The Mad Hatter

Hi Folks,

A quick update since arriving home and a few clean up things.

Item 1. I should not have come home. My luck deserted me. I arrived home on Saturday afternoon and took the car to get washed and cleaned on Sunday morning and the clown from the carwash backs my car into a pole. Hopefully, their insurance will pay but until this happens, I have a risk and a problem.


Item 2 On Monday, I discovered that I have a collapsed sewer pipe in my back yard and it must be fixed very soon.  This will cost thousands.


On the up side, here is a collection of pics showing mostly hat choices, I collected on my travels, My Hawaiian  shirt and some of my bags are also included.

Start out Hat

Followed by beanie

Then full Balaclava and appearance of New Bag

Great Wall of China hat

Even newer bag

Russian Cap

Russian General' s hat

Harris Tweed Hat, UK

Orkney Beanie

Keck Telescope Beanie

Hilo Guitars & Ukelele's Cap

LB

Home

Hi all Blogettes

The time has arrived, I am home at last. I have calculated that I have been on the road for 189 days since leaving on the 10 May until today. Time passes quickly when  you are travelling.

Thanks to all who have come along with me on the journey, thanks for all the comments and questions and encouragement along the way.

I am not finished just yet, I will post a few more comments over the next few days and my travel ambitions are not over yet, although it will be sometime next year I feel before anything happens  in that dept.

Billy Boy has his turn next, he is off to sunny Spain and other parts soon.  I suggest to everyone to take his lead and make your own adventure happen. It's a big world, time to get out there.

A big thanks to all the friends along the way that supplied some lodgings and sanity along the way, including Les & Clara Lukacs in Hungary,  Jurgie and Carola in Munich,  Arno, Marianne and Truffle in Heeze,  Maralyn and Frank in Shropshire,  Fiona in Edinburgh and Christine and Dean in Parksville BC.


LB

Mahalo Hawaii

Aloha Australia and Mahalo Hawaii,

Today, my last day in Honolulu was pretty much like yesterday, I caught the bus into town, wandered around the streets in the heat and found the Hawaiian shirt shop I was told about in Hawaii by this musician that worked at the car sales/rental place. He told me his name, but I have forgotten it, he is of Japanese decent, about 4 generations and according to the other girl at the car place, is a very well respected guitar/uke player that regularly tours all over the world and has several CD's out. I thought he had a nice shirt on so he gave me the address in Honolulu. I bought 2 shirts and there are no photos yet, they are still wrapped up. I can tell you the exclusive designer label is Manuheali'i and in Hawaiian nearly every vowel is pronounced. As in Hawaii (ha-why-e-e).

I also found another nice guitar/uke shop which had lots of nice things and some at very good prices, but I resisted again and opted to buy nothing. Such self control. Honolulu is not an easy city to walk around in, lots of concrete and pavement, little shade (in parts) and the sun is hot and the air is humid. It also does not seems to have a central place or heart, there is a chinatown, a downtown (which is all business), a large shopping mall (Alona I think) and Waikiki district which is all hotels and hamburger places. None of which are that close to each other and none stick out as the place to be.

I did find a nice Chinese place for lunch, I had crab meat mixed with cream cheese and celery and a hint of spring onion and chilli, wrapped in a won ton wrapper and deep fried, Yum. Honolulu is a very asian city, big share of the population either of Japanese, Korean or Chinese ancestry, mixed in with Polynesian. It also seems to have a lot of elderly people, mainly from the US who want a warmer climate. It is either here or Florida. Another piece of useless trivia i picked up whilst on the Hawaii (the big island) is that is has no snakes, at all. Surprising really as it is tropical with lots of small and large bugs and lizards for a snake to eat, but no snakes. I think some of the other islands may have them, but not Hawaii.

My one pic of the day (Honolulu is not photogenic) is of the dive of a motel I am staying in, the Pacific Marina Inn, the internet is crap, there is no breakfast, the rooms are tiny and it is in the middle of an industrial estate. It is also expensive.

The up side is it is close to the airport, 5 min, they do provide a shuttle service for free and there is a reasonable Chinese restaurant at the inn.

Aloha Vegemites, I am heading your way.

The Pacific Marina Inn (el dumpo)

Honolulu, Ohau, Hawaii

Well I am back in the big smoke, Honolulu, Ohau, Hawaii. Honolulu is the home of Pearl Harbour and is the main city in the Hawaiian islands.

I arrived here about lunchtime by taking an earlier flight from Hawaii to have more time to see Honolulu. I took a bus from near where I am staying all the way to Waikiki beach, where I went to th Aquarium.  I took the same bus (no. 19) back but it seemed to take forever. I was told it was about 12km, but it felt like 50km. So far, Honolulu meets my expectations (which were not very high). I could think of better places to go if I wanted a beach. Not sure where the big waves are meant to be, but it is not Waikiki. I think it is a place called Pipeline and I am not even sure it is on this island.

Here are some pics.

Looking back along Waikiki toward Honolulu

same as above

Aquarium

above fish

above not fish

fish again

Still quiet in Hilo

Yet another day in paradise, watching the coconut palms swing in the breeze, not a lot else happening. I took the car back this morning, sat in coffee shop from about 10 - noon, rebooked my flight tomorrow to a morning flight, giving me a bit more time to explore Honolulu, had some lunch, then a few beers, then siesta and now waiting for the afternoon rains to come.

no major earthquakes or eruptions, maybe tonight.

no pics today.

LB

Slow day in Hilo

Hi,

No pics today, I just chilled out at a cafe watching the world go by most of the day ( a late start) and surfed the net back at the hostel later this afternoon looking for a download of the last Dr Who episode (without success). I can get it from Iview on Aunty when I return.

TV in the US is simply shit (Canada is a close second). Channel after Channel of mindless ad filled drivel.  I am hoping for a major earthquake or eruption to liven the place up. I do not want a tsunami as I am close to the water, that is fair as it is my wish list.

The tree was correctly identified by a few but B.E. (known for his weekend parties) was first to get it right by identifying it as a Monkeypod Tree. Arno gets a point bonus for having a variant growing in his back yard.


LB


p.s. this was blog #200 so I guess I have been on the road 200 days +/- a few.

Sunday in Hilo

Hi,

Sunday in Hilo is a pretty relaxed show, not a lot to do and see. Some shops open, but overall, fairly quiet. I cruised around some of the shops this morning and then went down to ocean front.  A few people fishing and relaxing in the shade. It was a warm day.

Not many pics today, after this mornings adventure, I had a siesta this afternoon and tonight I headed about 20 mile south of Hilo to the village of Pahoa, this is where the Lava is currently threatening to cross the village and the main road. At present the Lava has stopped advancing and has not cut across any roads as yet. The road on which you can see the lava is roadblocked both ends to keep tourists like me away. I knew this before I left but took a chance I might find a way around this or be able to see the glowing lava further away from the distance. Unfortunately, none of these eventuated, I could not see anything unusual, even a glow in the sky. The roadblock was not explained, it just said road blocked. You would never know there is a lava threat to the town if you we're there. I got to see the village of Pahoa though and I saw a cat.

Huge tree at Cemetery, not sure what type, but very Big. Homework for anyone that wants a challenge.

Looking back toward Hilo from airport side of bay

Relaxed locals

Circum - Hawaii

Hi All,

Today I picked up my rent a car, a brand new, very shiny white Toyota Camry, with only 104 Miles on the clock. Today, I added an extra 250 miles by doing a round the island trip. It took most of the day as driving is slow here, often on 35mph or sometimes less. There is very little highway zoned to do the 55 MPH speed limit.

Here is a Map to give some reference,  I am staying at Hilo on the eastern side of the island, for the navigationally challenged, the right side. Hilo was my starting point and I headed north in an anti clockwise direction. 

This was a scenic spot about 10 mile (16K) north of Hilo

This place was further north on the eastern to north side, I can't remember the name, but it had lots of vowels and the occasional H, L and M, I think. Nice Clam Chowder though.

After passing through Waimea, this was near Kalaoa looking back across lava flows towards the island centre. The next pic is the same place looking at a beach resort. Looks design built to me, not much beach and plenty of condos. Not recommended.

another view of the west coast, mostly lava flows down to the sea.

The White Camry

The three pics above were taken by hand whilst I was driving through KONA, very resortish and way over developed, I am glad I did not choose to stay on this side of the island. Yet, I expect some will prefer the KONA side as it has much more people and activities. Except the 2 things I was interested in, Volcano and Telescopes, which are closer to Hilo.

This is the far south coast, there is a place called Captain Cook, which I must have passed to get here but I saw no signs for a turn off to it.

As above, the dark strips are lava flows from Mauna Loa.

This is looking back to Mauna Loa, The BIG Volcano that has essentially created the Hawaii Island, it is 3000 meters higher than where this pic was taken, which is the Jagger museum in the Volcano National Park (effectively Kilauea Volcano). Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984 and in one day sent lava flowing 25 mile downhill to the outskirts of Hilo. Nowhere is safe on this Island, never buy land here.

More Pics of the Vent at Kilauea, this time with plenty of memory card, the bottom one is with a zoom lens but it did not really work that well as the time expose was quite long, and even with my little tripod, it did not help as thats steam/gas is moving.

It was a better night tonight as I did not have to leave when the tour guide wanted to go, there was less people (although not much less) and it was  clear night and the stars were bright and clear. However within 5k of this place, even before I got out of the park, it was pouring rain and stayed that way all the way back to Hilo.

Washing Day

hi,

not a lot to report today, wandered around town today, went to a great Ukulele and guitar shop, did not buy anything, had mexican for lunch and finally tracked down a reasonable car hire place, pick the car up tomorrow.

Only 3 pics today

There were some people I could have taken photos of which were"different" but I though better not.

Very big tree opposite court house

Who wants to play with the grown ups then?

Some people have no shame.

Time to sit in the garden and do the washing.

Tonight is Black & White night in Hilo, every year, a week after Halloween, they have B&W night and the idea is to dress up in B&W. I will decline I think in case I am seen in Collingwood colors.

Besides, I haven't a thing to wear. 

PS Do  not bother with our German Sim numbers anymore, Joy is home and mine ran out of credit again today. I put 30 euro on it not long ago and have hardly used it, but the credit soon disappeared.

I will switch back to my normal phone from now on, bloody Telstra charge $3 minute for the US, robbing bastards.

Kilauea Volcano

Hello again,

Today was Volcano day, after a slow start to the morning, I booked myself on a Kilauea Volcano tour this afternoon/evening. I am still avoiding hiring a car because of the expensive insurance charges  but I may have to bite the bullet tomorrow or the next day if I am going to see the rest of the island.

The weather was very overcast today so the pics are a little drab, but thats how it goes some days.

Thus is one of the craters at Kilauea, Magma sit about 600m below the floor of this crater, which was recently (maybe 30 years ago) a Lava lake

Chook on the path

Thurston's lava tube (see below as well)

Steam vents near Kilauea Caldera rim (Calderas are much bigger than craters and the next pics show the Caldera (as opposed to the previous crater only). This Caldera has an active crater in it.

A rock that had been thrown up from the Caldera at some stage.

Caldera with active crater at back.

View of the Caldera wall, long way down

Another view of Calder and crater

close up of Crater

The HVO sits on Calder rim overlooking crater

The Jaggar museum is next door to HVO

View of Crater as darkness approaches

Last two, looking at Crater, Lava is out of direct line of sight and glows on steam and crater walls as it gets darker. It was at this point my memory card said I am full. No more pics.

Tomorrow I will try to include an audio file of the bug noises at the hotel. It is a very noisy place at night. They even give you ear plugs.

Tristan, I asked about riding a pushbike down Mauna Kea and was told that is banned now, at least at the very top part because it was too dangerous. You are not allowed to drive up there unless it is a 4WD, yet lots do every day, usually in hire cars for which their insurance does not cover them. They get up ok, but coming down their brakes get white hot and fail and they either go over the edge or crash into other cars and end up owing tens of thousands in salvage and damages. Apparently its a huge laugh for locals.

Hasta La Vista  LB