SWEPT AWAY IN HILO - NOT...

Shortly after 9pm on Thursday, Scott gave this old geezer the news that a massive earthquake had hit Japan and there were fears of a tsunami hitting Hilo.  My dears, the folks of Hilo take the threat of tsunamis very seriously, they well remember 1946 and 1960.  In short order, the Tsunami Warning was heard, and this warning would continue to be heard throughout the night.

With almost a full house at the hostel, Scott began alerting folks of what was to come in way of possible evacuation of the hostel.  While the Hilo Bay Hostel is located in the old Burns Hotel Building, a building that has been standing in downtown Hilo since 1911, one can never be prepared enough for a possible deadly tsunami.  Better safe than sorry is the motto...

Round midnight, Scott had been told that it was necessary to ask all of the guest to head to higher ground.  The Tsunami Evacuation Area is just blocks up the road.  All guest were told of the shelters opened and a steady stream of guests could be seen leaving the hostel in twos and threes.  Some had all of belongings and were going to get in hired vehicle and wait out the tsunami on higher ground.  This old geezer noted several headed to the Hilo Public Library, located not far from the hostel and on safe ground.

Scott, aided by Justin, went round to each room and checked to make sure that all guests had departed.  A small placard was placed on door of each room to indicate that it was 'empty'. With nearly all guests departed, the last act of Scott was to place a massive chain round the gate to hotel, and to tell one guest that he, Scott, was not going to lock until all were safely from the hostel.   A good captain does not leave his ship until last...

Scott invited this old geezer to spend the hours of the night waiting in his 'motorhome'...

Mind, that is if you call a rather small vehicle a motorhome.  It did get us up the road and it was comfy, for a refugee camp.  Light refreshments were not served and there was no 'onboard' film.

Scott is always good company and the time seemed to fly past.  Attempts to get a little sleep did not go well, as the bloody tsunami warning system would blare oft.  We two brave souls had to content selves with watching the growing crowd of police gathering to deal with the possible damage.  There were massive numbers of folks out to make sure that folks were safe if the worst were to come.  At one point, the coppers told us that we might want to get to even higher ground as the time approached from the tsunami to hit Hilo.  That must have been round 3am.  We did, and they did.

I can tell you true that Scott and I had but the clothes on our backs.  OK, perhaps a torch or two and a few bits and bobs in a bag, but not much else.  There was no food or beverage.

Round time we headed to higher point, we notice a fellow refugee from the hostel.  Eric is a young guest, hearing impaired, who is staying in one of the suites downstairs.  Even on his best days, Eric looks like a lost soul and late Thursday/early Friday morn, the poor bugger looked as if he was LOST...

Scott pulled over and another soul was made room for in the 'motorhome'.  Eric wasted no time reminding us that he was hungry.  How lovely, Scott and I were just beginning to wonder about a little light refreshment.  Eric had a large packet of 'tic-tacs' which he made no effort to share.  So much for passing round the goodies.

As luck would have it a chap showed up who had a large cup of coffee.  'Ask him where he got it'; Scott got me to do.  Turns out there was a cash & carry further up the road.  That was all needed to get us going.  With a large cuppa and a 'small' biscuit in hand, we three denizens of the 'motorhome' were prepared to face the remains of the night.

Did I mention how small the vehicle was?  Or the fact that between the blasting of the tsunami warning and the endless clicking away of the mobile keys by Eric, there was little hope of sleep.

Round daybreak, a local eatery opened for breakfast.  Like so many others, we ate and listened to comments of the coppers as to when we might be able to return home.  Latest word, that was going to be 8am.

Actually, it was more like 9am, before we were able to return to the hostel and get ready to welcome the returning guests.  First order of business was to make sure that the kettle was on and there would be plenty of fresh coffee and tea.

All of the guests had spent the long night in different states of refuge and seemed more or less in the same state of 'lack of sleep' Scott and this old geezer found selves.  It was an adventure.

This old geezer came away from the experience with two truths.  Tsunamis are no joking matter and the officials of Hilo took it dead serious and could not have been more professional in dealing with the situation.

The main truth of the long night is that if this old geezer has to run for it in the future, Scott is a most excellent fellow traveller to be caught up with.  The sort of chap you can imagine sang hymns and held hands on the deck of the Titanic...