Day 2 - Naalehu to Volcano

Crowing roosters woke everybody up before breakfast was ready. It rained hard last night and the damp weather did not help dry any of our laundried clothes. No choice but to force air dry our clothes as we leave it hanging on the bikes for today's ride. Three of us wore cycling sandals which proves advantageous when riding in wet warm tropical weather. No damp squeeshing shoes to dry after a strong rain. Breakfast started with fresh pineapple slices followed by an omelette quiche with 3 kinds of cheeses, toast and Kona coffee. We were not shy about second servings as when the next meal is always uncertain. We did not set off till past 9 am. On the way down, we pass by a Saturday flea market at Naalehu. We meet a street musician name Auntie Mini who plays a mean ukelele. Also met a few ex-bay area Filipinos now selling fruits and vegetables. It was their escape of a simpler way of life in the islands. From the B&B all the way past Naalehu, it is pure downhill. No pedalling required. Just cruise and go !!! On the vista points, you can see the black sand beaches of Punaluu. As you hit Punaluu, the downhill experience ends. You are now at sea level. Your destination Volcano at 4000 ft. Figure the math ! From this point on, it's only going up. But road conditons are perfect. Paved sroads with good shoulders. Only thing to watch out for are bridges with almost non existend shoulders. Just be conscious of traffic from behind when approacng the bridges. Let cars pass. This portion of the island from Captain Cook to Volcano is not as busy as the Kona to Hilo in the other direction. At about 11:00 AM and having pedaled only 12 miles, we hit the town of Pahala - once a booming sugar cane town in its heyday. At the center of town is Tex Pahala - a very new and modern fastfood joint with the Hawaiian food flare. They had a good selection of burgers, sandwhiches and local dishes like saimin, laulau, stews etc. The meanest of the dishes ordered was George's ox tail stew with the biggest pork hocks I've seen. This food stop is a must as it serves one of the best meals on the islands and the last food stop till Volcano. One of the most important gears we had were 2 way radios. Although with limited range, they proved as a "must have" equipment. Doug who always came last as he likes exploring almost everything, carried one just in case.

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