dioxide spews from holes in the ground at the rate of tons per hour. Lava flowing towards the sea,
destroying anything and everything in its path, capturing fresh land from the ocean and annexing it
to the island. Change and growth, difficult but necessary for both humans and land. There is a lot
going on underground—we only see the result of the action when the earth’s crust cannot withstand the
force and pressure; then it explodes. We make no pretence to understand it; at least, we are learning a little.
It has rained each night in Volcano Village, our town on the eastern side of the island and
lately, during daylight. Fortunately, it rained for thirty-six hours commencing Friday night through
Sunday morning, thus not affecting our outdoor activities. We had a great day of weather yesterday
(Sunday) but that changed drastically today. (Hike 8.06)
The sun shone and off we went to try the lava tube and parts of the caldera. The tube was very
interesting especially as no hot lava flowed during the time we were in the tunnel. We were pleased
about that indeed. For a claustrophobic, it was quite a test. We are trying to overcome this phenomenon
by pushing a little more each time we try a tunnel. Who knows how these things develop?
Friday’s walk of a little less than 6 miles was a sort of rest day after quite a hectic week.
Along the caldera rim, the steam coming out of vents is quite a phenomenon. Apparently, the rainwater
penetrates the surface striking the hot lava, creating steam, which retraces its path back up and out
of the ground. We also got up as close as allowed to the crater within a crater that is actively spewing
sulphur dioxide. No matter how many times we view the activity in that big hole, we are always fascinated.
After walking a few miles to the viewpoint, we were nearly equally fascinated by the process of tour busses
bringing in people for their 10 minutes view and shepherding them back onto the bus. We doubt that we’re
fit enough to cope with jumping on and off a tour bus at that rate.
We note that on the mainland the clocks were advanced an hour. We dislike this idea but are in
the minority. We also notice many international issues that are most worrying. We can sum it up in one
sentence. Syria retains its seat on The UN Human Rights Commission. We don’t have to write much more
so we can continue to ponder the issue of time. New Zealand will move its clock forward soon bringing
it twenty-fours ahead of Hawaii. We are in a quandary. In traveling from Hawaii to New Zealand, do we wind
our watches twenty-four hours forward? Such is the dilemma we face. Help!
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
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