Da Big Island Brah!

a VERY early morning flight to the big island. i hopped into my little rental, a nissan Versa, and made my way down to Kona for a morning brew where i met the sea captain and his mer-wench:


breakfast at the Kope Lani. awesome coffee!


and a stroll through the early, not yet open, downtown area of Kona:





local fruits at the local farmer's market:


at the end of South Point Road, the southern most point of the big island. only a few other people made the 15 odd mile drive down. it was beautiful here. later, i learned that people are NOT supposed to drive down this road . . . oops.


great place to be a cow:


black sand beach:






volcano national park. Kilauea Crater, still smoking away:


steam vents. it was super hot near there. my lens kept fogging up!



nice stinky sulfur banks:


to see the lava flow, i had to drive down HWY 130 to Kaimu/Hakuma point and hike about half a mile:


the lava flow can only really be seen at night. twilight offered great visibility and enough light to take decent pictures:



back at volcano national park, Thurston Lava Tube:


the rain forest just outside:



from the drive down chain of craters road:




Pu'u Loa petroglyphs:


Holei Sea Arch at the end of the road:



took a hike out past where the cars can't go to see why the road was blocked:


this is the newest lava land, been flowing here since 1983:


back on the road up to Hilo:


what a ghetto ass dump:


jungley scenic route:


beautiful unspoilt waters:


Akaka Falls:



i always get a kick out of shit like this:


i found the drastic change of scenery to be the most impressive thing here. Rainforest turns into pastures turns into barren land turns into fields turns into beach turns into mountain turns into woodland turns into desert. its pretty amazing.




So awesome. can't wait to go back.