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For Saturday we had big plans, a flight to the Big Island to see the volcanoes. This was not a trip we planned very carefully; before we even left home we had to pay an extra $125 so we could fly into Hilo instead of Kona, which was what we’d originally reserved. That was a smart decision, but it cast a pall over the adventure. :A: was upset that we wouldn’t be there at night to view the lava when it glows red, so that made things worse.

On the flight over, there were some excellent views, so :A: was taking pictures through the window. The low battery warning came on, because I hadn’t thought to make sure it was recharged after a week of use. So we factored a trip to Wal-Mart into our plans, but first we had to get the rental car. We got there at the same time as a ton of cruise ship passengers who wanted cars, but we had a reservation and the Alamo lady told us we’d have our car by 11. They were clearly very busy trying to get cars to the cruise ship passengers, so we waited patiently until 11 rolled around. Then, at 11:05, we asked about our car – and learned they were going to serve 6 people “ahead” of us in line! We protested, saying we’d been promised a car by 11, and why should we, who have a reservation, have to go after people who didn’t have one? I even tried calling the main number but the guy told me to just wait. I got off the phone at 11:20 and just then they called our name. We ended up with a huge SUV, a Chevy Uplander, instead of the economy car we’d paid for; it was much more vehicle than we could ever need, so as a result :A: had to maneuver this big ol’ truck around with the “small army” compartment totally empty. Oh, I did throw my sweater back there though, there was that.

So we got to the shopping center, and I checked at a grocery store and a drugstore for the battery, a proprietary Canon battery (dammit). The drugstore sold Canon cameras, but not batteries. The lady said “OfficeMax has some of them, I don’t know if Wal-Mart will, I think they sell just the cameras, like us.” So we drove to the other side of the shopping center (it was a big complex with a mall in it) and :A: dropped me off at OfficeMax while she went to Wal-Mart to get a sweater for herself. Turns out I should have gone with her. But I went into OfficeMax, and they DID have the battery! I was about to pay for it, and the cashier was about to cut open the package for me, when he said “you know this doesn’t come charged, right?” Ack! So I went back to the camera section and grabbed a purchase ticket for their cheapest digital, a $105 Kodak. Better to get a camera than not be able to take pictures at the volcano. I figured I’d sell it later or something. I transferred the memory card, put in the REGULAR batteries, and off we went to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

It was amazing. We went to the visitor center first, and fell asleep during the movie (oops) then looked around at the Volcano Art Center – cool stuff but very expensive, so we didn’t get anything. The rangers informed us that due to high levels of sulfur dioxide, the loop road around the caldera was partially closed; they also said that there wasn’t really any lava to see anywhere because of a recent loss of land. The spot where the lava went into the ocean sometimes falls off, and sure enough last year 43 acres disappeared, and the lava was flowing underwater, so there was nothing to see even if we made the 2 hour drive to where it was. Instead we went to the Steam Vents, and sure enough there was hot steam, enough to burn you if you stood close for very long. Next we drove out to the Jaggar Museum, as far as you can go, and went to look there. It was really gross, misty and voggy (volcanic smog is called vog), but just as we approached the back door, we noticed it had lifted a little. We went outside and managed to catch some pictures of the Halema’uma’u Crater and the Kilauea caldera itself; normally you can hike on trails inside it, but the SO2 had been so bad for so long that they didn’t know when that – or the full path of Crater Rim Drive – would be available again.

We wanted to eat next, but on our way back out we passed the Sulfur Banks, so we parked and hiked out to see them. I got cranky on the way because my feet hurt (been on them SO much this week), and I wanted to stay back on a bench, but I decided I’d regret it if I missed the Sulfur Banks, so I plodded on. When we got back to the car, we drove to Volcano House, the onsite hotel, to check out their restaurant, but it wasn’t open yet for dinner (it was only 3:30). We drove out of the park to Volcano Village, I’m not sure if people actually live there, it was a pretty run-down little place. But we ate at the Lava Rock Cafe, and when we emerged a kitty came over to greet us! I have seen cats in Bermuda, Turkey, Canada, and other places we’ve traveled, so I was very excited to add Hawai’i to the list of places I’ve found cats. We drove back into the park ($10 admission is good for a full week) and went the other way to see the Thurston Lava Tube. Man, I have no idea what grade the path to it was, but it was literally uphill both ways – on the way in, you go down a series of steep inclines, then as you approach the tube you go up a steep incline! It was really amazing though, like a cave, cold and damp, but entirely lava. That tube is said to be at least 500 years old.

We weren’t sure what to do next, take Chain of Craters Road to the ocean, or look at Devastation Trail, or what. We opted for the former, but oh man there was a LOT of devastation that way too. The craters weren’t so impressive – big black pits – but the TOTALLY BARREN landscape was astonishing. The route goes through lava flows from 1964-1979, it was just cut right through the rock, and everywhere you look is this alien landscape, like it’s the moon. It was quite breathtaking. The descent down the mountain was pretty sharp, but we went all the way to the end. It was crowded there, so we didn’t get out of the car – I’d already seen pictures of where the lava meets the road, and that was good enough for me. Once we reached the top again, there were some pheasants begging for handouts – they were just walking around, but as soon as we stopped to take a picture the male ran right over to the car. We took some pictures and then we went off again to Hilo. We stopped at the mall briefly, where I fell in love with a store called “Kitty n Frenz” – just like that.

We returned the rental car, and we wanted to take a picture of the mileage. I pulled out the brand new Kodak, and…nothing. It wouldn’t turn on. I swapped the card to the Canon, because the battery had enough left for a few pictures, and we got the mileage recorded. But the camera…nothing. I had bought it less than 12 hours earlier, and it wouldn’t even turn on. After we checked in and were waiting for the flight, I called OfficeMax to ask if I could return it even though I didn’t buy the MaxAssurance protection; they said I could. So I looked up where the nearest store to home was…and the answer is 50 miles away. The nearest OfficeMax is 50 miles away. I called back to ask if I could mail it in, and they kindly told me no, it has to be exchanged/returned in a store. Within 14 days. I don’t know what’s wrong; I’m hoping a fresh set of batteries will perk it up, or maybe I missed something. I don’t really want to keep it, but who’ll buy a broken camera? It became an albatross, really.

So anyway, we got in line for our flight, both of us in sour moods, me from the camera and :A: from exhaustion. The time for boarding came and went, and there was no airline rep at the gate. The time for departure (8:45) approached, and finally someone showed up to announce that our flight was delayed, and the next flight was delayed even more. We were taking their plane! They had to screen the line carefully to make sure nobody from the second flight snuck in. Go Airlines uses open seating, but they don’t have unlimited seats per flight, of course. We finally got on board and ended up in the very front row. :A: was being a real pill, snapping at everybody, and asked to be left alone. So I did, and I think she fell asleep. It’s a really short flight from Hilo to Honolulu – 37 minutes – and en route I decided we would take a cab home rather than waiting for a bus which would then take an hour to get to our hotel. It cost $42 and I paid it myself, but it was worth it. :A: turned out to be okay once we were in the room and she could relax. We did some packing and arranging and fell asleep.

Tweets for Today

• In Terminal 1 for our flight to Hilo. – http://bkite.com/06Qhn
• @flyaway47 Volcano is all we have time for, probably. And Wal-Mart for a camera battery.
• Finally got our car. This is no economy, we could carry a small army. Chevy Uplander. Really pissed at Alamo.
• Didn’t charge camery battery. As a result, had to buy new camera. Vatteries apparently don’t come charged.
• Very misty and drizzly up here. – http://bkite.com/06QOr
• Sharing the park with cruise ship passengers. Oh goody.
• Feels like it takes no time at all for my feet to get sore. I’ve barely walked today (unlike other days) but my feet hurt.
• Stinky up here at the Jaggar Museum. Can’t do the full Crater Rim Dr circle, too much sulfur dioxide – they clos… – http://bkite.com/06QZH
• Tiny little place, but they have vegetarian food. Yay! Back to national park after to see Thurston Lava Tube. – http://bkite.com/06R8x
• Finally saw a cat the day before we left! Love to see them everywhere we travel. He’s cute and friendly too. Got a picture. YAY HAPPY NOW!
• http://twitpic.com/40j01 – Yay kitty! In Volcano Village, HI
• Driving down Chain of Craters Road on the Big Island. There is astonishing scenery here. I can’t make this up, people.
• Just passed a piece of paved road, not connected to this one, in the middle of nothing, a little below 1000 ft. What was THAT about?
• @flyaway47 No lava at all. Only place to view is near ocean, but recent loss of 43 acres land means lava flow is underground. Nthg visible.
• @scubaham Very funny! Except this was a 10-foot runway, and I was on the ground. 1000 ft referred to altitude on Mount Kilauea.
• @flyaway47 It was amazing to see the landscape & craters. Took many pictures. Just no active lava.
• Just saw a very thin black and white kitty on the grounds of Hilo Airport. Aw.
• Phone battery critically low. Brand new camera is dead. No OfficeMax for 50 miles around home. Waiting for flight to HNL. Stressing.
• There’s an OfficeMax (5 actually) in Honolulu, but none open before 10 on Sundays. Flight to LAX is 12ish. Too close for comfort.