Hawaii, the Big Island – Part 5

In the last episode, we left off with our heroes trapped in the fiendish Tapioca Laser Hut of The Ferro Pharaoh. Slowly the sugary laser cut a deadly path towards their toes! Would Hero Man be able to escape somehow? And what of his plucky sidekick, Expendable Lad? Find out after the commercial break…

Ok, that was silly. Really, last post I’d wrapped up our visit to the Pacific Tsunami Museum. From there we walked along the shops for a few blocks south towards what seemed to be a small outdoor market of some kind. Along the way, I got my first and only real impression of this part of town and it was a decidedly mixed one.

Hilo alleyway

The shops were mostly empty and seem to be tailored towards cruise ship passengers. There were lots of t-shirts and other standard tourist trinkets, mixed in with some grungy alleys and tattoo parlors. There was some graffiti and some people hanging out and engaging in some pretty boorish behavior. It wasn’t a really what I would call a bad area, but it stood out because it was the only time I’d seen anything quite like it on the islands.

Hilo was also the only place I recall encountering anyone that seemed rude or unpleasant in Hawaii. My brief impression is that Hilo is a real city, even if it is a very small one that happens to be in Hawaii. The blemishes were just a fact of life, and didn’t take much away from its good points. I wondered what a long-term impression would be like.

We strolled through the small, half-empty market, which had some nice fruit and vegetable stands, before heading back to the cars and making a drive along the waterfront. We passed a sushi restaurant – Nihon – which a local geocacher had recommended, but we’d had lunch recently and the place was closed. A few minutes later we’d found our way over to the shore at the south end of the bay, where we could walk across a short bridge to Coconut Island, of all places. No, I did not just make that name up.

The island was very much like a small park on the water, only perhaps 150 yards in diameter. Several groups – mostly families – had staked out strategic spots for afternoon picnics and barbecue. Little kids played in the sand and water, while at a large stone structure, adults and kids alike climbed up and then leapt off into the deep waters. Apparently the structure was a footing of the original island bridge which was wiped out in the 1946 tsunami which slammed into Hilo.

Jumping off at Coconut Island

We spent some time enjoying the tiny island, with Allison playing in the sand and water with her grandmother, and I took photos and located a benchmark that was conveniently right where I was walking. I walked along some of the lava rock and stepped into the bay water, which was noticeably cooler than the water I’d been in the previous day.

After Coconut Island, we went across the way to a large park which obviously had a great deal of traditional Japanese influence. It turned out to be Liliuokalani Gardens, an Edo-style garden built in the early 1900s and said to be the largest of its type outside of Japan. We took a nice relaxing walk through much of the park, which was quite beautiful. It included a wonderful example of the fantastic Monkey Pod Tree which I had become so enamored with.

After our walk we decided to make our separate ways back to the condo, rather than remaining a two-car convoy. Ironically, both groups ended up taking the same scenic side route just north of Hilo. That drive started off looking a little sketchy but it quickly transformed into a truly wonderful backroad drive, leaving the main highway at Old Mamalahoa Way at the town of Papaikou. (Or “Old Mama at Papa” as it got stuck in my head.)

Old Mamalahoa Way – my kind of backroad

There were mostly small houses of varying designs along the way, many interesting and rustic. Tin roofs are found on many of the older homes. The jungle quickly became very dense on both sides of the road, accompanied by streams and waterfalls, which lent the sound of running water to the jungle. We smiled and stared in wonder at the beauty of it all.

We passed the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden which looked like a nice place to stop on a future visit. Before long, we were out of the jungle and among some nice rural houses and an old Japanese schoolhouse before the road eventually brought us back to the main highway.

Roadside scenery rarely gets better than this

We made another short detour – this one a brief out-and-back – to stop for the geocache Hakalau Hangout, my only find on this side of the island and only my second find in 2½ days. On the downside, the coordinates were the worst of the trip (about 70′ off) which led to a long search. On the plus side it was a very nice location, with a nice overlook of narrow Hakalau Bay and the tall highway bridge. As a further bonus, it was located at an old, abandond plantation building from the 1920s. A wonderful backroad location.

Highway bridge over Hakalau Bay

From there it was a steady and pleasant drive back to the condo, picking up dinner at the impressive market that had become our primary supply store. And then what else but more time on the lanai to reflect on the day, with a cold beer after the kid had gone to bed. I could get used to this…