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Hibiscus: The national flower of Hawaii

unnamed flower, let me know what it is if you know it.

This is a tree in the gardens of our hotel on Hawaii. Duane and I both think it looks like a woman with no head.

Hawaiian coastline on a rainy day

more coastline

The waves were pounding the shores. Even from a fair distance we could hear them crashing into the shores.

Lava Tubes - this is the start of our day at the Volcano national park. We took a walk over the crater of a volcano and saw some amazing things. Things we would have never associated with Hawaii

An overview of the crater surface of an semi-active volcano. It was real misty and rainy that day so you cannot see the steam rising from all the various cracks. Walking over it you could feel the warm air rising as you stepped over the cracks.

The cracks varied in width from a few centimeters to 75 cm wide. The debth of the cracks varied a lot as well. Some you couldn't even see the bottom. The surface of the crater was black, however, the inside of the cracks showed the colours caused by the different minerals in the Lava. This is an example thereof.

The surface of the crater looked like a moonscape, Black and desolate. The fact that it was raining and misty and visibility was very poor only enhanced the atmosphere. In places it looked like the crater had been blowing bubbles and these had cracked the surface of the crater. Duane is standing besides one of those "popped bubbles". The force must have been inmense.

In the shallow cracks, where the water is collected, plants grow.

Another burst bubble (by lack of better description)

and truly, amidst all the bleakness in the area you see the cutest plants growing.

Hawaians have two words for lava: A'A and Pahoehoe.

A'A lava: crumbly and not very reflective. From a distance it looks like ploughed dirt, but it is rock and hard.

Pahoehoe lava: smooth surface lava. This comes in many forms. it is more shiny than A'A lava, and displays colours which you don't see in the A'A lava.

An example of pahoehoe lava. Note the colours on the surface. This is caused by different minerals.

Lava Trees. This is what happens when lava floes through a forrest. The lava streem gets slowed around a tree trunk, and eventhough the tree burns off completely, the statue like structures remain

Some lava trees resemble works of art

This is an overview of a relatively recent eruption path. Its been long enough for the road to be re-created. You can see the A'A lava and Pahoehoe lava side by side

Black sand beach - I guess when all you have around is lava, your sandy beaches are black sand, not white

Part of Black Sand beach. A chunk of Lava eroded away by the ocean.

A waterfall - seemed a reasonal divider between lava and Weipi'o valley.

Weipi'o valley

Weipi'o valley again, further into the valley (they filmed parts of jurassic park here)

A waterfall

Another waterfall

Again Weipi'o valley - did I mention the pictures look better than the real thing?

Setting sun in Hawaii. The sun itself drops below the horizon in just under 5 minutes. It stays light for another hour or so. Only when it becomes dark does the sky go pinkish