a Volcano Iki hiking trail

January 2010 is a Volcano week! Many events have been going on in the Hawai'i Volcano National Park.

My hiking friends took me to there for hiking.

It takes around 1 hour from Hilo to get the park.

You can see the birth of the earth including the birth of the Hawai'i islands.

You will learn that the Hawai"i islands are chains that go to the northern West.

We saw the Hula Kahiko (traditional hula dance) at the park!

Volcanic activity was great! Hawaiians believe that volcano is Pele who is called goddess of Volcano.

Pele was active!




On the way of hiking to a "Kilauea Iki" trail, we saw plants growing on the lave rocks!

Here is a Native plant, an Ohia tree. The trees create soil by cracking the lava rock.

They are one of important roles in Hawaiian ecosystem.

The flowers are red (sometimes, we see yellow flowers).

The red color represents The Big Island where I live.

There is a myth about the trees.

The flower represents lehua, a female.

Pele falls in love to a man, but he loves lehua.

Pele turns her into a flower and him into a tree.

If we pick lehua flowers, it will rain.

They cry because they are separated.

The earth is alive.

Volcanic activities destroy and create new lives. Every thing changes its forms, but nothing will be gone.

From here, a volcano activity started about 50 years ago.

I realize that life takes time to grow. Forest was born after many many years later.

The Volcano National Park is a special place.

The Hawaiian people used to live in the park and practiced their culture.

However, they had to move and leave the area because government owned the area.

Sometimes, I feel that reserving the place and educating visitors are important but protecting the Native culture are also important.

For the practice reasons for the Hawaiian people, the park opens for free.

The visitor have to pay an entrance fee.

I had good time with my friends! Thank you for taking me there!