Mahalo

This was my second lei of the trip, gorgeous, from the Center for Korean Studies. My first was from Ned, a fantastic historian retired from teaching at the University of Hawaii, and it was incredibly fragrant. I'd sleep with it next to my pillow and wake in the dark, which was fine. Jet lag in this direction is fine (it's coming home when it's a bear).

After all the official work was done, Ned and Kamaile picked me up at the hotel and took me for delicious dim sum lunch while sightseeing.

With Ned, whom I met in Chile when we were invited to a Korean studies conference in Santiago. I am really grateful to him for making this trip happen. It's rare to meet such a good planner, generous and relaxed even while juggling a million things. He and Kamaile really welcomed me into their home and family, which made me feel like I was enveloped in a big hug the entire time (plus the hug of the wonderful humid air and water all around).

I don't even remember where all of these shots were exactly, but we saw whales blow and breach in the distance at one of the places we pulled off the road.

After most of the trip on Oahu, I ventured alone to the Big Island because I wanted to try one other island before going home (my last Hawaiian trip, 13 years ago, was only on Oahu). Here is Rainbow Falls, very close to the B&B where I stayed.

By then, I had gotten a cold, but this is the best place to be sick. Not just the climate, but the many options for hot soup, made it such a treat. I had Thai soup, then Korean soup with noodles, then Vietnamese chicken soup with noodles, and then Thai again, with noodles. 

The big reason for flying to Hilo was that I wanted to visit Volcanoes National Park. WELL WORTH IT. Here is near the end of the road that you can drive; it's blocked by lava flow and after that you have to hike (but I was not well enough to hike. Even if I was, I probably wouldn't have because I'm that kind of tourist).

Lava flow that come downhill (you can see it), and then right there at road level. There are tons of pull off points and I wanted to stop everywhere.

This is the big attraction, the still steaming and erupting one. I inadvertently hiked too much to get from the visitor center to the museum, but I'm still glad I did it. Amazing how quiet it is, beyond the wind. And how you can go from these desolate craters to rainforest so quickly. I was sad to leave but am now motivated to figure out good ways to return. In the meantime, there are always pictures.

Thursday, back to work: an opening for a local group show that looks at scale.