wanderlust on the road : Volcanoes National Park

A week ago I went to a fierce place, Volcanoes National Park and it was so cool! I kinda have a thing for volcanoes especially active ones and this is the first time I've been so up close and personal with a very much alive volcano and it was everything I had hoped for. The Hawaiian Islands were made from volcanoes and are still growing because of them. On the Big Island they have two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Volcanoes National Park is quite grand (over 332,400 acres!) and you can drive for miles and miles and miles and MILES over lava fields that have taken place from current and past eruptions. Kilauea has been quite the erupting wahine (Hawaiian for lady) since 1955! If you want to feel your tiny place in this world, go stand in the presence of Kilauea and you'll feel her immense power and sacred ground. I loved learning about the spiritual mythology behind this awe-that will knock you to your knees-inspiring place, which revolves around Pele (Hawaiian for "molten lava") who is the volcano goddess and is believed to live under the Kilauea crater but has power over all the volcanoes on the island. Pele is seen as a protector and guardian of the island(s) and is very much respected. Many Hawaiians in the past and present leave Pele offerings like flowers, food, coins and shots of whiskey. When you're in the park, be watchful for Pele taking form as a beautiful unearthly figure or strikingly old woman with a cane!

I was thrilled to have some much needed alone time driving around the park, walking over lava fields and on the wild and beautiful coast, and ventured through a lava tube which was damn incredible. I hiked to Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs which is a very sacred part of the island, where the first Hawaiian's etched images into the lava field. The petroglyphs are seen to be a record of the native Hawaiian's travels around the island, their beliefs about how to live a long life and what happened in their lives. Pu'u Loa is believed to have been around since AD 1200 - 1450, which just floors me. My last stop of the day, after the sun went down was to the overlook of Kilauea's crater, where the Lava Lake has this incredible golden, reddish orange, pink glow from the lava that is bubbling and churning below. It's hard to put into words the immensity that I felt when I was there, witnessing the power and energy of our planet by being in Kilauea's presence. It stopped me in my tracks and made me feel humble. Volcanoes National Park is a very special place and one where the energy is palpable. Thanks Pele for your beauty and a day I won't ever forget. (Click on photos for bigger images!)