Aloha from the Big Island.

[Clive]

What's up, y'all? It's been twelve days since I completed my move to the Hilo area in Hawai'i County. All's I can say is, this is where I belong. There are all sorts of things you can find here you can't find anywhere else - like a dozen purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes for two bucks. Ono. I'll let the pictures tell the story:

-The last selfie I took before I left Ohio.
-Giving offerings of sacred tea leaves and guava to Pele at the Kilauea Crater.
-Sometimes the scenery vaguely resembles West Virginia; taken at the island's Wal-Mart.
-Ducking falling coconuts at the local Healing Pond, where the tides flow in through a stone structure into a body of water about the size of a large swimming pool, where you can swim with the tropical fishes.
-Getting some sun at Kehena Beach, which is composed entirely of volcanic rock and must by reached by climbing down and exited by scaling a slightly strenuous rocky hill; where nudity is allowed and a certain herb is openly indulged in. No hassle or perversion, just chillaxin'.
-Hugging a Honu, our family totem.
-Standing on the cliff at Mackenzie Park, where my parents got married.

Yep yep.

[Sean R. R.]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Awesomeness!!!

[ChainLightning]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Absodamnlutely, I'm with Sean on this one, Clive.

That. Is. Awesome!

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

mother flippin' CLIVE!

Welcome back. SO happy you're happy!

[anunitu]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Was wondering when you would be back on,and arrived safely on the Big Island. Good to see you got thee safely,and are doing well.

[InspiringRaine]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Ah man, you're amazingly lucky! Congrats on the big move!!

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Congrats!!!! Must be quite an adventure!

[Willow]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

I'm happy to see things have started to turn up for you, gratz on the exciting move!

[thalassa]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Welcome BACK! So glad to see your move is completed safely! I was wondering when you might turn up again!!!

[Clive]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Thanks, folks. I had never flown before in my life, and being acrophobic I was thinking I'd hate it, but no, I was looking out the windows like everybody else. One layover in Phoenix, another in Honolulu. That second layover was the worst - four hours in Honolulu and we couldn't even leave the airport because there was nowhere for us to store our luggage. Oh, and if you've never been, Phoenix is effing hot.

Also, the TSA went through my bags and left a kind note informing me that my possessions had been molested. They were even kind enough to rip the lining out of one of my bags to check for drugs, I suppose. Bless them.

The island is pretty awesome, though. It's nearly always around 80F, with frequent cooling cross winds, and no thunderstorms, which are exchanged for the occasional tropical storm and volcanic tremor. There is also an air condition here known as "vog" - volcanic smog, air which has been polluted with volcanic vapors and smoke. It is a health hazard and the health food stores sell teas that are supposed to combat the effects of breathing vog. So far I've only been unfortunate enough to pass through a vog cloud once. Sulfurous.

This island in particular is very rural - most of it is volcanic desert, with small towns located around the circumference. I live in an area called Hawaiian Paradise Park, which is sort of like a nature preserve, where the island's natural rainforest has been allowed to grow, but maintained and houses built. Sadly, people who buy property here are free to clear the rainforest from said property, and some of them do...it makes it look like their houses came from the neighborhood in Edward Scissorhands. Pretty much anyone fits in here - I've taken to calling myself an "island redneck," and I'll probably find myself hanging out with the hippies in Pahoa town before long.

Probably the most amusing thing here is that it's not at all unusual for a total stranger to waltz up to you in public, in the middle of the day, and ask "You lookin' fo' some weed, bruddah?" seemingly with no fear of reprisal. Some call this the Big Island's "drug problem." Others call it convenience. They don't call it "Maui Wowie" for nothin'. Ahem.

I have yet to spot any sea life, but as I understand it, dolphins and honu are not uncommon sights here. What I have seen a lot of are tree lizards - often erroneously called geckos - which make their way into houses and crawl on walls. Most intererestingly, I saw a man at Kahena Beach who pulled three live chickens out of his backpack and showed them to people before putting them all back in.

[Sean R. R.]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Pocket chickens, the new fad.

It all sounds so amazingly cool. I'm moving to France in 4 days and I've never flown before. I hope I have an amazing arrival experience as you've had.

[Willow]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

Send shark photos! I think I read somewhere that some places in Hawaii have underwater temples for sharks; always wanted to see those in person...

[Clive]

Re: Aloha from the Big Island.

That's pretty awesome, Sean, moving to France. I've very much wanted to go there, ever since I started taking French in high school. I'm sure your trip will be awesome. Flying is no big deal at all, I found. A few times during take-off I felt a wind current make the plane lurch and that freaked me out a bit, but I was perfectly able to handle the whole thing.

I'm not sure about underwater temples, although I'm sure there are such things here. One thing I am aware of is a submarine with glass walls that offers underwater tours.