Time has officially melted, blurring the lines between days and dates of the week. If I look at my laptop, I know it tells me that today's Saturday, the 15th of March. But beyond that, I just know it's a little early-ish in the morning, it's windy, and it rained last night.
Speaking of last night...
I got to the airport and rented my car just fine, and then headed off in search of the state park I had a permit for. I ended up overshooting it but that was to get to the Shrimp Shack, where apparently "SUPER SPICY" means just that: your mouth will be on fire. For those who know me and my tolerance for spiciness, this is really saying something. But that's okay, because I got soft chocolate ice cream and put out the fire, sitting on a rock and watching waves crash up on a white sand beach.
Earlier that morning, because it was my last hours with the moped, I rode on down to Koko Head Crater, intending to do a quick hike before I had to return it. I had to go on one of those fast highways again and while it wasn't as bad as the Pali Highway the day before, it still was a bit of a hair-raiser at 6:30 in the morning with the cars whizzing past me. All I could think was, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know you're stuck behind me, but the moped just won't go that fast, no matter how hard back I pull the throttle.'
(Side note: I'm "having breakfast" at Pape Ole's, aka using their wifi, and I'm hearing a mother repeatedly call for her kid: "Exodus, come back!" Oh, the irony)
Didn't end up hiking Koko because of time constraints, mostly because I stopped before there at the Halona Blowhole to watch the sun come up and take pictures. I scampered down the volcanic rocks right down to the water's edge, and it was totally worth it. And yes, I stayed far enough away from the blowhole itself because I remembered reading about a kid who wanted to feel the spray hit his chest; a particularly strong gush of water came through the blowhole, lifted him straight in the air, twisted him upside down, and threw him down the hole headfirst. His body was found in the ocean the next morning.
So I'm on the north shore now, in Kahana Valley State Park. It's a nice combination of wilderness and civilization. On the north side of the highway there are 20 Hawaiian families, two hiking trails (I did the easier one yesterday because it was both shorter and offered an elevated view of the water), and a lot of potholes in the road. Poor rental car.
On the south side is the 'camping area', which mostly just consists of a parking lot, sand, and trees (and some pretty sketchy bathrooms; there are no doors and while the women's side is "clean" for camping standards, the men's is...better left not described). After speaking to the park manager yesterday afternoon, I decided not to pitch my tent right away but after I did some work and came back. I'd passed the Valley of the Temples coming to Kahana and it looked pretty cool, so I went back to check it out. Bonus: there was a McDonald's across the street with wifi, so I managed to get some work done.
I had to leave around 7:15ish because my batteries were getting really low. It was dark, but I had my headlamp and figured pitching a tent in the dark would only be a little more difficult.
Well...
It was starting to rain—no big deal, I can handle a bit of water and I've got dry clothes to change into. But it was also super windy, like REALLY super windy, and I had to give up shortly after my tent was starting to pitch itself sideways and aloft. Back to the car it was. Luckily, my vertical deficiency worked well in my favour, as the rear seats folded down and I was able to create a "bed" with my sleeping bag, with my legs in the trunk.
I didn't have the best night's sleep but it was pretty cozy with the rain beating down against the glass and metal, and I was fine until the roosters started crowing at 06:30. Not just one, too, but several. I wanted to snap their saggy necks.
But it was nice seeing wildlife here—along with the wild roosters, there are also tons of cats, especially at the Valley of the Temples.
Today, I'm going to see how far east I can drive and also maybe check out Kualoa Ranch.
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