HIJACKED BY HISTORY IN HAWAII
A cultural immersion in Hawaii surprises and inspires this first time visitor.
It was my first trip to Hawaii and instead of topping up my tan, which was the plan, I copped a sneak attack of something I was not expecting from the palm-lined tropical islands. And. I. Loved. It. It started when…
I met a god
Highway to the Danger Zone
blasts through my headset as the chopper takes off, amping me up more than I already am, which is a lot because I’m already two coffees deep (lesson one: Hawaii makes excellent coffee) and heading towards a volcano.
I’m on Hawaii’s Big Island (which confusingly is called Hawai’i) checking out K¯ılauea – the world’s most active volcano which had been low-key simmering for 35 years until it blew its top in May 2018. Engulfing land, evaporating lakes and gassing forests, it also destroyed the validity of every single map on earth by adding 283 hectares of new land to the world. No longer erupting, the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park reopened in September welcoming visitors back to check out the old and new land.
Our pilot Ester chops through puffs of cloud over forest, black beaches, white surf and emerald blue water towards the eruption site. We fly down closer to see a line of fissures blowing white steam out from gaps in the crusty solidified lava, which looks as though a giant has squeezed frozen Cottee’s Ice Magic Chocolate everywhere. But giants are for fairy tales – this is the doings of a God.
According to mythology, sitting snug as a bug in K¯ılauea is Pele; goddess of fire, creator of Hawai’i. Known for her competitiveness and jealousy this sparky one flares up when she has love affairs, when humans aren’t worshipping her properly or when she is annoyed at her sisters, whom she fights with regularly (sometimes kidnapping their boyfriends). Hawaiians are therefore always ready to bounce, or take in community members should Pele get annoyed.
And thus it began: a history and culture hit when
I least expected it. First in a chopper, and next when …