Postcards From Hawai'i

US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/25
  Aloha from Kona Hawaii! We arrived this afternoon to bright sun, 80°+ temperatures (27° C), bougainvillea and the promise of Kona coffee. So enjoyable was cocktail hour on our lanai that we almost forgot to photograph the sunset. Kona is exotic, but the best part: we didn't have to change money, learn another conversion rate, deal in a foreign language, adapt to metric again, or drive on the 'wrong' side of the road ... After a visit to the store, we now wish the prices were in some other currency!

  
  
  
US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/26
  Below the Tropic of Cancer, at a latitude of 19.5°N, the island of Hawaii is the southern-most part of the US. Ka Lae, or Hawaii's South Point, is spectacular: lava flows, big waves, crystal clear water. On beyond the point, more than 3000' (1 km) below the water surface, a new volcano, Lō'ihi, is forming. Although it hasn't broken the surface, it's taller than Mt. St. Helens was, and is already teaming with life. In 10-100 centuries or so, Hawaii's southern most point will be even closer to the equator.

  
  
  
US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/27
  As Hurricane Sandy swirled off the East Coast, there was action off the West Coast. Tonight, a 7.7 earthquake centered in Haida Gwaii, BC sent a tsunami towards HI. (Noelle at epi- center in July.) Tsunamis are "Hawaii's biggest natural threat," so they're prepared. Our Tsunami Warning came by loudspeaker; evacuation maps are in the phonebook; beach-side hotels "vertically evacuate." HI's deep ocean location attenuates a tsunami's force. On arrival, seas rose only 4.5' (1.5 m) with no damage. Living on the edge, we were fine.

  
  
  
US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/28
  Last night's tsunami reminded us of the wise saying, "Life's uncertain. Eat dessert first." Acting on a tip from Carolyn Harano, we headed to Tex's Drive-in, Honoka'a, for malasadas. They are a confection brought by Portuguese laborers in 1878. We weren't the only ones lining up for these warm, fluffy, fried, rolled-in-sugar treats. The only problem is deciding on a filling flavor. We shoulda had one of each ... it could be our last meal. Thanks, Carolyn!

  
  
  
US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/29
  Botanical Wonder #1. At the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens, a beautiful exhibit of native plants and their role in Hawaiian culture, we learned about 'Awa (Piper methysticum). Hawaiians used it to stupify sharks. (Sharks already seem pretty stupid!) Here's how: Over a few days at the same place in shallow water and at the same time, feed the sharks baked meat laced with pounded 'Awa root. On the 5th day when the sharks are sated and stupified, slip a noose around their necks and tow them ashore. Now what?

  
  
  
US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/30
  Botanical Wonder #2. At the Ethnobotanical Gardens, we admired the Koki'o, or Hawaiian Tree Cotton (Kokia drynarioides). This lovely small tree found only on the leeward side of Hawai'i, is exceedingly rare. Fewer than 10 plants are known in the wild. But it's not the rarest! The equally beautiful Kokia cookei, a native of Moloka'i, was discovered in 1860. Only 3 wild plants of K. cookei were ever known, now all dead. Horticulturists keep K. cookei going by grafting onto rootstock of its more abundant relative K. drynarioides.
  
  Go botanists! Save 'em both!

  
  
  
US Postal Service, October 2012
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  10/31
  We hiked to Maka O Hule Heiau, an arrangement of stones created by ancient Hawaiians to give relative positons of the Pacific Islands. The site, high on a promontory, is sacred, so we viewed it at a distance. The navigation knowledge used to build it was lost (by the 18th century!) Presumably, this heiau would help navigators, lacking maps and compasses, build a mental model of the islands as a first step to navigation. Then, they must have learned the position/star relationships needed to paddle between any of the islands. It seems a phenomenal ability.

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/1
  We traveled to the summit of Mauna Kea, one of Hawai'i's 5 volcanoes, where a dozen research agencies have their telescopes. These two, just opening their eyes after sundown, are two 10 meter telescopes of the W. M. Keck Observatory. That's Maui on the horizon behind them. No astronomers are here; they work remotely at Keck HQ in Waimea. By coincidence, we met Mark Durré, the man who will observe with one of these telescopes tonight. Over night he will "look near the black hole at the center of six 'old,' elliptical galaxies gathering infra-red data." We think it's to estimate the black hole's size.

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/2
  What says 'Hawaii" more than hula? Surfing! Leis! Pineapple! OK, but still. We went to the 7th Moku O Keawe International Festival (the hula competition). We watched the "historic" division, or Kahiko, of classic dances and costumes. These are not grass-skirt-and-coconut ensembles, but very modest outfits. The dance is vigorous, requiring strength and agility. It's performed to chants with percussion from an ipu, a hollowed gourd. Check this clip, and compare to the more modern style.

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/3
  Hawaii's Volcano National Park ranks with Yellowstone and Denali as one of America's great parks. Situated on the side of Mauna Loa, but containing a different volcano -- Kilauea -- there is lava as far as the eye can see: old lava, young lava, and lava that is not yet out of the ground. There are abundant steam vents, huge lava tubes, and gnarly piles of lava to admire. Kilauea's activity is visible from a distance, but the best shots are from the USGS: through the smoke and steam, and by infra-red photography.

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/4
  In a dramatic gorge north of Hilo is the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden, built personally by Dan Lutkenhouse. After selling his California Trucking business, he bought 17 acres of Hawaiian jungle, and over 8 years built the garden. It is your dream rainforest. CAUTION: Blown-away by the beauty of the plants we couldn't help ourselves:
  Flowers: ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀
  Foliage: ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/5
  Look what we found in Hawaii!!! Who knew?

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/6
  We all know tropical fruits such as mangoes and papayas. Farmers markets here have quite a few more choices. There is egg fruit that tastes like sweet cooked yam, and dragon fruit that tastes like kiwi. Both are great! What worries us is that bananas are muscling in on apples -- these are apple bananas. And what is an abiu? Four big seeds surrounded by vanilla pudding!

  
  
  
US Postal Service, November 2012
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  11/7
  Aloha, Hawai'i. Mahalo.