1/4/12

Stretching our legs in Hilo

We drove over Saddle Road and stretched our legs in Hilo before poking around in Puna. Hilo looked to be in better shape this time than it did the last time I passed through.

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Funny to see paradigmatic Christmas iconography prevailing in the tropics...

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We bought five strawberry papayas for $1 at the farmer's market. The papya trees I've seen (Carica papaya; the genus is monotypic, the family is not) are anywhere from 6 to 15 feet tall, and grow from a single, hollow trunk that is relatively easy to push over. They seem to be more common on the Hilo side, in both the "natural" and cultivated landscapes, than anywhere else in all of Hawaii.

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Whereas the only place I recall noticing pineapples (Ananas comosus), was in commercial cultivation, on Oahu.

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Anyway...

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3 comments:

Christopher C. NC said...

That is a long drive. Scenic at least. Hilo has always been sort of a depressed town. All the green moss growing on the sidewalk curbs and cracks in the pavement suit the mood.

chuck b. said...

Hilo reminds Guy of the PNW (but much warmer) with its persistent mosses and wetness. I think I could hang out there for awhile, however.

"Long drive" is a big part of the Big Island experience we've decided. We're hankering to return to our condo-nest in Kauai. And we want to see Maui again. There was much talk about the road to Hana on this trip.

Kaveh said...

I loved my recent trip to Oahu and Maui. I look forward to going back and checking out the big island sometime in the future.