On our recent adventure, my friend Alexandra and I visited Kailua-Kona which is located on the west side of the Big Island. The east side of the island, where I currently reside, boasts black sand beaches that are mostly rocky with a backdrop of treacherous waves that will send you straight to the emergency room if you aren't cautious. Because of that, one of the most appealing aspects of Kona is its world-renowned sandy white beaches with gentle and forgiving crystal greenish-blue water.
On the drive over to the beach, about two miles North of Kailua-Kona Airport on Hwy 19, we noticed a few cars pulled over on the side of the road aka Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy. Next to the cars there was a large opening in the ground.
View of the mysterious hole in the ground
For some reason whenever I see a hole, I just gotta get all up in it.😆 I know what you're thinking, it's probably because in a previous life I was a meerkat and now I'm looking to reunite with my underground meerkat family, have a few beers, then go sunbathing ... right!? Well, even though that's a very good guess, I'm afraid its not the reason why I love lava tubes. Actually, I think there is something magical and humbling about walking through an underground tube that had millions of gallons of molten rock flow through it. This molten rock was formed in the center of the Earth by geothermal energy with temperatures reaching upwards of 2500 Fahrenheit which melts crystals in the core creating lava. Now that's hot! 😉
The climb into the Lava Tube
We trekked in cautiously, noticing the opening of the tube led to another smaller opening. We took a moment to feel the energy and power surrounding us. I imagined the lava flowing from the fire goddess herself, Madame Pele. She seduced me with her power, passion, and capriciousness as she lured me deeper inside her place of abode. An impulse jolted me out of Madame Pele's seduction as I wondered where my companion had gone off to. I turned around and came back to the moment and noticed her standing tall behind me. Below is how she appeared.
Lava Tube Silhouette
We continued to journey deeper into Pele's home. As we proceeded my imagination ran wild. The thought of the tube leading us to an underground oasis where a majestic river flowed from Mauna Kea to the ocean tempted me. Perhaps we were here to discover a hidden treasure placed here by King Kamehameha. We saw a light at the end of the tunnel and went into it.
The light at the end of the tunnel.
There was no treasure to be found, so we followed the light to see where it would lead us. The first opening came quickly as Alexandra made the climb. Once she reached the top, I asked her if the climb out seemed reasonable. She looked down at me and said, "I think we should try the other one. This one appears rather challenging."
First Lava Tube Opening
Alexandra cautiously made her way down and then we set off to the next opening. On our walk, she stepped on a large stone that pressed into the ground like a pressure plate. My eyes and imagination lit up once again. I felt like Indiana Jones, expecting that at any given moment a huge stone ball would come rolling down after us or arrow-like projectiles would fire from the lava walls. A few beats passed and nothing happened except for a concerned look from Alexandra. My Indiana Jones' days came to an end; I was just plain ol' Asim with a camera in hand and an idea for a blog in my head. We continued on.
Finally we arrived at the last opening of the tube. It wasn't as high of a climb as the first opening but still moderately challenging. If you are comfortable doing half a pull-up you should be able to make it out with no problem- we did it in flip flops. As Alexandra climbed out, I pressed the shutter button and captured the post-apocalyptic moment below.
Last Lava Tube Opening
After climbing out, the opening appeared as if it had collapsed.
This mysterious lava tube is definitely worth a peek. It's a great place to let your imagination run wild like I did or take a cool silhouette photo on your way to one of the many world-famous Kona beaches.
Although this experience wasn't a Lucas or Spielberg film, it was my movie. I didn't have to audition for a casting director. I didn't have to memorize a script or wait for a director to yell, "action!" I felt a true sense of power in realizing that I am the writer, producer, director and leading actor of my own story.
What's the next movie you want to create?
-Asim