Me Tarzan

For days now I've waited for this morning. 8am was the time that I was told to return a call to the man in charge of visitation to the Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea. After a great and filling breakfast I took his vital info and a small written dialog meant to quell my studdering out to the pay phone. Inserted money, dialed number, asked to be connected and was denied. The woman on the other end informed me that the man in question wasn't there but should be by around 8:30am or so. Right. Went back to the firehouse and took in Benham's lecture on the various stages of Hawaiian volcanoes. After this, I went out to call again. Turns out this contact of mine had zipped up the mountain before the woman answering the phone even got in. Call back at 4pm when he should be back down, she said. Look, this is only slightly frustrating because 1) I don't have any special right dictation my need to go up there and 2) I'm not really sure I quite understand how this office functions. I just want to see the place! If I have to follow a janitor up to help him replace empty rolls of toilet paper I'd be content! Anyway, today's journies didn't really permit me to get on a phone by 4pm to give it another try. Tomorrow is another day.

So, back to today. In short, we went to Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Akaka Falls just north of Hilo, had lunch at an area that was devistated by a tsunami in 1946, and hiked into and out of Waipio Valley to the far north. Now, the details.

Rainbow Falls was a lovely sight that had tourist written all over it. I suppose there's no easy way to avoid this when considering that it's in an urban setting and needs to be easily accessable to even the most inaccessable person. Brimming with the water of yesterday's heavy rain, the falls were stunning — but that wasn't the cool part. What lay up a irregular stone staircase and behind some dangling branches was the true find. Just behind the viewpoint looking straight down on the edge of the waterfall was a dark and alien looking area with its center occupied by an incredible structure of a tree. The banyon tree is unusual because it has dangling from it strong vines that eventually find the ground and root themselves firmly within it. This makes for a pretty massive tree. And a good time, if you're looking for it. Although most of the group quickly took to climbing in the main part of the beast, someone found an inticing vine hanging from somewhere in the canopy above. I saw a couple people swing from the vine and was immediately pulled in by the Indiana Jones in me. A small hill served as our launch pad and the rather trustworthy vine as our vehicle. This combination made for a great ride! Person after person flung themselves from the hill at various heights considering each's comfort (or stupidity) level. Jumping from a rather high point and swing at a rather high speed toward the trunk of the hulking tree proved to be an amazing rush that set my heart into base drum mode. The grip used to hold my entire body on the vine as I swung was only noticable after my brief flights (oh yes, there were many) when I attempted to fully extend my fingers and now as the red marks left from my death grip fade from my palms. From innocent rush to testoster-laced competition, the swinging got faster and more stylized. Nick and I even got to the point where we could swing over to the tree, stand up on a branch, grab another, hold ourselves up, have our picture taken, then swing back. Most everyone took part in the exhilerating act (except Kristin!) and only very minor injuries surfaced. Oh boy were we just asking for it though!

We took a brief trip up stream to look at a really roiling portion of that same river then soon drove north to Akaka Falls. A short, paved hike led us through dripping forest that seemed to be unaware of the word "small." Every fern, every leaf, every flower — all big, beautiful, and brilliant. The waterfalls were nice too. Lunch next in a lovely seaside area called Laupahoehoe Point that has a perilous past. The memorial to the lives lost there in a tsunami was lovely and saddening at the same time. Names and ages listed at the site showed many in one family perished and were taken even at the ripe old age of three months. Just another stunning place set within a postcard-ready surrounding. Steep cliffs jutted up to the north and south and seemed to have waterfalls landing directly in the sea flowing from them. The raw, twisted power of the ocean also appeared before our eyes as it constantly slammed itself against rocks just offshore. Did I say postcard? I meant painting.

After a brief decision period, the vans drove north to the Waipio Valley. We parked and were immediately greeted by a 600' drop into this valley filled with plots of agricultural land, and swift river, marshland, lush rainforest, black sand beach, and steep terrain on either side with (yup) waterfalls giving in to gravity's tug. Never content with just looking the planned hike down into the valley along a slender, 25% grade road commenced. The pants over my legs really made me aware how hard my muscles were working to control my decent because the head trapped by them was incredible and all being generated by those muscles. Once at the valley floor we had to stroll along a potmarked, dirt road covered with soupy mud and deep puddles. Through a lush forest the road led. One reminder of the steep, dangerous road above came in the form of a mangled heap of a car resting in the trees nearby. Presumably the remains of an unsuccessful trip either up or down the valley walls, the cars were the perfect centerpiece of a jungle set mystery movie. My legs recovered and carried me well. The reward came when we reached the beach I just viewed from 600' higher. After the normal snapping of pictures many of us looked around the place and placidly allowed rain from offshore to tap at our raingear. Completely overlooking the geologic signifigance of the area, I soon (sooner than I thought, actually) found myself following Kristin and Ally on the hike back up the steep road. While some hitched rides in the backs of trucks and still others took to jogging up the incline (props to Matt), the three of us paced ourselves and easily overcame the challenge. It was an invigorating jaunt that I would recommend to anyone. Mind over matter is the name of the game.

So, my (Lisa's) van drove back to KMC and served as a place for much reminising of the long gone days of old cartoon and TV show themes songs, character names, and plot lines. Realizing that we were getting old, some facts elluded us. But, oh, the memories! A few of us stuck around the firehouse tonight to watch Ally McBeal and take part in some valuable (although not Earth-shattering) conversation and indoor Aerobee tossing. Now 'tis time for me to rest my tired muscles. Today's hike, yesterday's hike, and tomorrow's promise of yet another hike out the the active flow are making my muscles tired just thinking about them. Grin and bear it I will for from this will (and has) come experiences that I hope never to misplace.

Comments (7) | To Top

12/21/2004 @ 9:04am

this sucks!

by Cha cha

12/21/2004 @ 9:06am

hi! i think this is the best site ever!

by Puff

by Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Flim

12/21/2004 @ 9:07am

hi!

3/1/2005 @ 8:35am

Pictures of me tarzan

by Marcela Baezza

3/10/2005 @ 6:39pm

your cool

by angel

5/9/2005 @ 8:10pm

pics would be nice

by dawnlily

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Mon. January 17, 2000, 11:23pm PST

Me Tarzan

12/21/2004 @ 9:04am

12/21/2004 @ 9:06am

12/21/2004 @ 9:06am

12/21/2004 @ 9:07am

3/1/2005 @ 8:35am

3/10/2005 @ 6:39pm

5/9/2005 @ 8:10pm

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