Day 9: Volcano National Park: A trip to Volcano Village

November 25, 2014

We had a very gentle objective today - just to buy our first lot of souvenirs for the kids, at Volcano House, and then to cycle down to Volcano Village to both mail them away and look for lunch.

While it may be hot and dry on the southwest of the island, cold on the mountain, and hot and wet down by Hilo and the west coast, here at the caldera it it sort of what we would call on Vancouver Island - normal summer weather. It's a little tricky as we circulate from the campground, on the south west side, 4 km over to Volcano House, on the east. Just this little variation can make the difference between benign sunny weather and pesky sun showers. Still, cycling in this area is exactly what one would long for, if pinned down in Canada by rain or snow. So today's little cycle was pretty much ideal.

We bought a selection of goofy kid things, like volcanoes that erupt in the bathtub, and cruised over to Volcano. Again, the remarkable nature of the forest stood out - a canopy of high, but not towering, Ohia trees, with a fairly tall understory of tree ferns, and beneath them, ginger. This really is not Kansas anymore!

We had noted one of the chain Thai Thai restaurants listed among the few in Volcano, and were quite looking forward to it. But their lunch specials were going for $20. $20? As tourists in this place we expect to be ripped off, but need to draw the line at robbery. Actually, a basic green or yellow curry could be had for $17, but still, we flounced off.

The alternative was the reasonably priced Ohia Cafe, behind the Volcano Store. Here was a nice selection of baked goods, and specials for $9. These turned out to be basic, but generous, and we were happy. About the baked goods, there were some quite advanced cakes, a large butter tart with chocolate chunks inside, croissants, and even bagels. The staff said the croissants were made here, but the rest came from Hilo. Their policy is not to reveal the identity of the Hilo source. We will have to find out!

The Ohia Cafe and the Volcano Store are nothing glitsy. In fact, they are weathered, run down, and generally thrown together. There are some fancy and fabulously priced establishments on this island - mostly exclusive vacation rentals - but the general rule is for small and cheaply built buildings - for housing, rentals, stores, and restaurants. We might guess that the physical stock is about 1/2 the American average for quality, while the prices are about double. This is just an impression, not any sort of measurement, but that's how it feels!

Now back at our cabin, we only need to relax until continuing the journey with the cycle in to Hilo tomorrow. We have a fair supply of firewood to keep us amused. Some was brought by our new friend Jason, whose own amusement is to scavenge it, and some came from the expensive package of six logs in the "mini bar" of the cabin. This was purchased by our neighbours of last night, who are here with two little girls, Ellie and Caroline, aged 9 and 6. This morning, these kids had the supreme pleasure of watching Dad start (or try to start) the fire, and then toasting and eating a half bag of marshmallows. We could easily understand their enthusiasm, because from kids, to Jason, to Dad, to us, there is no fun quite like fooling around with a campfire!

The eternal joys of fooling with marshmallows and campfires.

First souvenir mailback, in Volcano Village

"Everyday Specials" does not hold out much hope for coming on a reasonable price sometime.

The Cafe Ohia specials seem more special

Like most Hawaii places, Cafe Ohia is not fancy. However, that is a short line, waiting to order.

My chicken was finished in a way pork is often done, in a Chinese restaurant

The Yellow line seemed very apt. You had to follow this around back to find the toilet.

Back at camp, a Hawaiian honey bee came to visit. Each day we can hear them humming, up in the Eucalyptus trees.

Today's ride: 16 km (10 miles)
Total: 223 km (138 miles)

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