The Beginning - Feb 3 2007
Trip Start
Feb 03, 2007
1
2
20
Trip End
Ongoing
Hilo,
Hawaii,
United States
Saturday, February 3, 2007
When i got out of his car there at the park's shelter was some rainbow family welcoming me! 5 great new friends were there who fed me and we jammed into the night.
Sleep was cold - very cold! the volcano is high enough to be freezing at night and i woke many times trying to get warm. It also rained during the night - i was in my tent, and i was surprised to find Hawaii so chilly
back of the truck to the Rainbow Gathering
.The trees at the volcano park were pretty and feminine... i got the impression they wanted me to commune with them with the help of some fungi friends...
In the morning the 5 of us decided to go to the Crater in the Volcano Park and do the hike thru it. This crater was made in 1957's volcanic eruption and is a huge empty crater area with a trail thru it and around the peripheral jungle... very beautiful lush forest with crazy songbirds - some red and yellow...
We hiked thru a Lava tunnel, then jungle, then thru the crater and back thru the jungle... about 5 miles in all (about 7.5 kilometers)... The crater was like hiking on the moon... barren grey rock, but with random steam vents blowing hot air - occasionally a determined plant grew in the rocks of the crater... It was amazing and strange to hike thru such a massive area that seemed both surreal and familiar...
I left the Park with 2 brothers heading towards the Rainbow Gathering at South Point - another 65 kilometers away... we hitch hiked down the island -- eating macadamia nuts we found along the sides of the road and cracked with rocks ..
bay at the gathering
.By dark we were picked up by a sweet sistar named Dhyanna who offered to drive us right to the Rainbow Gathering as she hoped to come toit in a few days and wanted to know where it was... we drove all over the south area until midnite - unable to find the right road to the gathering... she offered us to sleep at her house nearby and try again in the morning...
After a long sleepless night with cock-fighting next door and rowdy Superbowl parties, i started my second day with sunshine and warmth as i realized how much warmed it was down off the volcano! It was 82 degrees and sunny! I was thrilled to be in Hawaii...!!!
The boys split and Dhyanna and i headed out to hitchhike the right road to the Rainbow gathering! We got picked up right away and had a 4x4 truck to ride in the back of, on a crazy rocky road from hell! the 4x4 almost didnt make it numerous times and i was amazed when i got out to find 80 Rainbows had also made the crazy journey to the Gathering!!
It was a hot and burning sun! the truck ride was long (an hour) and i was excited to jump into teh beautiful ocean oasis of the bay where the Gathering was
crater from above
. As i slowly worked my way in thru the rocks on the shore, i was stoked to find the water warm and refreshing! Suddenly in the nearby mouth of the bay (100 meters) 3 spinner Dolphins graced me with their presence!! i was stunned! they were sooo amazing! i had told everyone before i left that i was gonna go swim with dolphins in Hawaii -- and here it was my first time in teh Hawaiian ocean and here were the dolphins! They did cartwheels and triple flips, whirling themselves jjoyfully out of the water, performing tricks and showing me the Way of Bliss!!! Such a blessing! they swam near me for about 20 minutes.... Hawaii is PARADISE!The Rainbow Gathering was a sweet time with meeting 3 old friends i knew in BC years ago! and meeting new friends - locals and travellers - so much song and drumming into the night! My tent was beachfront and i felt i could not ask for anything more than this rare beauty and love! ALOHA was real for me!
