The Hawaiian islands were built by volcanoes and evidence is seen especially on the Big Island. Some of us went on to tour Volcano National Park. Our guides, Josh and Jill live close to the area where there is active lava threatening some of the homes. Each day reports are given, indicating what to expect. There is only a small area that is impacted but an eruption could impact that area at any time. Scientists are constantly monitoring signs. We couldn't get close to the crater or any lava but witnessed the area from a distance and could see steam rising from rifts. We also walked through a lava vent created many years ago. The area shows the result of 70 million years of volcanism, migration and changes.
On the way back to our motel, we stopped at store featuring orchids and a winery. At the winery, they said that sometimes, winds blow the sulfur dioxide gases toward their vines and that can damage the setting of the flowers, reducing the fruit yields. Because of the gases in the air and the way the winds blow, people can be affected y VOG, volcanic originated gases, which can cause headaches and a congested feeling. The winery also featured white, black and green teas.
