Off to the Big Island was next for the bro in law and myself. We were expecting big things since we needed to get up at 4am` in the morning to catch a flight to the island where there is volcanic activity at Mount Kilauea. This was an all day trip and when we landed at the Big Island, I would not say the weather was in our favor ... it was overcast and cold.
We took a tour which advertised (I can not say promised) BIG things in the Big Island.
I was expecting to see BIG turtles on the BIG black sand beach. Not only that I was expecting to see the BIG Rainbow Falls, and not least we are expecting to see LAVA flowing right next to our feet.
All i can do is one big SIGH... not of relief but frustration .. none of that BIG stuff ever occurred and man.. was I disappointed. I know everything on this tour is not guaranteed due to natural habitat and other mother nature reasons. HOWEVER, when you travel half way around the world and expect to see lava (even when trip advisor reviews say you are highly unlikely to see red hot lava), you think to yourself, I'm lucky so I will see it.
Whilst at the National Park the information center guides had deflated any hopes we had. The lava is not viewable anywhere where the tour guide drives us. For safety reasons (after people were getting their hands and feet burned off) tours no longer travel down near the ocean where the red hot lava typically flows. So what did we see ?? well we didn't see we sniffed.. that's right sniffed as much sulfur as 10 people would in their lifetime !!!.
OK enough of the negativity, Big Island was a nice island very much in a state that it seemed as though nothing was destroyed, the water at the beaches were clear as crystal and it was a peaceful area, that's if you venture out of the touristy resorts. There is much history to learn about of the native Hawaiian people on the island.
Oh did I mention after a day of touring and kicking stones (or it could have been lava) whilst looking at the museum overlooking the Halema'uma'u Crater ... we did see the volcano bubble up with some activity ??? I will tell you that this trip was worth every penny after seeing that volcano spit out red fluids and steam. It is just remarkable and mother nature I thank you !
Oh big thanks to our Aunt who dropped us at the pick up point at 4:30am !!!
