02-19-2007, 04:15 AM
I was sorry I missed everyone on my most recent lightning trip to Puna. This is about the weather although it may not seem so. We were in town for an inspection (didn't go well). I didn't want to come alone. I really wanted a second opinion on things. My sister had asked me if I wanted to go to a Christian Gospel singer's concert in San Diego, as a way of spending a little time together (she lives in Atwater, in Central California). I hadn't told her I was considering a place in Puna, but I broke it to her and asked her if she would like to join me for the inspection trip. She said she'd think about it. Much to my surprise, she said yes. And that was how my sister made her way to Hawaii for the very first time, with me as her guide.
We left out of Los Angeles on Hawaiian Airlines. I told her Hawaiian was the best airline because they infuse the trip with Hawaiian culture, music and videos. Well, we got on the plane and Hawaiian announced that they had just purchased the plane from Delta airlines. It looked like it, and felt like it, and it seemed like the Flight Attendants were all brought in from Curmudgeon Airlines. I asked for a spare pen from one of them, if she had one, and she clutched her breast and said "You can't have my pen! I have work to do!". Surrounding passengers were so shocked by the tone that they spontaneously offered me several pens!
Long flight, with headwinds (6 hours and 15 minutes). Finally got to Honolulu. My sister was thrilled to see the Queen Mary 2. It was sunny in Honolulu. Got on the plane and by the time we got to Hilo it was...uh, raining! My first real rain in Hilo! I had HEARD about this rain, but never EXPERIENCED it. My mood brightened when we stopped at the Wal-Mart for reef shoes and sundries, and we saw a Farmer's Market outside of it with papayas, avocados and fresh vegetables.
We got to our vacation rental, which was very nice (An Explosion of Turtles? Turtles for Days? Can't remember the name of it exactly). That night it rained in Kapoho torentially. And for my very first time in Hawaii, the temperature actually dropped to something approaching cool.
As is my usual in Hawaii, I rose with the sunshine. It was short lived, the strong tropical sun breaking through the morning clouds by sheer force of will, only to be overwhelmed by the overpowering grey.
The showers stopped, but it stayed gray, for the most part, all day. I observed the palms (is there anything like the sound of rustling palms?) and flags and other wind-blown things and it seemed to me like the wind was NOT coming off of the ocean -- the famous tradewinds, but was coming from the other direction. That night it rained again, more lightly. It was kind of romantic, but I dispaired for my sister's first trip to Hawaii, although she seemed to be enjoying herself with no sun, white sandy beaches, hula girls, or umbrella-shaded drinks in sight.
Sunday dawned glorious, and it stayed glorious. And then much to my surprise, it dawned glorious on Monday, and stayed that way. Absolutely glorious. And so, two out of the three full days we had in Puna were again, wonderful. Of the total of about 10 days I have spent in Puna, only one was dark and gloomy. The rest were sunny, sometimes with evening rains, usually pretty light and short lived.
All of that brings me to this: while there this time, the weather was noticably cooler at night, and even a little during the day (although not uncomfortably so). I developed a theory about Big Island weather as we were leaving Hilo. The skies were freakishly clear as we took off on the early flight to Honolulu (it looked like people were actually commuting! Not too many tourists on that flight!). We slowly flew past both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. It looked like you could reach out and touch the observatory on the top. You could see nearly all of Puna, and the immensity of Maunas Loa and Kea was impressed on me for the first time. So, here's my theory. I think Big Island windward nights are a little cooler than on other Hawaiian islands I have stayed on (Molokai and Kauai), because the immensity of the two mountains causes the trades to fail sometimes....and the wind comes back DOWN the slopes of the cold mountains, making it cooler at night. Sound right?
We left out of Los Angeles on Hawaiian Airlines. I told her Hawaiian was the best airline because they infuse the trip with Hawaiian culture, music and videos. Well, we got on the plane and Hawaiian announced that they had just purchased the plane from Delta airlines. It looked like it, and felt like it, and it seemed like the Flight Attendants were all brought in from Curmudgeon Airlines. I asked for a spare pen from one of them, if she had one, and she clutched her breast and said "You can't have my pen! I have work to do!". Surrounding passengers were so shocked by the tone that they spontaneously offered me several pens!
Long flight, with headwinds (6 hours and 15 minutes). Finally got to Honolulu. My sister was thrilled to see the Queen Mary 2. It was sunny in Honolulu. Got on the plane and by the time we got to Hilo it was...uh, raining! My first real rain in Hilo! I had HEARD about this rain, but never EXPERIENCED it. My mood brightened when we stopped at the Wal-Mart for reef shoes and sundries, and we saw a Farmer's Market outside of it with papayas, avocados and fresh vegetables.
We got to our vacation rental, which was very nice (An Explosion of Turtles? Turtles for Days? Can't remember the name of it exactly). That night it rained in Kapoho torentially. And for my very first time in Hawaii, the temperature actually dropped to something approaching cool.
As is my usual in Hawaii, I rose with the sunshine. It was short lived, the strong tropical sun breaking through the morning clouds by sheer force of will, only to be overwhelmed by the overpowering grey.
The showers stopped, but it stayed gray, for the most part, all day. I observed the palms (is there anything like the sound of rustling palms?) and flags and other wind-blown things and it seemed to me like the wind was NOT coming off of the ocean -- the famous tradewinds, but was coming from the other direction. That night it rained again, more lightly. It was kind of romantic, but I dispaired for my sister's first trip to Hawaii, although she seemed to be enjoying herself with no sun, white sandy beaches, hula girls, or umbrella-shaded drinks in sight.
Sunday dawned glorious, and it stayed glorious. And then much to my surprise, it dawned glorious on Monday, and stayed that way. Absolutely glorious. And so, two out of the three full days we had in Puna were again, wonderful. Of the total of about 10 days I have spent in Puna, only one was dark and gloomy. The rest were sunny, sometimes with evening rains, usually pretty light and short lived.
All of that brings me to this: while there this time, the weather was noticably cooler at night, and even a little during the day (although not uncomfortably so). I developed a theory about Big Island weather as we were leaving Hilo. The skies were freakishly clear as we took off on the early flight to Honolulu (it looked like people were actually commuting! Not too many tourists on that flight!). We slowly flew past both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. It looked like you could reach out and touch the observatory on the top. You could see nearly all of Puna, and the immensity of Maunas Loa and Kea was impressed on me for the first time. So, here's my theory. I think Big Island windward nights are a little cooler than on other Hawaiian islands I have stayed on (Molokai and Kauai), because the immensity of the two mountains causes the trades to fail sometimes....and the wind comes back DOWN the slopes of the cold mountains, making it cooler at night. Sound right?
