March 16 - New Kalapana

7:30 breakfast of fresh fruit, banana bread, eggs, Portuguese sausage, and tales of Hawai‘i. Good food. Gay is a friendly hostess.

Chunlin wandered the yard, searching for the little frogs that were very noisy the night before, but had quieted by morning. She didn't find any of the little buggers.

On the road by 9, to Puna, the easternmost region of Hawai‘i. We drove to the End of the Road at Kalapana. The lava viewing area didn’t open till 3 p.m. Closer to the coast, at another End of the Road, we stopped at the Kalapana Village Café for a tasty turkey BLT and ice cream.

I got a weird vibe around there, like they’re not quite open to outsiders, or maybe that’s just because I expected to feel that way. Uncle’s Café was flying the Hawaiian flag upside down. I presume this was not a mistake, but a “leave us alone” sentiment.

We hiked across last decade's lava to the new black sand beach. No signs, really, for the trail, but just a cinder path into the distance. You'd think this would dissuade visitors, but there were more than a dozen people on the short trail that morning.

The air felt thick and hard to breathe.

Coconut trees are regrowing through the lava, planted by many a local visitor. Just a coconut sitting on the ground will sprout a tree.

Chunlin had fun in the waves.

The waves never stop coming. Never!