Talk amongst yourselves...I may be some time.

Today's the day: first a two-hour drive to sunny Kona, then five and a half hours on the plane to LA, then another 7 or so? to NY, then another 10 or so to Helsinki. This is where time zones start to race towards me and I don't know what time it is where. I do know we will arrive on what is in Europe Thursday morning, having left Hawai'i on a Tuesday evening.

Homeland security are hassling me as I haven't informed them of my first destination in the US. I might be found back in Hilo, pissed off as anything, already tonight. Or possibly, in a cage in Guantanamo...I think I had better try and solve this.

Anyway, I will be back, but in the meantime, enjoy these piccies of the tallest land formation on the planet, Mauna Kea, on whose foothills I live. Forget puny Everest with its pitiful 8800 metre summit. OK, Everest may be *highest*, but Mauna Kea is 10 200 metres tall when measured from the sea bed, which is where you really *have* to measure it, given that it doesn't float atop the ocean. You can make out some of the telescopes on the top, too. Both pics are taken down the road from us, the one with the telescopes showing is actually taken at the local 76 garage!

So, aloha from Hilo for now. If everything goes according to plan, it'll be terve from Helsinki in a few days!

© 2006 Anna MR