Star Date: Dec. 2017
Hawaii
Hello Dear Family & Friends!
“Bumbai”
(He’ll do it when he gets around to it – Hawaiian slang)
(Roberts Hawaii)
“What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.”
(Leo Tolstoy)
Pele. Fiery and passionate, most people have seen her power and destruction in the last month on the Big Island of Hawaii. A key figure in Hawaiian legends Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance and volcanoes is a well-known character. Otherwise known as ka wahine ai honua, the woman who devours the land, Pele’s home is believed to be Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Dwelling in the craters of the Big Island’s Kilauea Volcano, she has been sending ribbons of fiery lava down the mountainside and adding new land around the southeastern shore almost continuously since 1983. Pele moved down the chain of islands in order of their geological formation, eventually landing on the Big Island’s Mauna Loa, which is considered the tallest mountain on earth when measured from its base at the bottom of the ocean, taller than Mount Everest.
Any volcanic eruption in Hawaii is attributed to Pele’s longing to be with her true love. Legends about Pele, her rivals and her lovers abound. Most of the lovers she took were not lucky enough to escape with their lives when she hurled molten lava at them, trapping them in odd misshapen pillars of rock that dot volcanic fields to this day.
Pele is often portrayed as a wanderer and sightings of the familiar and popular goddess have been reported throughout the island chain for hundreds of years, but especially near volcanic craters and near her home of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
In these sightings or visions she appears as either a very tall, beautiful young woman or an unattractive and frail elderly woman usually accompanied by a white dog. Those well-versed in the legend, say that Pele takes this form of an elderly beggar woman to test people – asking them if they have food or drink to share. Those who are generous and share with her are rewarded while anyone who is greedy or unkind are punished with their homes or other valuables destroyed.
Whatever the truth Pele has caused a lot of damage, but mainly in a small area called Puna in East Hawaii. (see map below). Our hearts go out to all the people who recently lost their homes. The flip side of paradise.
Meanwhile on the other side of the massive Big Island; with a 14,000 ft mountain in-between, we built homes, raised families and lived the Hawaiian life in Paradise. Life is slow and easy; a rich combination of busy infrastructure of the mainland U.S. and the laid back ways of the Pacific Islands or Asia. A perfect combination combined with perfect weather and it is easy to see what draws people to the remote chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, our kids were raised here and although moving to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for a number of years, they have both been lured back home to the loving, tropical arms of paradise. Here they are happily living, enjoying life, living with Nature, working and raising families. We moved my Mom here 5 years ago from the Midwest and have been able to visit them any time of the year. This is our ‘vacation from our vacation’ and we always love our visits back to our Island. Being far from family is one of the hardest parts of being a ‘World Nomad’. Coming home provides time to reconnect and make more great memories together.
We always spend time with family and friends and take a few adventures around the island. This month we are sharing photos of scenes around the Big Island, so named as it takes 12 hours to drive around it. Boasting twenty one of the planet’s 22 climate zones, this island has it all!
Highlights of this trip were times spent with family, grand children Kayla and Kaimana and the unique, festive, tropical wedding of son, Kevin, and new daughter, Laura. A colorful explosion of Aloha it was truly done Hawaiian style with the warmth of family, friends and associates showing up to wish the new couple well. It was fun to be involved in the preparations; from helping find a lovely estate for the day, finding the perfect dress for Kayla as flower girl, to even drafting my friend to help make the bridal bouquet and floral arrangements when the florist unexpectedly flew off at the last minute, her Dad gravely ill. Everyone pitched in and helped in their own way and it was a day to remember. Besides when the food was being served, the wine poured, the band playing we danced, laughed, relaxed and Let Go! My toast to Kevin was a wild tale of when single Mom and 2 teenagers struck off on a year long adventure around the world. Ending up in a Bedouin camp in the middle of the Jordanian Dessert, a nomad inquired whether I wanted to buy a wife for my son. With my usual mischievous nature I told him it depended on the price. We bargained hard and loud and when he wouldn’t budge I exclaimed, “Too much!” and stomped away. In the meantime Kevin, then 13, was standing there cringing and said disapprovingly, “Don’t you ever try buying me a wife again!!” I promised I wouldn’t. And so he went on to find his lovely Laura years later! And we didn’t even have to throw in an extra camel and 6 goats.
And so it goes…………………………………..Next Bali, from one island to another. Until then let’s remember to deal with the incompatibilities of those around us with Love. “Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.” (Leo Buscaglia) Take care and Thanks for all the emails.
Love, Light & Laughter,
xoxoox Nancy & Joseph
Travel notes:
1 US Dollar = 1 Hawaiian dollar
Exploring the Big Island
An itinerary for a trip around the Big Island was found listed as one the most interesting drives of the world by National
Geographic. Gives an idea of what the Big Island of Hawaii
has to offer.
Begin in Kailua-Kona
In Kailua-Kona, American missionaries started the first Christian
church in Hawaii in 1820. Today, the Mokuaikaua Church (75-5713
Alii Dr.; 1 808 329 0655; www.mokuaikaua.org), which was
rebuilt in 1837 of crushed coral and lava rock, is still a quiet
sanctuary. Step across the street to the two-story, palm-
shaded 1838 Hulihee Palace (75-5718 Alii Dr.; 1 808 329 1877; www.daughtersofhawaii.com/huliheepalace/), now a museum.
Check out the enormous koa wood chair specially built to
accommodate Princess Ruth, who measured over six feet tall and weighed over 400 pounds (181 kilograms).
Ahuena Heiau
Nearby, along the shore, is the reconstructed Ahuena Heiau
(75-5660 Palani Rd.; 1 808 327 0123; www.kulana.hawaiiweb.org).
Heiaus are ceremonial stone structures usually built on a platform
(as in this case). Using Ahuena as his headquarters, Kamehameha conquered and unified the Hawaiian Islands in the early 19th
century. The surrounding village remained the capital of all the Hawaiian Islands until 1821. “For some of us, it still is the capital,”
says Kaleookalani Nakoa, a native Hawaiian and one of the
official guardians of the heiau.
Kona Coffee Living History Farm
Continuing south along the scenic two-laner, you’re soon high above the ocean, fields of bushes and berries indicating that this is coffee country. For a taste of the plantation lifestyle established over the past century, pull into the Kona Coffee Living History Farm just before the village of Captain Cook (mile marker 110; 1 808 323 2006; www.konahistorical.org). You’ll learn not just about locally grown coffee but also sample the luscious fruits that abound in Hawaii, such as Kona oranges, passion fruit, and guavas, among others.
Kealakekua Bay
A side road leads to Kealakekua Bay, from which you can see a monument marking the place where British explorer James Cook was stabbed to death by the natives in 1779. This happened just a year after he and his crew became the first Europeans to set foot on what he dubbed the “Sandwich Islands.”
Coffee Shack
Back on the main road, stop at the mountainside Coffee Shack
(after mile marker 108; 1 808 328 9555; www.coffeeshack.com),
built on a coffee plantation. Besides Kona coffee, lunch, and
breakfast—try the eggs Benedict—the lanai, or porch, has views of 26 miles (41 kilometers) of coastline far below.
St. Benedict’s
In the same area, don’t miss St. Benedict’s, better known as thePainted Church (84-5140 Painted Church Rd., Captain Cook; 1 808 328 2227; www.thepaintedchurch.org/history.asp). To give
his congregants the illusion of being in a European cathedral, its
Belgian priest painted the interior with a simple trompe l’oeil
technique in the early 1900s. Also nearby, look for the 180-acre (73-hectare) Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, preserving what’s left of an ancient Hawaiian royal residence, a sacred place of refuge, and a heiau. Among the original arti-facts on the site are petroglyphs and a 16th-century wall.
Lava Fields and Forests
For the next 40 miles (64 kilometers), the road traverses, alter-
nately, old lava fields and Eden-like forests with flowering multi-
colored bougainvillea and hibiscus along the side of the road.
Also look for tropical trees like the wide-spreading monkey
pod and ohia trees with feathery red blossoms.
Naalehu
At Naalehu, stop at the Punalu’u Bake Shop (95-3642
Hamalahoa Hwy.; 1 808 929 7343; www.bakeshophawaii.com),
famed for Portuguese sweet bread and malasadas (doughnuts).
Box up an assortment to eat later in the car.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Soon the Belt Road rises in altitude and lowers in temperature
until reaching Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (1 808 985 6000; www.nps.gov/havo). Stop at Kilauea Visitor Center to get maps
and current advice on how to safely view active lava flows in
the park. A good bet is a ranger-led hike.
Hilo
Consider overnighting on the rim of the park’s Kilauea Caldera
at the Volcano House (1 Crater Rim Dr.; 1 808 967 7321; www.volcanohousehotel.com). Another lodging, in the town of
Hilo, is the 1899 Shipman House (131 Kaiulani St.; 1 808 934 8002; www.hilo-hawaii.com), a Victorian mansion where author Jack
London and his wife, Charmian, stayed during their 1907 visit.
Honomu
North from Hilo, take a turnoff to the old village of Honomu,
whose funky false-front businesses include an antique bottle shop. Honomu exists mainly because it’s on the way to Akaka Falls State
Park (1 808 974 6200; www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/hawaii/Index.cfm?park_id=2), known for its 442-foot (135-meter) falls and lush rain forest surroundings.
Honokaa
Leave the main highway again at Honokaa to reach the
viewpoint overlooking the nearly deserted Waipio Valley,
850 feet (250 meter) below. It’s one of the premier
panoramas in the state.
Only four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed to drive down the
steep road to the valley floor and its black-sand beach.
Waimea
Continuing toward the village of Waimea (also called Kamuela),
along rolling hills of bright green grass, you’ll enter ranch
country, marked by billowing mist and lowing Angus cattle.
Stop at the Parker Ranch Museum (67-1435 Mamalahoa Hwy.;
1 808 885 7655; www.parkerranch.com) to learn about the
ranch’s long history. It was founded by American sailor John Parker, who arrived in Hawaii in 1809, worked for King Kamehameha, and eventually bought land.
Jacaranda Inn
On the ranch, you can stay in a garden cottage at the historic
Jacaranda Inn (65-1444 Kawaihae Rd.; 1 808 885 8813; www.jacarandainn.com), with a sumptuously remodeled ranch
house and bunkhouses. It’s a favorite of astronomers visiting
the observatories atop Mauna Kea, the island’s tallest peak at
13,796 feet (4,205 meters). For breakfast, try the French toast
made with Portuguese sweet bread.
Hawi
From Waimea, leave the Belt Road to take the winding Kohala
Mountain Road to Hawi. Hard-hit by the decline of the sugar
industry, Hawi has recently revived. Besides the rustic Bamboo Restaurant (55-3415 Akoni Pule Hwy.; 1 808 889 5555; www.bamboorestaurant.info), look for Kohala Winds of Change
(55-3435 Akoni Pule Hwy.; 1 808 889 0809;
kohalawindsofchange.com), which imports and sells scores
of organic Chinese teas.
Puukohola Heiau
Now head south on the warmer and drier low road, stopping
for a history lesson at the windswept ruins of the Puukohola
Heiau (1 808 882 7218; www.nps.gov/puhe). In 1791 King
Kamehameha completed his conquest of the Big Island.
Finish Back at the Airport
From here, it’s almost a straight shot back to the airport. Side
roads lead to luxury resorts with sandy beaches and green golf
courses. Also watch for signs to petroglyph fields that have
primitive figures—of turtles, fish, and canoes—carved into the
lava flows. They represent the native culture of old Hawaii that
still survives on the Big Island.
Road Kit
Hawaii is a year-round attraction, but if you visit at Easter (March/April) you can see the Merrie Monarch Festival in
Hilo, a weeklong hula extravaganza that sells out months in advance (www.merriemonarchfestival.org/about_merrie_monarch_
festival.html). See www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl for local weather conditions. For more on Big Island must-sees, lodgings, and
eateries, see www.bigisland.org, www.kona-kohala.com, www.downtownhilo.com, and www.kamuela.com. The area
code for Hawaii is 808. The attractions above fall along the
221-mile (355-kilometer) Hawaii Belt Road, driving counterclockwise from Kona International Airport, on the
western shore, south to Naalehu, northeast to Hilo, northwest
to Hawi, and south to the airport. Allow three days, including
side trips.
—Text by Robert Bone, adapted from
National Geographic Traveler
Flying into Kona. 14,000 ft. Mauna Kea in
the distance.
Wide open skies of Waimea, as we begin
our pictorial tour around the Big Island.
A double rainbow.
Cinder cones dot the landscape. Reminders
that we live on a volcanic island.
Lava flowing in Puna May 2018.
Credit: Tom Kualii
Mauna Loa, 13,600 ft, hiding behind
the clouds.
A spectacular vista of the N.E. coast.
Rugged coastline near Lapahoe’hoe.
The scenic Liliuokalani Park and gardens
in Hilo.
One of our favorite things to do on the
Big Island is attend the local Farmers
Markets. This one in Puna, now closed
due to Lava.
The Hamakua Coast.
Hiking through Kalopa State Park.
Wild rhododendrons in the forest.
A tunnel of trees in Puna, S.E. island.
City of Refuge, S. Kona, western side.
Pu’uhonua o Honaunau Nat Park.
A peaceful place to learn about the history
of the Hawaiians on the Big Island.
The Polynesians traveled the seas in ‘wa’a’ or
outrigger canoes for thousands of miles from the
S. Pacific to reach Hawaiian shores in the 1200’s.
The Big Island is 4 volcanoes stuck together.
Paddling outriggers at sunset.
Napo’opo’o Bay, where Captain Cook
landed in 1770.
The happy couple: Kevin and Laura.
The happy couple: Kevin and Laura.
The Mann Clan. Daughter Mariah, Shane,
Kayla and Kaimana.
Granddaughter Kayla, sweet little
flower girl.
The beautiful bride.
This is what happens when the florist flies
out of town the day of the wedding! Luckily
Hawaii is blessed with endless colorful tropical
flowers. Maybe a new career?
Dinner by the pool.
Great band for dancing.
Of course the groom got thrown in the pool!
A ‘pre wedding, wedding’ with dear Gami.
We danced, and ate, and celebrated.
A picnic at Old A’s Beach, with Uncle Paul.
Another gorgeous Kona sunset.
