Friday, November 09, 2007

More Nostalgia

28th November to 3rd December 1987 - Hitch-hiking around the Big Island (HAWAII) Trecking through volcanoes, to "green" beaches, acid rain deserts, Pakalolo plantations, dog/stunt/vehicles etc.

I don't remember pakalolo plantations, but so very much in such a little time- sheltering from a downpour in a Hilo high school- overnight at the Volcano visitors centre- the day we made money, picking up change along a highway through a desolate moonscape- camping on a picnic table at a haunted beach of black and white pebbles- begging for water- eating guavas off the vine- trying to find the Captain Cook monument- the cops coming to see if we were dead, camped outside a church on the edge of Kailua-Kona - then the best ever hitched ride, warned of the sheriff in Honokaa (or was it Ho'okena?, most memorable ever hitched ride passing trucks on double white lines on twisty mountain road with watefalls sitting with the dogs in a ute with no sides... trying to peer through the windows of the Miss Teen USA competition and the drug dealer who was the only person who *didn't* offer us pakalolo...





Wide angle - Foreground is untouched wilderness, background is volcanic lava flow destruction







close up of me and the Doctor from the original image surveying the eerie moonscape of lava destruction





Best ever hitched ride
Sign says do not climb loose volcano ejecta

3 comments:

Dr Clam said...

I don't remember pakalolo plantations, but so very much in such a little time- sheltering from a downpour in a Hilo high school- overnight at the Volcano visitors centre- the day we made money, picking up change along a highway through a desolate moonscape- camping on a picnic table at a haunted beach of black and white pebbles- begging for water- eating guavas off the vine- trying to find the Captain Cook monument- the cops coming to see if we were dead, camped outside a church on the edge of Kailua-Kona - then the best ever hitched ride, warned of the sheriff in Honokaa (or was it Ho'okena?, most memorable ever hitched ride passing trucks on double white lines on twisty mountain road with watefalls sitting with the dogs in a ute with no sides... trying to peer through the windows of the Miss Teen USA competition and the drug dealer who was the only person who *didn't* offer us pakalolo...

Dr Clam said...

You are rushing ahead a bit!

Remember swimming at Waiamea Bay the day the surfing championship was called off because the waves were too big?

And leaving the tape player behind at Hollywood bus station?

We definitely went to the Grand Canyon in between Mexico and Colorado- we got our 30 day bus pass, and then went Tucosn-Durango via the Grnad Canyon, Winslow Arizona (you or the Groose should have a picture of someone standing on a corner), Albuquerque, and Cuba. I think we stopped for breakfast in Cuba and had chorizo.

Marco Parigi said...

We missed the photo opportunity at Winslow :(. We passed through at night and couldn't find the camera or a corner or something. We had to make do with the "Market Place in Florence" in Europe. Anyhoo - Do you remember the sequence of days from Mexico to Colorado? It could only have been a few days between seeing snow in Tucson, overnight and day at Grand Canyon, overnight on the bus through Albequerque to Christmas eve etc. in Durango.