Eric and I spent a long weekend in Volcano a few weeks ago. It’s about 3 hours south east of Waimea and a great local vacation spot. What amazed me the most was how relaxing it was, despite the proximity to a fiery pit of molten lava, lava that decimated the entire village of Kalapana. In Volcano Village, you’re surrounded by lush greenery, human size ferns, and a misty haze that gives permission to stay in bed all morning. But a few minutes down the road to Volcano National Park, and it’s a whole new world. It’s lush green, then barren, then covered in lava, all in a matter of minutes! The changing landscape and microclimates of Hawaii never ceases to amaze me. And how often in your life do you get to see a road that got covered over in lava?
Kilauea Volcano may very well be the world’s most active volcano and has been continuously flowing since 1983. Kilauea is home to Pele, The Hawaiian Volcano Goddess. Madame Pele is known for her passionate, volatile, and capricious nature. If you drive down through Puna to get to where Kalapana used to be, you can see the lava flowing, especially if you go at night. We went during the day and saw 2 day old lava, parts of it were still smoldering. Given the heat, toxic fumes, and baby on the way, that was enough for me. The patterns in the lava fascinated me, as did it’s hardness given its young age. While the lava has destroyed the village of Kalapana, it has also created more than 491 acres of new land.
And to quote my husband: “I’m sorry Intercourse, PA 17534. You’re no longer the coolest zip code in the country.”
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