Local Punatics refer to the road from Pahoa to Pohoiki as "Mango Road;" it's lined with giant old mango trees most of the way down to the boat ramp and ocean-swimming at Issac Hale Park. Another couple minutes down the Red Road is volcanically heated Ahalanui Warm Pond.
Last year I swam in the afternoons (as a reward for hard work in the garden), and for physical therapy to recover from knee surgery. This year, I have a new habit -- swimming early -- 7-8 am when the ocean tides have swept out the pond and it is deep and clear. Driving there the last few days, I have noticed the road is covered with hundreds and hundreds of mangoes -- dropping as they do annually from the giant mango trees that line the one-lane road to the ocean.
They are small in size, but sweet and succulent, and although many crack open, get eaten by mongoose, lots just get turned into Mango Jam by the cars passing on this enchanting one-lane road. The pits turn the road into a washboard and the fermented fruit smell reminds me of the years I made gallons of blackberry wine. Today, I pulled over to gather a bunch of mangoes right off the ground to take home. Other folks had the same idea as I saw 8-10 people with long poles gathering them to make pickled mango and mango jam. Sorry, I am not that ambitious and am completely satisfied just peeling them and slurping my way down to the pit. Yum!
PS. Just a few days after writing this, I was headed down for an early swim when, to my surprise, I had to pull over and watch a bonafied "street sweeper/washer" moving slowly down the one lane road washing the gooey jam and pits over to the side. It was SO odd to see a piece of city maintenance equipment doing such an unusual job in the middle of Puna.
Thanks for sharing in your relaxing moments! I too enjoy that one tropical fruit 100% I drink in the organic juice from a container and eat the dried slices from a bag at Costco though....take care you two.
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