contained tons of coral, sea urchins, fishes, and other marine life. There were so many different colors! We even saw a sea turtle, and got to touch it. When we were done at the tide pools, we visited a park to see lava molds of trees.
Yesterday we drove to the very top of Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano, to look at one of the Gemini telescopes (the other is in South America). The altitude was almost 14,000 feet, so a lot of people had altitude sickness. After an initial headache, I was fine thanks to my low blood pressure and respiration rate. The telescope was impressive. It can see up to 13 billion light years away, which is almost to the event horizon of the big bang (and thanks to Michael, I knew what that meant!). The view, however, was even more impressive...we were above the clouds, so looking down, the clouds looked like snow, like the tundra. We were so high that we could see Maui, the next island over. It was amazing.
Today is our last day in Hilo, then it’s on to Kona. I’ll update next chance I get!
Aloha...for real: Days 1 and 2
Well, I’m in Hawaii.
I had planned on updating earlier and on a daily basis for this first part of the trip, because I thought since we were staying in a dorm, we would have internet access. However, you have to be registered at the University of Hawaii in order to log in and use the internet; there’s not even a guest option like UD has. So I’m in this nice little internet café just down the street from our dorm that has all-you-can-drink coffee for a dollar. And unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for you silly people who actually read this), my updates will be less frequent than I had planned.
The first day was just a lot of traveling…and I do mean a lot. It was great times though; I had everything anyone could ask for on an airplane journey: obnoxious kids, drunken teenage girls, tons of turbulence, motion sickness, etc. Not to mention I had no idea what I was doing. But somehow I survived and made it to Hilo. And I got to watch House on the plane. After an exotic group dinner at Pizza Hut, we returned to the dorms and everyone went immediately to bed.
Our lodgings aren’t exactly first class, but they’ll work. We’re staying in a dorm at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. On the outside, it looks like an older motel…all the rooms open onto balconies. Two two-person bedrooms share a bathroom. Right now, I’m rooming with all three Katies on the trip. Makes things easy for me. So far, we’ve had ants in one girl’s bed and a traveling cockroach that we finally killed last night. Oh, and there’s no air conditioning. I know, I know, you feel so bad for me, suffering here in Hawaii. Shut up. Who asked you anyway?
The time difference is killer; I was up at 5:00 a.m. yesterday morning. Class started at 9:00 a.m. And I don’t mean fake class. I mean real, genuine, hardcore lectures that lasted for three hours. We learned all about tsunamis and tectonic plate movement. More on that later. After lunch, we went snorkeling. It was slow going at first; it takes a lot of mental motivation to overcome the idea of breathing with your face in the water. And the ocean was so cold! I heard that by the end, my lips were blue. But we saw some pretty amazing fish. We’re going back today…hopefully there’ll be more sun so that we can really see how colorful everything is.
The picture at the top was the view from the beach. This picture is of a couple of us exploring the volcanic rock that forms natural break walls.
Last night finished with dinner and a movie called “Violent Hawaii” that talked about volcanoes and tsunamis and whales. Now it’s another very early morning and we have a full day ahead of us.
Finally, since this is an educational trip, I thought I’d include some things I’ve learned so far:
1. If you’re traveling on a plane, your feet WILL swell and your toes will look like sausages. Wear sandals for comfort, but tennis shoes if you think you’ll be grossed out.
2. The time difference between Hawaii and home is 6 hours.
3. When they say everything is bigger in Texas, they are not kidding…the airport was huge! I had to run to my next gate just to make my flight.
4. Texas is not actually all deserts with bull horns. The areas we flew over were very green and lovely and there were a lot of trees. That’s why stereotypes are stupid.
5. If you’re worried about missing your significant other/fiancé/spouse, DO NOT travel to Hawaii. Your plane will be filled with couples either just engaged and on their way to get married in Hawaii or just married and on their way to their honeymoon. All the girls will show off their big, shiny new diamonds and the couples will cuddle and make out in front of you the entire flight, tripling the effects of motion sickness and missing your significant other/fiancé/spouse.
6. A tsunami is not just one wave, but a series of waves.
7. More people have died from tsunamis in Hawaii than from all other natural disasters combined.
8.I’ve seen what plumaria looks like (yes, like from Bath & Body Works).
9. All of the Hawaiian Islands were created by volcanoes.
10. The Pacific Ocean really is cold!
Alright, that’s all for now. I miss you all terribly. No, really, I do, I swear. It’d be way more awesome if some combination of my family, friends, and Michael were here with me. And probably if there were no cockroaches.
Look for another post in a couple of days!
Leaving on a jet plane...
Well, today is the day.
Did I mention I hate flying? And I've never flown by myself? And I have no idea what to do? And probably I'll end up next to some creepy 50 year old man that will start hitting on me, because that's just my luck? It's gonna be a long day.
My plane leaves at 9:05...hopefully. We all know how that really works.
This is my public proclamation...you are all my witnesses: If my plane is taken over by terrorists, if the passengers fight terrorists to prevent it from being taken over, or if the plane is in any other way affected by terrorists, DO NOT LET THEM MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT IT! I don't want millionaires making more money off our tragedy or heroism. Really, I'm honestly serious about this. No movies. Let us rest in peace. But if we end up on a seemingly deserted island with some mysterious thing that bangs around the jungle and a hatch with a weird guy that pushes a button every 108 minutes, well, I guess that's ok. Mom and Michael request to be sent too. Good luck with that one.
Anyway...on to more likely things...
Wish me luck, pray for me, whatever it is you do. I'd appreciate it. I'll update you when I get there!
Aloha!
Yes, it's true, I've become one of
them...I've joined the evil world of blogging.
Ok, I guess it's not all that evil, but I'm stubborn and hate conforming and since this whole blog thing seems to be the cool thing to do these days, I swore I'd never participate. It's that Never Curse. The saying is "Never say never" for a reason...because every time you say never, you end up doing exactly what you said you'd never do. Trust me, I know. Ask my mom.
Anyway, the only reason I'm really doing this is as a way to keep in touch with everyone as I embark on my three-week trip to Hawaii for a Marine Biology class through the University of Dayton. I thought it would be an easy, fun way to keep everyone up to date on what I'm doing and how the trip is going without having to make billions of phone calls or buy billions of postcards. (Don't worry, mom, I'll still call. And most of you will probably still get a postcard or two.) Plus, here I can post photos the day I take them so all of you can see what our group is up to and be jealous...I mean, experience the wonders of Hawaii right along with us.
So read, admire photos, enjoy...and please leave comments! I'd love to hear from you while I'm away. Aloha!
P.S. Special thanks to my "amazing" boyfriend Michael (his words...but ok, I guess it's true) for helping me set this up. Goodness knows my computer-incompetent self never could have done it without him.
The most amazing part was finding some little ferns growing in the hardened lava. Ferns are the first colonizers, meaning they’re the tough plants that move in first and grow in the most impossible landscapes. Many thousands of years from now, with the help of the wind and rain, grasses, and then trees, and then maybe eventually animals will be able to move in. But right now, the contrast of the little green ferns in that black, barren landscape leaves you in awe of the amazing things nature is capable of.
