By Ema ~ It is good to be at Coco’s once again. I was a caretaker her many years ago. We hosted shows and were a community center for the area, so there were always interesting travelers and locals to meet. This place is so abundant with food growing all around, leaves bigger than me, and of course lots of coconuts, per the name of the place.
I have so many memories in this kitchen including learning to make wine from the fruit of the land and dancing in the moonlight crushing our mixtures. Today we opened coconuts, the perfect way to start our day!
There is black bamboo growing on the property, which reaches so tall. You could build a house from it! Swiss Family Robinson life here I come!
There are also so many flowers growing here, and other fruits like bananas, and chocolate too!
I was so grateful to see my dear friend Victoria (Yes, same name as the friend I am traveling with) who owns Coco’s for a brief moment. She was flying back to the mainland this morning, so we saw her off and then went on our way as well to explore the area. First stop was just down the road and the reason why we had to take an alternative route to get here last night. My friend was so lucky not to lose her land. It stopped just short of her property. You can see where people have left offerings for the Goddess Pele. Thank you (Mahalo) Pele for saving Coco’s!
People have planted coconut trees marking the path across the lava. If you hike out you will come to a new beach, but we have decided to just climb to the top for the view.
It is so amazing to see all the colors in the lava rocks. My photos do not even capture the brilliance of the metallic rainbow shimmer.
We drove back out Papaya Farms Rd also known as the Red Road. It was red when I lived here long ago but has since been paved sadly. I understand it probably is better for your car, but the red earth was so beautiful. It is enchanting going through the canopy of trees along the red road.
We stopped at the first beach we saw, but after some reflections decided to carry on and visit an old beach that we both have visited in the past that has been redesigned by the recent lava flow.
On the way we passed the subdivision that was taken by the recent lava flow and were surprised how easy it was to find places where Pele had taken over.
We made our way across the new lava road following the coast to the beach. In some areas where the flow crossed the road it had literally just been pounded down and we were driving right over the lava.
When we arrived Isaac Kepookalani Hale Beach Park we were shocked by the changes. The area where you once entered into the bay was now completely cut off. Thankfully the hot ponds were saved, just changed.
The ocean waves were huge that day, so we took a little dip in the large hot pond. There were somehow little fish swimming in the pond still even though it is now cut off from the bay. The ranger told us that it is fed underground via the springs and the tide. I had a little cut and there were warning signs of bacteria in the water, but my love of hot springs over took me and I risked it. I did not go underwater, but I enjoyed floating on the surface. Of course I cleaned my cut as best as possible once out of the water. There are currently no showers or bathrooms here. The lava took those too.
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