We drove hundreds of miles in the matter of days. The curving roads took us everywhere, from the southernmost point to the northern tip. Along the way we discovered waterfalls, valleys and … lots of spiders.
We started our day very early – Stéphane and I really wanted to see Akaka Falls on the Big Island — but when we arrived, the park hadn’t yet opened! Since we weren’t coming back that way, we parked outside, hopped the fence, paid for our tickets and skipped / jogged to the viewpoint. It was a rush through the cemented pathways to the view, but it was stunning once we got there. The caretaker oddly didn’t care when he passed us leaving.
Hawai’i island is such a varied place. It has a lush ruggedness about it. Cultivated, yet wild. You can plan a cemetery in neat little rows…but no matter what you do, the spiders will come.
Legend says that the stones used to build Moʻokini Heiau, which we hiked to later that day, were carried for miles along a human chain from Polulu Valley, featured in “The Stones They Carried” below.
