Another bus ride

Dear travel diary

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Today I was able to sleep until almost 7:30 am and I was still tired. After breakfast, we headed towards Volcanoes National Park.

The road took us again over the bumpy road, past Mauna Kea and the cloudy/rainy road. But this time it rained even harder and didn't stop right away. So it was once again very difficult to drive and I had no desire to get out of the car afterwards.

Once we arrived at the park, we saw the crater of Kilauea (Hawaiian: to spit) through the fog. It is one of the most active shield volcanoes in the world. Until 2018, there was a 200-meter-wide liquid lava lake in the crater. In the last three years, it solidified before showing signs of liquefaction again in December 2020.

It was impressive to see such a huge crater and to know that there is still boiling deep inside.

We continued driving through various lava landscapes, leaving the cloudy and humid weather behind and reaching the coast with a stone arch in the cliffs. The scenery reminded me of England and felt familiar. Each lava landscape was labeled with the eruption year, and each eruption looked different. Some had sharp rocks, some were sausage-shaped, and some were smooth.

To see the Ho'lei Sea Arch, we had to walk a few hundred meters. Since the road was closed due to construction work, the road worker kindly told us that we could walk on the side of the road, which would be much easier and more pleasant. It was sweet of him to care about us and try to help.

As soon as we reached a higher altitude near the crater, it became foggy and rainy again. So we drove back home and were constantly rained on until Mauna Kea.

When we arrived home, Chantal and I went shopping for the next few days, as we have to return our car tomorrow and wanted to stock up on food. Somehow we managed to keep the bill at only 80 dollars, even though we bought a lot of fruits and vegetables, which are usually expensive.

Since it's Jasmin's last evening on Big Island, she wished to eat out. So we found an Italian restaurant and ordered pizza and pasta. Chantal and I each treated ourselves to a 16-inch (40 cm) pizza and devoured everything except for two slices.

Our waitress was really proud of us for eating so much and came over to us halfway through and told us that we were fine, she didn't think we could eat that much, etc. So she brought us two free desserts along with the bill. Panna Cotta and Tiramisu in a to-go box. We were thrilled with the gesture, even though we were already full and couldn't eat another bite.

However, when we got home and found another toad in the garden and at the doorstep, we ate the two desserts and then collapsed into bed with our bellies way too full.

Friday, June 18, 2021

Today we had to leave at 7:45 am because we had to return the car to the Hilo airport by 9:30 am. The drive there was beautiful again as we drove through tropical areas.

When we arrived at the airport, returning the car only took a minute as a lady came and inspected it and said everything was perfect. So Jasmin could continue checking in her suitcase and Chantal ordered an Uber to take us back to the city.

For our return trip, we had to choose between taking an Uber, which would cost about 120 dollars, or taking the bus. However, here on Big Island, we rarely saw any buses or bus stops. So I asked our driver if he was familiar with the bus system, and he kindly looked up some information on the internet and even dropped us off at the bus office so we could ask there.

Due to Corona, we had to knock and wait outside instead of entering. Then the lady came out and told us when our buses were leaving. We were relieved and went to the Farmers Market, which was right across the street. It wasn't very busy, but there were lots of fresh colorful fruits and vegetables under a tent. The sight was beautiful, and the lovely ladies behind each counter made it even better. At one stand, we bought a bag of lychees.

We continued walking along the promenade, passing various shops, and sat down together for the last time at a cafe that reminded me of a witch's kitchen. On the wall, there were seven large test tubes filled with vibrant colors, which were used as flavor enhancers for the drinks.

I dared to try a Mermaid Latte, which is similar to Chai but made with cinnamon and cardamom. The color was naturally ocean blue.

For lunch, we ate the remaining pizza slices from yesterday, and then Chantal and I got on the bus while Jasmin waited for her Uber back to the airport.

When we boarded the bus, we were pleasantly surprised by the luxury compared to the buses on Oahu. Not only was the bus ticket cheaper and the seats more comfortable, but the ventilation could also be adjusted, making the bus warmer. It was actually a car, not an ordinary bus. The ride was very pleasant, even though the bus driver sometimes followed the passengers' personal requests and deviated from the route.

I fell asleep again for a while and woke up just before Waimea. We didn't have to walk very far from the bus stop, and after about 2 hours and only 2 dollars each, we were home.

We both had to take a power nap before anything else was possible.