A geology field trip 2011: part 2/2

So, Berlin already experienced, more of that later on.

...And where was I? Ah, flight to Honolulu. We landed safely at Oahu island, Honolulu airport. We found our hotel and went out to the famous Waikiki beach to have some piña coladas. The weather was great and the drinks tasted delicious. Next day we went to some scenery view to hear some stories about the geology of Oahu. I guess we went out that night, to a cosy bar and we even did some line dancing. That was pretty fun.

                                

                                      Wondering what is this turquoise thing ahead us.

We were lucky to have two days off at Oahu. We had been travelling in a strict schedule (typical for excursions) so it was nice to have a little break. We rented a car with 5 other girls and decided to do a Oahu roadtrip. All of us wanted to try surfing so we drove to the west coast and asked for a surf lesson. The price was reasonable so we sat down to wait for the teacher. The teacher was late and covered in white paint (including face and hair :D), she had obviously been painting before showing up to the beach. We were first rehearsing at the sand, just getting on the surf board, standing in the right position etc. After a while we went to water, paddling away from the beach to reach bigger waves. Really the waves were tiny, since we all were beginners. I had some moments of success and joy, as I got up standing and surfed a moment towards the beach. And every time  I fell down, I saw cute sea turtles so it definitely wasn't bad at all. After surfing we continued driving around the island and saw amazing views along the trip. 

After a few days it was time for the next flight, from Honolulu to Hilo, Big Island. The Big Island is the youngest of the Hawaii Islands, and the biggest of all the islands as the name suggests. It still has volcanism going on it and it's the one with most variation in topography. Hawaii Islands are formed from a hot spot creating a volcano on top of it, and as the lithosphere plates are slowly moving, the islands seem to move over the hot spot and form a new volcano island. So, Big Island has still two active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

We visited at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park by the Halemaumau Crater. The tours we made at the area were super interesting and the views were once again inspiring and educational. We stayed at a gorgeous villa with a large tub outside. We made day trips to interesting locations at the eastern part of the island and we also had a party at our villa one night. After a day at field we spent a moment in our tub, having our own Philosopher's club with sparkling win. That was pretty fun and unforgettable.

Walking towards the very top of Mauna Kea

We continued to the west coast after maybe 5 or 6 days in the neighborhood of Kapoho. We were sleeping in a bit frowzy apartment hotel at Kailua-Kona area. Next we went to the top of Mauna Kea. When measuring from the oceanic base, Mauna Kea is even higher than Mount Everest. But above sea level, it is "only" 4,207 meters high. We had a guided tour at the Subaru Observatory, although I barely remember anything of it since the elevation made me a bit lightheaded. It looked like you were in Mars of in the Moon or something. After the responsibilities (read: scheduled program) were fulfilled, we had a day off. We went to the Beach 69 (or something) that was recommended for us. I think I slept almost an hour in the sun after snorkeling around and checking the turtles and the fish. The journey home was about to begin, with one longer stop left.

Mauna Kea: Keck and Subaru

After returning to Hilo, we flew to Honolulu, and then again to Las Vegas. We had a full day ahead in that whacky city. We were staying at the Stratosphere Hotel that has a high needle and even a small amusement park on the top of the building. I had to try the rides on the top of the Stratosphere needle, and it was definitely worth it. Frightening but awesome! We went to eat out in the city, took some photos of Bellagio and other huge and glittering buildings, casinos and monuments.

At the front of Bellagio.

After a night at the hotel, it was time to continue the journey home. After a few flights more, we arrived to Helsinki.