This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).
Today’s travel notes
Me and the TC took a helicopter tour of the volcanoes and valleys of Hawaii’s Big Island. One side of the island is flat and dry, a thin layer of vegetation covering the blackly barren lava rock. The other side is lush, green and hilly, with some of the world’s tallest waterfalls, and towering cliffs pounded by fierce ocean waves. In the middle of the island is a steaming, smoking, belching set of volcanoes that continuously create this scene of life on the edge.
My impressions? An island inching its way across the sea – losing land to the ocean on one side, building out land with lava on the other.
The book I’m in
Zero Recall (Legend of Zero), by Sara King. This is the second of the Zero series. Meeting the Huouyt and Jreet again is like seeing old friends. The Geuji is a force to be reckoned with.
Recommended restaurant
‘ULU Ocean Grill, at the Four Seasons Hualalai. Service, elegance, beauty, cuisine.
Travel tip
Hire a car, to get where you want to go, when you want to be there.
The photos
Me. I think the Hawaiian lava makes an excellent backdrop for my distinguished person:
Lava swirls:
I entrusted myself to Blue Hawaiian helicopter tours:
The TC came too. Bless her cotton socks, look at that smile:
Ready to see some smoking lava? Here’s a video, just a very small part of the helicopter tour. This worm advises you to mute the audio, because it doesn’t do anything except hurt your ears:
The drifting mist in the video is a mixture of smoke and cloud. We could smell the smoke and sulphur inside the chopper! Quite other-worldly.
Trees don’t do too well when you pour hot lava around them:
Things get real when the lava flow threatens a village. The people of Pahoa had to evacuate their homes in October 2014 because the lava came very close indeed. This photo shows the lava path, with the village in the distance:
The lava flow has been monitored carefully since October last year, with hourly public announcements of its status. While we were in the bus on our way back from the helicopter tour, a radio announcement stated that the lava flow had stabilised and it was therefore no longer necessary to issue public reports. Our driver expressed great relief at this good news.
The helicopter instrument panel, the pilot’s boots, and a view of lava through the glass floor panels:
After the volcanoes, we set off for the north east coast of the island. Green green valleys, steep cliffs and pounding surf:
Waipi’o Valley quite took the TC’s breath away. This worm was impressed too:
The waterfalls in this remote valley are some of the tallest in the world, at around 1,450 feet (440 metres). Our helicopter pilot gave us an adrenaline-punching view of the valley and falls. Again, kill the sound, says this worm:
Back to more traditional views of Hawaii.Clouds:
Flowers:
And a sunset:
That’s all for today, dudes.
