Can I still ride a bike?

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(This is a little older - Think Feb 08 - sorry that it's taken me soooo long...)

When I looked at the map of the Big Island a few weeks before I flew across it kinda hit me straight away - this piece of land is made for cycling. It'd been a while (like 6 years or so) that I had packed my panniers and attached them to a two-wheeler. But something inside me was yearning for a little bit of a change. Initially I was going to do the hiking thing - two above 4000m a.s.l. mountains on like 10 square km's, but when I figured out that they could both be climbed in one day (each) I decided to exchange the trekking idea for being with my old lady again. Trouble was, the old lady was sitting in a dark warehouse in Fremantle. Too bad - but yes, there ARE bike shops on the Island....

The first day already offered pretty much all inconveniences I could have imagined. First I forgot something at the hostel, so I returned, then on the first uphill I suddenly discovered that the lowest gear was hardly easy enough to keep me pedaling, the frame was too long, the road too busy, the .... you name it.... after about 3 hours uphill I was too fed up to move on. I stopped at the next phone box, called the shop to exchange the road racer for a mountain bike. And god only knows what the heck I was thinking - as if they came up with a truck with a new bike in the back or what??? But even though they didn't offer that service I quickly agreed (with no thinking interfering whatsoever) to come all the way back down, get another bike and get back up that mountain for a 2nd time (I met this Hawaiian guy days later and told him the story; he was still telling people months later - met him again in OZ - how crazy I was to even have cycled all the way up there ONCE - clearly insane he reckons - but then to do it twice??). But really, that's all relative. I definitely know people that do more insane stuff!!

So, having mastered that bit I had a few days of lovely weather and cruisy rides. Somewhere not even half way round the Island I found this amazingly beautiful Tibetan Monastery with an awesome, cozy guest house somewhere in the woods on the south eastern side of the Island (appropriately named Wood Valley Temple) and guess what: It promptly started raining as soon as I got there and I voluntarily got stuck for quite a number of days. Ah well.... who cares? The place was perfect to get stuck in!!! And yes, funny enough, it rained nonstop for about a week and I didn't end up doing much more cycling at all. Ah well, I did go for a few hikes though and due to the extremely bad weather forecast changed my itinerary short notice and flew to Kauai. What a beautiful place that is!!!! So, no bike, but the hiking boots always find a place in my luggage when I leave home, so I ended up giving them a decent work out for the remainder of the time in Hawaii!

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Photos

Forest in Waipi'o Valley
on the Big Island

Kalalau Valley on Kaua'i
In the far north eastern corner of Kaua'i - where the road ends

Waimea Canyon
The weather wasn't particularly nice that day

Waimea Canyon
We decided to retire towards the coast - AND the weather was a little more merciful down there

Looks scary hey?
I would have preferred hot lava, but it was inaccessible

The only vegitation in the crater of Kilauea Caldera
of the Big Island

Same Same....
(But different)

And earthly power cracked its surface open
Spooky

Coast line along the Kalalau Trail
Must See & Do!!!! And don't make the mistake and try do it in one day. You could make 4 days out of it

Comments

[Stephen Paul]

Worth the Wait
Wow, so many beautiful places! I can really feel how warm and wet and lush Hawaii is. The lava is unreal, as are the cliffs. You are a trooper pedaling all that way. "forgot their name" is a Tree Datura, genus Brugmansia native to Peru. Hallucinogenic! Your photos are a trip too...