our way back to San Diego.
Woke up to a damp and grey day here in Hilo, but then the ship is on the wet
side of the island, so one should not really be that surprised.
The first stop this morning was to the airport for my helicopter ride/tour
with Safari Helicopters.
Our pilot (Gardner) took us to the Kilauea Volcanic System to view the
current activity. During my last flights here I saw the lava flowing into
the ocean and flew over the lava fields. This time the views were
dramatically different. After some thirty years the lava flow has changed
direction and is now heading across new lands toward a village. It was
amazing to witness the fires and destruction that is occurring. The
temperatures reach upwards of 2000 degrees and cool to about 1000 degrees
within twenty minutes time, resulting in a mass of steamy clouds. The flow
is not fast, but I am sure that is no consolation for the residents that are
in the path of the lava flows and will have to be evacuated as it creeps
closer to their homes and businesses.
Our tour was to also include a flyover of the waterfalls near Hilo, but
weather conditions did not permit. I was sorry to have missed this part of
the flight, but since many people had their flights cancelled due to the
weather conditions, I am happy we got off the ground.
Did a little sightseeing on our own before heading back to the ship -
everything was very wet - but also very lush and green.
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