Well, it’s hard to believe (for me that is) but I’ve made it about a third of the way around the island now. I’ve had no major mishaps yet, lots of moments of bliss, and some challenges. Landing in Kailua-Kona was a bit like a dream. It didn’t feel real. I guess plane travel is always like that. You’re in one place one moment and a few hours later in a completely different place. Weird. I don’t travel this way often. Perhaps seasoned travellers don’t notice these shifts?

The air was warm, fragrant, and humid as soon as I got off the plane — it’s everything I expected “Hawaii” to be. I could see the coconut palms and crashing surf. The airport was open-air. There isn’t really an indoors anywhere here which I guess is pretty common for tropical places. I like it a lot. You’re almost always outside.

My bike arrived in very good condition. I managed to put it together fairly easily the next day at the hotel, despite my worries otherwise. I’m not a mechanically inclined person, so this was step in my journey worried me a lot.

My first leg on my trip was a 60 km ride north out of Kailua-Kona, to a small campground in an area called North Kohala. It’s called Spencer Beach Park. North Kohala is where all of the mega beach resorts are on the Big Island. They’re here because it almost never rains here. It’s also one of the most bare, ugly and windy places I’ve ever biked. Fields of dried lava stretched as far as I could see. I also had one mean head-wind which made what I thought would be a three-hour ride into a five-hour epic slog. No shade, no pretty views, either really except one: I could see Mauna Loa to my left, in the distance. Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes on the island and also happens to be one to the largest mountains on earth, measured from the sea floor. From sea level it’s over 4,000 metres! Wow. I hope to drive up it soon.

Needless to say, I was bagged by the time I got to the campground. I’d planned to stay day-trip further up the coast, up Kohala mountain, but I spent the day on the beach instead.

 My route north of Kailua-Kona by the way is part of the Hawaii Ironman. (Hiroko, this is for you!) I hated every minute of that dry lava landscape and the mean-ass head-on wind. I don’t ever care to repeat that ride again. Power to you Iron men and women!

Unfortunately, I can’t share any pictures with this post, as the hostel I’m staying at in Hilo has caged off the computers which means I can’t connect the camera. Damn! I’ll try to find another way to share them soon. I’ll also write more soon.