Chapter III: Footloose in Hawaii

Aloha

I am arriving at Hilo (Hawaii, Big Island) at 2:20 pm on Monday November 29th. The view of Hawaii from the sky is amazing, I’m excited!! I’m landing in Hawaii!!

At the airport, Robert is waiting for me. Robert is my Couchsurfing host in Hilo. There are not too many couchsurfing hosts in Hilo and Robert has always room for couchsurfers.

After a walk in downtown Hilo in the afternoon, I went back to the Robert´s house and I met other 5 couchsurfers. Connor and Tena have been one month hitchhiking and couchsurfing in Hawaii. They are leaving Hawaii in December 2^nd and they have decided to rent a car for the last three days and go to the best spots on the island. I´m going to a HelpX place in December 2^nd and until then, I want to explore the island. We were talking about our travels and drinking beers in Robert´s house and I’m joining them in their three days trip.

The next three days

It’s Nov. 30^th, Connor, Tena and me start driving north, the first stop is the Akaka Falls, it’s a beautiful place, a big waterfall in a green wall. We walk a little trail until the overlook, crossing a lot of peculiar trees and big bamboos. 

The second stop is in Pololu Valley, in Hamakua Coast. There is a gorgeous black sand beach where there are people bodysurfing, forest in the valley and more waterfalls. Connor and Tena were in this valley before and they met a man who is living in the valley since 10 weeks ago, he is still in there and we go to visit him. He is okay, but there are a lot of centipedes in the forest, he has already killed some of them.

After the visit to Pololu Valley we continue on the north to north and west, looking for the white sands beaches. We make a stop in Hawi in the last Connor and Tena’s HelpX place to pick up some stuff that their left there. The hosts are very friendly and they give us a delicious fruit drink.

When we arrive to the west of Mauna Loa, leaving the green mountain fields, the view changes radically, it’s all flat and there are only dried lava seas. At the coast there are some threes, palms and resorts, and the beaches are the most beautiful on the Island. We arrive late in the afternoon to Kiholo Bay and we camp there beside the sea.

The second day at the morning, Connor and Tena go to see the petroglyphs driving back north east and I stay in Kiholo Bay, exploring. I start the morning swimming in the Queen’s bath, spring water in a lava tube, wonderful and cool. 

After that, I go to the beach to swim with green sea turtles and big fishes, it’s an incredible experience and I am alone, there is nobody else in the beach. Awesome!! One of the best moments in the island!

 

 

Around 10:00 am, I walk 20 minutes to the road crossing the lava desert and just when I arrive to the road, Connor and Tena are coming back from the petroglyphs and they pick me up again end we go south to Makalawena beach, a wonderful white sand beach. 

This is a more tourist beach, but there is not too much people today.

In the afternoon we drive all the west coast until south point (the southest point in USA) stopping in Kailua Kona, the second big city, and Hookena beach, a beautiful black sands beach with dolphins living in there.

In south point we go to Green Sands Beach, the sand is not totally green, is mixed with black sand, but is curious and beautiful.

We spend the night in a campground before the entrance to the Volcano National Park.

At the morning of the third day we visit the volcano, we can see craters, vents, lava tubes and petroglyphs, but there is not lava flowing.

In the afternoon we go to Puna, at the southeast. We visit and swim in the Champagne pools and Tide pools. These pools are natural pools of warm water and good for snorkeling.

We arrive around 5 at Robert’s house and I pick up my stuff and say good bye and thanks to Robert, Connor and Tena, then I go to the HelpX place with Rebecca.

Help Exchange in Puueo Mauka farms

The Rebecca’s place is amazing, is only 3 miles from Hilo, in the hills. The property is a Macadamia nuts farm and is 30 acres big. There is a river and waterfalls just beside my tent and the view from the viewpoint is spectacular, I can see the ocean, the airport and Hilo.

I’m working in a loop trail on the edge of the river, cleaning and making steps; planting palms around Rebecca’s house and other miscellaneous.

On Saturday 4^th arrives Dayva, she is Rebecca’s daughter and she has been traveling a lot too. She has been the last year in Korea and now she is coming back home. The next Saturday is her birthday and my last day in Hawaii and she is celebrating a party in the house.

After a good day of work on Sunday Rebecca, Dayva and me go to the theater to watch a movie. I’m very happy to understand almost everything on the movie and I don’t think about the language until half movie, my English is really good!!

On Monday Rebecca gives me the day off and I decide to go to the beaches in Hilo. She gives me a ride to the beaches road and I walk until the last beach and come back in the afternoon. The beaches are wonderful, there is not too much sand and a lot of rocks, there is green turtles and big fishes too. In the afternoon I go the Coconut Island and I have a nice view of the Hilo coast.

On Tuesday I’m working alone in the trail and when I finish I swim in the river at the bottom of the falls. In the evening we go to a birthday party of a Rebecca’s friends in a beautiful house beside the beast surfing beach. The party is funny and interesting, and very American, eating BBQ burgers. I meet a lot of interesting people and we talk about Hawaii, travels and aloha. The party ends sitting around a fire under the stars.

On Thursday I made dinner for Rebecca and Dayva and we were dinning together and talking until late. 
I cooked Spanish omellette and some bread, and Rebecca put the wine.
Usually I cook and eat in my kitchen but this time I cooked in the Rebecca's kitchen and we ate toghether in her house.

On Friday and Saturday morning we prepared everything for the Dayva’s party and the party started around 1:00 of the afternoon. A lot of friends of Dayva came to the party, her father, and some Rebecca’s friends. We ate a lot of delicious food and drank beers. It was raining in the lunch time but then stopped and we went to swim to the river. The party ended aging sitting around a fire under the stars, drinking beers and talking until late. 

I was the last one who went to bed, sitting beside the fire, watching the stars and thinking about this incredible travel I’ve done and my next step. I will come back to Hawaii! Of that I’m sure!

See you later, aloha and mahalo!

On Sunday I fly back to home, to spent Christmas and prepare my next travel!

Rebecca drive me to the airport and we say good bye and see you later, ‘cause I will come back to visit them.

My time in Hawaii is ended; I’m sad but also glad for to have had a great time in this wonderful place with this wonderful people! I felt in love with Hawaii and the Aloha spirit and I’m thinking when and how to come back to this paradise.

To be continued…