I was born and raised in Kailua-Kona, which is located on the west side of the island. When I was a little girl, it was just a sleepy little fishing village and the soft, gentle breezes, that drifted in from the ocean kept the temperature at a balmy 86 degrees F. almost year round.


It was a different climate and a different time. The aloha spirit was everywhere and the ohana (family) and the aina (land) were the most important things in our lives. When the fish were running and the taro and the breadfruit were plentiful; we were happy. We didn't ask for much and we didn't need much. Life was much simpler back then.

Come back often as I add more information on my home, the Big Island of Hawaii.

We will start with a mini circle island tour, where I will tell you a little about the diversities of this wonderful land that is my home.

A hui hou kakou
(Until we meet again)

P.S. Many of my modules keep disappearing. I have had to redo 6 times now. Please forgive and come back as I am continually making the attempt to complete this lens. I will keep adding and/or re-adding every week as time permits. Aloha !

Fishing is still very much a part of our lives, in Kona, but in a different way than it was back then. Kona is home to many World Records for the largest Marlins caught.

Deep sea fishing, also known as, sport fishing, has become an expensive hobby in the islands, especially in Kona, as Kona has become one of the sport fishing epicenters of the world. It is one the reasons that our oceans surrounding the islands, have been over fished.

We not only have the sport fishermen fishing for their trophy fish to take home, we also have the high demand for fresh fish from the many tourist that come and forget to leave. Our ecosystem can not support the amount of people that have decided to make Hawaii their home.

These people are like those dreaded relatives that came to visit but instead of visiting for a week as planned, have chosen to stay and make pests out of themselves. They make our home their home without permission, literally.

They have worn out there welcome. They have been inconsiderate and rude guest. They have over-fished our oceans, polluted our water and air; and have devastated the aina.

They claim our home is better, but are determined to turn it into the mainland that they are running away from, by adding the likes of Walmarts and K-Marts and McDonald's. Funny we never need these places to shop or eat before they got here.

They love it here so much, instead of adapting to our way of life and learning our customs and learning to eat the local food the way we eat - they had to change it to become more like the mainland with it's fast food restaurants, shopping malls, and with the polluting automobiles and cruise ships.

They can't seem to remember how to get back on the plane that brought them here and go home. They have laid claim our home instead, as if they have an inherent right to it.



Now, Kona is a bustling tourist spot that is over crowded with bumper to bumper traffic that is backed up for hours in the mornings and afternoons. The rents for a studio apartment have risen to $1500 - $3000 a month (at the minimum, some are higher) which is impossible for many of the local Hawaiian people to pay.

Tourist are fine. They come. They have a good time. They go home. It's the rest that stay.

Many Hawaiians are now homeless, living on the beach and collecting food stamps. Their land has been taken from them because the government has raised the property taxes so high they cannot pay, nor can they pay the astronomical rent prices. My own property taxes have more than quadrupled this past year.

I have seen this so many times; over and over again. Corporate Amerika wants a piece of property that you have and refuse to sell. The government rezones it from agricultural to either commercial or residential and the property taxes go sky-high and don't slow down until they can take what they want for back taxes.

Legalized stealing by the Amerikan political machine and Corporate Amerika.

Our beautiful beaches that were once there for all to enjoy are being fenced off with "NO TRESPASSING" signs posted on the fences; the public right-of-way to the beach a thing of the past.

Local Hawaiians are no longer being allowed to go to the waters edge with their fishing poles to fish the ocean as they have for centuries.

So the land of our ancestors, that had been in the ohana for thousands of years, is being take over by these rude and inconsiderate guest, that have no respect for the aina (land) the moana kai (ocean) or our way of life. Auwe no ho'i e! These rude and inconsiderate guest are not as welcoming to us as we were to them. They have never understood the meaning of Aloha!

We will begin our tour by leaving Kona and taking the lower road known as the Queen's Highway, driving northwest to Kohala.

We will pass Honokohau Harbor and the Kona Airport. This strip along the beach use to be quite desolate. We would camp at Pine Trees where we would fish and swim, my uncles would play music, my aunties would cook and we would party!

Now there are huge golf courses and resort hotels. The hillside has exploded with the construction of million dollar homes. Instead of continuing along the beach road we will head mauka (towards the mountains) traveling through the "Beverly Hills" of Kona, Kona Palisades, until we get to the Mamalahoa Highway and head north toward the district of Kohala, and more specifically to Waimea - Kamuela.

As we travel north on Mamalahoa Highway through Kohala to Waimea, the most northern part of the island, we drive through terrain that will remind you of the deserts of Arizona or New Mexico. You will see cacti, pampas grass and tumbleweeds for as far as you can see as we begin entering the Parker ranch area.

Parker Ranch is the largest cattle ranch in the nation. Yes, it is even larger than Star Ranch in Texas. Parker Ranch got it's start in the early 1800's, but didn't become a full working ranch until around 1840. The ranch spans almost 180,000 acres, which is about a third of the islands land mass.

As we travel north on Mamalahoa Highway through Kohala to Waimea, the most northern part of the island, we drive through terrain that will remind you of the deserts of Arizona or New Mexico. You will see cacti, pampas grass and tumbleweeds for as far as you can see as we begin entering the Parker ranch area.

Parker Ranch is the largest cattle ranch in the nation. Yes, it is even larger than Star Ranch in Texas. Parker Ranch got it's start in the early 1800's, but didn't become a full working ranch until around 1840. The ranch spans almost 180,000 acres, which is about a third of the islands land mass.

As we get closer to Waimea, you can see the desert-like region changing into soft, rolling green hills of pasture land. Paniolos, Hawaiian cowboys, can be seen riding the range herding their cattle. The paniolos were herding cattle years before the first cowboys appeared in Texas.

It was the Spanish, Latin American vaqueros that came to Hawaii from Venezuela, and taught them the roping and herding techniques to manage the wildly aggressive black longhorn cattle. The Hawaiian name, paniolo is a derivative of the word espanoles. Interestingly, the word cowboy, in the American West, came from the word gaucho, of the South American cowboy, from Argentina.

The closer we get to Waimea, the higher in elevation we will climb, and the warm temperature can change drastically, to a much cooler, misty foggy climate.

We are also traveling past Mauna Kea which is the highest mountain in the world. Yes, even taller than Mount Everst by 10,000 feet, to a total of 32,000 feet, with 13,796 feet above sea level. Mauna Kea is measured from it's base, just as Mount Everest is, however; it is part way below sea level. It is the only place in the world that you can drive from sea level to 14,000 feet in 1-1/2 hours. At the summit of Mauna Kea is the Mauna kea Observatory, home of the world's largest astronomical observatory for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy, with telescopes operated by astronomers from eleven countries. There are currently thirteen working telescopes.

At the 9,300 foot level is the Ellison Onizuka Institute for Astronomy. These facilities were constructed in 1982 and were named in honor of Ellison Onizuka, the astronaut from Kealakekua, on the Big Island, who died on 28 January 1986, when the Challenger exploded 1 min. 13 sec. after launch.

During the winter we actually have snow at the top of Maunakea. When I was young, and when my children were young, we would pack up the 4-wheel drive vehicles with a cooler full of food, thermoses full of coffee and cocoa, and make the trek to the summit to play in the snow. We would make snowmen, go sledding on pieces of cardboard and have snowball fights. After lunch, when the cooler were empty, we would refill it with snowballs. We would then drive down the mountain and go to Hapuna Beach where we would throw snowballs (which by then had hardened into iceballs) at our cousins on the beach. Auwe! Only in Hawaii!

Please go to the Mauna Kea Observatory Website and click the link that says "The White Mountain" to learn how we Hawaiians treasure Mauna Kea.

This Kamuela Villa is Located on the fifth fairway of the championship Mauna Kea golf course, this magnificent 6 bedroom estate overlooks the Pacific Ocean by Hapuna Beach on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Breathtaking vistas sweep in every direction with spectacular sunsets over the ocean and views of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Maui and the Kohala range.

Upon opening the gates, the sights and sounds of the fabulous water gardens will transport you to another dimension. The lush pools are overflowing with exotic species of water lilies and colorful flashes of prize Japanese Koi. It is these gardens that inspired the name of this breath taking oasis. Lilio Lana I Ka Wai, which translates to "the floating water lilies."

Fabulous Kamuela Villa Getaway!


This is a view of the outside hot tub facing the ocean from the lana'i. Truly a lovely place to have cocktails while watching the sun slip down into the Pacific Ocean.

While staying at the Lilio Lana I Ka Wai, you will truly be in the lap of luxury with all of the amenities at your finger tips.

Here is the jacuzzi room in the villa, just to give you an idea of how lovely this Big Island Estate Getaway truly is.

Fabulous Kamuela Villa Getaway!

Coming into Kohala the scenery changes again as the pine trees and eucalyptus begin coming into view. Looking makai (towards the ocean) you will see lush deep greenery that stretches out past the sloping pasture land, to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The contrast of the green against the deep blue ocean with the white crest of the waves and the sparkles from the sun, takes your breath away with the beauty and expanse of it all. The change from the desert like region that we just left behind is quite remarkable. You can smell the pine and the eucalyptus mixed in with the scent of the koa wood and sandlewood trees, wild ginger and gardenias. Heavenly. The bright colors of the Bird of Paradise, orchids and hibiscus are everywhere showing through the fog that rolls in most every afternoon.

As you enter this northern town, you will notice an odd cross between an old Western town and Polynesia. You can still see hitching posts in front of some of the restaurants, saloons and the bank. As you will notice in the photo below, the jungle gym at Kamuela Park has stirrups for handles.

Waimea has grown extensively over the last decade or so as it now has two stop lights, instead of just one, and new shopping centers and homes have been developed.

As we leave the cattle country we head along the Hamakua coast to what was once miles and miles of sugar cane fields, but is now home to macadamia nut and coffee farms. The sugar plantations where planted and developed in the late 1800's, about 1870, by the Japanese, Filipino and Chinese immigrants. The last factory was torn down in 1994. Sugar cane is now grown predominantly in the Carribean where the labor is cheap and there are no Labor Unions to deal with.

You can still see the old plantation homes peppered along the highway as the scenery again changes. It is warming up to a balmy 86 degrees, the sun is shinning bright, you can feel the tradewinds coming in off the ocean and the smell of salt is in the air.

The Hamakua coast is the windward side of the island and is predominantly fertile valleys and lush rainforest. Deep gorges have been carved out of the high cliffs, forming these valleys, from the frequent rainfall creating waterfalls and streams, that rush from the high cliffs, all the way down to the ocean.

Before getting into Hilo, we have to make a stop at Tex's Drive-in on the out-skirts of Honoka'a, and pick up a sack of malasadas. You don't know what a malasada is? Well, you have not lived until you have eaten a Portuguese malasada.

A malasada is a piece of dough that is fried in hot oil and then rolled in sugar and eaten hot. Sounds disgusting, doesn't it? But, I promise, they are not. They are like a doughnut without the hole, very similar to a French beignet from New Orleans. The dough is light, airy and eggy. They are little clouds of heaven. Later on I will give you a recipe for a cheaters malasada that is very easy for you to try at home to experience one of Hawaii's tasty treats.

The town of Honoka'a is an old plantation town that is still to this day, a thriving hub of community activity. With a population of a little over 2,000 people, it is the largest of the plantation towns still in existence. Some how it has managed to maintain is character and remain the rough and tumbled town it has always been. Even the tourist industry, that has destroyed so much of old Hawaii's personality and flavor, has had little effect on Honoka'a.

One of the main landmarks of Honoka'a is the Honoka'a People's Theater, built as a movie theater in 1930 by the Tanimoto family. One of the annual events held at the old theater is the Hamakua Music Festival. Many local musicians and entertainers participate in this festival of new and old style Hawaiian music and let me tell you, the place rocks! If you happen to be on the Big Island of Hawaii in October you should go to this festival. It is something that tourist rarely get to see and is well worth the trip. This is the real culture of Hawaii.

One of the biggest annual events in Honokaa is Western Week. Western Week activities include a two day rodeo, hosted by the Hawaii Saddle Club, square dancing, a farmer's market and the annual parade. Western Week, honors the traditions and lifestyles of the Paniolo in Hawaii and is a function where friends and family get together and celebrate their heritage.

Akaka Falls is now a beautiful state park where you can park your car and walk paved paths to a lookout point to view the falls. It is a wee bit of a hike, so be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. Auwe! To think When I was a child we would hike to the falls through the rainforest on muddy trails, barefoot.

Akaka Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in the islands. Following the pathway to Akaka Falls you will travel through the rainforest and come to the lesser, Kahuna Falls, which measures 400 feet in height. This is a good place for the elderly to stop as they may not be in the best physical shape to manage the trek all the way to Akaka Falls and back. The hike through the rainforest takes about a half-hour and is about a quarter of a mile.

The jungle air is pure from all of the tropical vegetation growing and your lungs will say "thank you" as they breath the crisp, clean air. The fragrance of over 20 varieties of ginger flowers growing along the way is heavenly. Hundreds of different varieties of fern including hapu'u, the giant tree fern; and an intricate network of vines, such as lilikoi, passion fruit, and philodenron, such as elephant ear, flourish growing up the tree trunks. Impatiens, wild orchids, plumeria, hibiscus, bird -of-paradise and heleconia in a variety of colors are seen every where. There are towering bamboo grooves growing over the foot bridges and there are over a 100 different species of trees including banana, beautiful banyan trees, the brilliant blossoms of the African tulip trees, huge monkey pod, ohia, koa, sandlewood and lauhala. It is a truly amazing place.

You will know when you are getting close as you will hear the thunderous roar of the falls. What many don't realize is that the falls are actually split into two falls that flow in a circular shape and come together as one before cascading down a 442 foot drop to the green, fern-filled grotto below. Rainbows form across the gorge from the sun shining through the spray as the water hits the pool. Akaka means to split, chink or crack in Hawaiian.

As we travel along the Hamakua Coast, getting closer to Hilo, there are many more lesser waterfalls, botanical gardens and the Mauna Loa Macadamia Factory. Because of time and space limitations, we will by pass them and go straight to Hilo. A note about the mac nut factory. You aren't missing much there. It is only a building selling nuts and candy to the other nuts, I mean tourist, so you aren't missing much there. The botanical gardens are beautiful and are worth a stop at another time. Here is a photo of a walkway in one of them. You can see the bamboo bending over the path.

Hilo is the capital of the Big Island Island of Hawaii, but our "big city" isn't very big, it only has a population of about 41,000, but t is VERY wet. Hilo is the wettest "city" on earth and has a rainfall of about 120 inches a year. The only place wetter on the planet is the island of Kaua"i. The good thing is that it is usually warm and sunny during the day as the rain doesn't start until the later part of the afternoon and usually rains into the night.

Hilo is a college town as the University of Hawaii - Hilo Campus is located here, but it has kept it's old town charm that is reminiscent of the whaling days. Most of downtown has been restored and the parts that haven't are being worked on now. It also has large shopping centers and malls in the newer portions of the city. We use to travel once a month from Kona to Hilo to do our monthly shopping in the "big stores" in the "big city".

Old town Hilo is still pretty much the same as it always was, with the local restaurants and saloons.The old Dew Drop Inn Chinese Restaurant will remind you of something out of "Casablanca" (the old Humphrey Bogart movie)as will Cafe 100 on Kilauea Avenue, but they both have some of the best, low cost, local food around, with the warmest friendliest aloha service you could ever hope for. It is amazing that these old buildings are still standing with the amount of earthquakes and tsunamis they have withstood over the years.

There are always so many things to see and do in Hilo, but one of the most colorful is the local Hilo Farmer's Market. It is THE place to pick up fresh Hawaiian and Asian local produce, flowers, plants, baked goods, sushi, musubi, fish, box lunches, arts and crafts. It is also a social gathering where neighbors and friends can catch up on the local gossip and make party plans for the weekends.

The Hilo Farmer's Market
Is open every Wednesday and Saturday
7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Before we leave Hilo and head towards Pahoa, there are a few more quick stops, Rainbow Falls being one. The drive to the falls is just minutes out of Old Town Hilo, and the walk is also minutes; a much added relief to those that thought the hike to Akaka Falls was was a bit strenuous.

Usually, when I have seen the double rainbows over Rainbow Falls it has been either at sunrise before the mist has burnt off by the sun, or in the afternoons when the early rains begin and the sun is at just the right angle to catch all of the prisms of the rainbow and there they are - double rainbows over the double falls. The mystical presence of the aumakua> (spirit)is felt while basking in the light and serenity of the falls.

The falls are surround with the wild yellow and white ginger flowers that are prevalent in Hawaii and again the scent is intoxicating when mixed with the vapors cascading off the falls.

Not too far from the waterfalls are the Boiling Pots, pools whose water rolls, bubbles and boils due to the steam vents moving through the lava tubes underground. The topography is constantly changing due to the volcanic action.

There is a legend about Rainbow Falls that we pass down from generation to generation. The story is that Hina, the mother of Maui, still lives in the cave behind the Falls. It is a long story, but you can go to this link to read a shortened version about Maui, Hina and Kuna

Note: The letter "T" that is used in this version, comes from the Tahitian language. We are theoretically suppose to be of Tahitian descent. The letter "T" is not used in the Hawaiian language. It has been replaced with the letter "K". On Oahu you will hear "Tutu Kane" (Grandfather) or "Tutu Wahine" (Grandmother), or just "Tutu". However, the correct words, in Hawaii, are actually "Kupuna Kane" (Grandfather), "Kupuna Wahine" (Grandmother) or "Kupuna" for Grandparents. "Kuku" is the correct shortened version.

The Brown Kukui Nut Bracelet
The kukui nut is a dark, rough, grooved nut that comes from the kukui nut, or candlenut ( Aleurites moluccana), tree of the spurge family. It is also the state tree of Hawaii. Traditionally, the rough nut was smoothed down with a rasp, sanded and then highly polished, with either it's own oil or coconut oil, and turned into jewelry. The jewelry was only worn by the Ali`i, Royalty. Years ago the brown kukui nut was not as common as the black kukui nut and the ivory colored kukui nut was scarce. Now, all the colors can be found, but the black kukui nut leis are the most popular.

Buyers beware that many of the ivory colored kukui nut leis, or necklaces DO NOT come from Hawaii. They come from the Phillippine Islands and are called "lumbang" in Filipino. Don't be fooled into buying "rare kukui nuts" as they are not rare in the Philippines. Often the fair colored nuts have been bleached or dyed or both bleached and dyed to achieve the color. Any colors, other than brown or black, have been dyed or resin created fakes and are not "natural" nuts. When they come from the Philippines you should be paying a much more reasonable price, not high dollar, for these artificial nuts. Be sure to read what you are buying online and find out where the nuts are being harvested and if they are being harvested at all.

In the old days it was rare to see someone wearing a brown kukui nut lei or bracelet. My daughters and I have light brown kukui nut pendants that were hand carved by my grandfather over 100 years ago. Mine is carved with the piha-`ekelo, mynah bird, and my daughters are carved with flowers; the plumeria, bird-of-paradise and the hibiscus, the state flower. They are things of beauty and the color is very rare.

The creamy white kernel of the kukui nut is very oily and in the days of old, the oil was used not only for polishing, but also for lighting the torches and later the lamps and kukui hele po,lanterns. The soft wood was carved out for canoes, the gum from the bark of the tree was used as dye to paint the kapa cloth; the shells of the black kukui nuts and the roots of the tree where used to make black dye. The silvery, light green leaves and the small white flowers where either woven or stung into leis and were representative of the island of Moloka'i.

The Black Kukui Nut Lei

To this day, we still use the roasted nut as a very tasty seasoning called inamona and every part of the tree is still used effectively for medicinal purposes.

Because the kukui nut jewelry is "organic" jewelry, it has become quite the "hot trend" in Hollywood. Celebrities, both men and women, have been seen wearing the black kukui nut leis in the hottest nightclubs. Nicole Kidman, Nicole Richie and Jessica Simpson have been spotted recently wearing the black kukui nut jewelry, and Beth Church has handcrafted adornments of black kukui nuts with silver and horn pieces for $140, so you know they are hot!
Some of the nuts are being made into earrings with hand painted flowers on the like this sample here.

Hawaiian Kukui Nut Jewelry
Hawaiian Koa Wood Jewelry
Hawaiian Petroglyph Jewelry
Plumeria Earrings and More...
Hawaiian Hook Jewelry
Hawaiian Puka Shell Jewelry
Hawaiian Coral Jewelry
Hawaii Italian Charms
Hawaii Rainbow Football Team Watches
Hawaii Gold Dolphin Pendants

The historic Banyan Tree Drive is, of course, named because of all the numerous banyan trees that canopy the road. These trees were all planted in the late 1930's up until the early 1950's by celebrities, including Amelia Earhart, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Cecil B. DeMille, Louis Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Richard Nixon and King George V. Banyan Drive is also called "Hotel Row" as this is where most of the Hilo hotels are located.

At the far end of Banyan Drive is an authentic Japanese garden, named the Queen Lili`uokalani Gardens, that was built in the early 1900's as a memorial to the immigrant Japanese who developed the old Waiakea Sugar Plantation The garden was named in honor of our last reigning monarch, Queen Lili`uokalani.

Queen Lili`uokalani was imprisoned in her own jail at the Iolani Palace on Oahu in 1893, by the order of President Grover Cleveland. In 1898, President McKinley signed the McKinley Act and Hawaii was annexed to the United States. Queen Liliuokalani was forced to give up her throne and Hawaii became the Territory of the United States.

The gardens consist of 30 acres adjacent to Moku'ola, the "healing island", which is now known as Coconut Island, where you can cross a narrow foot bridge to get from the park to the island. You will still see the fishermen throwing their surround nets out over the water to catch fish, or casting their lures into the ponds. This is a beautiful, tranquil spot for a picnic in the the noon sunshine.

The countryside surrounding Pahoa is filled with beautiful natural wonders like the Lava Tree State Park, steam vents, groves of papaya trees and black sand beaches along the rugged Puna coast. Much of the area has yet to add electricity and city water. From the bays at Isaac Hale Beach Park to Kalapana, the coastal road, Route 137, winds through untouched pine forests, open pastures and dense tropical foliage of the rainforest. While traveling on Route 137 you will also pass seaside tidepools and quiet fishing spots. Many of the circle island tour guides on the Big Island call Puna the most scenic and rural area of the Big Island. Once you are captured by the Puna magic it is hard to leave.

Pahoa is a little town close to the Volcano National Park that is lost in the '60's which to me is very cool that it has not change very much over the last 50 years. This quaint sleepy village has kept it's diverse culture, with everyone living together harmoniously.

Pahoa was first a rugged sawmill town then a sugar town and also a crossroad on the old railroad. The Puna Sugar Company closed down it's platation in 1984. It is now a very laid back community. There are areas that were covered up by the lava flow in 1960.

Main Street in Pahoa is very charming and has maintained its western style storefronts and wood boardwalks in a charming turn of the century Victorian style. The psychedelic wall paintings get replaced periodically as the old ones fade away from the weather but, for the most part, remains the same as as it always has as far back as I can remember.

Vintage Hawaii Pipeline
Original 70's Iron-On T-Shirt RARE

RARE Vintage 1970 Surf T-shirt
* original vintage licensed L&H 1974 print
* new/unused 50/50 super soft 3/4 jersey
* classic retro white w/ orange trim baseball shirt
* rare licensed iron-on heat transfer
* EXTREMELY limited - EXCLUSIVE

RARE Vintage 1970 Surf T-shirt

Vintage Hawaii Old School
Original 70's Iron-On Surf T-Shirt RARE

RARE Vintage 1970 Surf T-shirt
* original vintage licensed L&H 1974 print
* new/unused 50/50 super soft 3/4 jersey
* classic bright green w/ orange trim baseball shirt
* rare licensed iron-on heat transfer
* EXTREMELY limited - EXCLUSIVE

Fantastic colors and artwork on this 70's original iron-on, that dude has one sweet style happening! Another vintage ride only available at American Ringer!
RARE Vintage 1970 Surf T-shirt

The gold engraved jewelry that is enameled with black enamel calligraphy lettering, known as Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry is a much beloved style of jewelry in Hawaiian tradition.

The jewelry dates back to 1877, when Prince Albert, consort and husband to England's Queen Victoria, had died. During the Queen Victoria's time of grief, only mourning clothes and black-accented jewelry were acceptable apparel at the royal court. Jewelry was designed by Queen Victoria to accent the mourning dress. This gold jewelry, accented with black jet or enamel and carved with floral, vine or scroll designs became the height of fashion in England. These pieces came in the forms of rings, broaches, pendants and bracelets.

At the time of the Victorian Jubilee of 1887 in England, Queen Victoria invited her friends, Queen Kapiolani and Princess Liliuokalani to attend the celebration. The Hawaiian Royalty were presented with gifts of solid gold bracelets with their names engraved in Old English, calligraphy, lettering and filled with black enamel. The Queen and Princess were so enthralled with these simple, yet unique and beautiful works of art, that they had similar bracelets made as gifts for other members of the Hawaiian Royality for presentation upon their return.

The future Hawaiian Queen had the bracelets made to her exact specifications.
They embodied her mixed feelings of sympathy for the English queen's loss, her own feelings of love and loyalty to her home in Hawaii, and her duty to the throne as royalty.

The bracelets she deigned featured an intermingling of both the black enamel used in the English mourning items and engravings representing the `ahu`ula, feather capes, which are the symbols of Hawaiian royalty.

This combination of the Victorian English mourning and the Hawaiian monarchy forms the basis for Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry as it is known today..

Hawaiian Jewelry & Gift Collection

Keali'i Reichel's 1st Album - Ke'Alaokamaile
Review:
By writing and performing pieces in the old language with authentic instruments, he voices the real strength of his people. This is something that must be preserved. The beauty and strength of his culture is self-evident.If you want to hear some fantastic Hawaiian music, chanting and heartfelt aloha, buy this album NOW!
Ke'Alaokamaile

Keali'i's 2nd Release - Lei Hali'a
Lei hali'a means "to be surrounded in memories"
Review:
This beautiful music is sung in the traditional Hawaiian style. The music is more heartfelt, expressive and emotional than anything in English. Keali'i Reichel is helping to preserve the Hawaiian culture by donating a portion of his proceeds to educational programs for the children of Hawai'i to keep the aloha spirit alive through its children.
Lei Hali'a

E O Mai - Keali'i's third album
Review
The title track is one of the most perfect songs to listen to. I could listen to Keali'i sing all night and I wouldn't get tired of it. He is a perfectionist who as a Kumu Hula (hula master), establishes great flow to his beautiful music.
E O Mai

Ke'Alaokamaile

The Grammy-nominated Ke' Alaokamaile is the Keal'i's tribute to his family, singing about his ancestors and his own life so far.

Ke'Alaokamaile

In 1959 when Kilauea first erupted we where staying with some relatives in Hilo while my father was at a Chiropractic convention. (My father, Dr. Parker, was the governor of the western United States for the American Chiropractic Association at the time.) All of us kids were sleeping on futons in my auntie's spare room when awakened by two very excited parents. It was "Wiki wiki - hurry up - get dressed the volcano has erupted!" My mother bundled us all up as it was cold out and it gets even colder at night as the climb takes you to higher elevations. I was dressed in a pair of corduroy pants over my flannel pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt over my flannel pajama top, with a thick Chinese style quilted jacket on top of that, to keep me warm against the cold night air.

In those days there weren't many roads and we had to park the car at a lower level and hike to the volcano. The entire skyline was a fiery glow in the dark sky as far as you could see, as if the world were on fire, as in a sense it was. Our world was ablaze. The closer we got to the eruption the hotter it got and the clothes started peeling off, one by one, as the heat became more intense. We arrive at the edge of the crater at about midnight.

It was a sight that I will never forget as long as I live! We were at the edge of the crater, yet still a mile or two from the actual eruption, but the heat was so intense that my eyebrows and eyelashes were singeing. All of the trees around the crater were on fire and the ground below us had split open with a fountain of flames and molten lave shooting 100's feet into the air. My first thought was that God had opened the earth to show us what hell looks like.

My older sister and my father left the rest of us with my mother and the crowd that was beginning to form, and ventured down closer to the eruption to get some photos. When they returned, the skin on their faces and hands were slightly burned and all of the hair had been singed off. The intensity of the heat is indescribable. It is hard to imagine the feeling of something so extremely hot from such a far distance as we where that night.

The beauty of the fountain of white, yellow, gold and red lava shooting into the night air against the backdrop of the black skyline was exquisitely breathtaking and then I saw her in the midst of the flames. Madame Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess. Her beautiful face with dark, high check bones and dark eyes flashing with the reflection of fire. Her long black hair bellowing and swirling behind and around her head Painted by Herbert Kawa'inui Kane in the gaseous winds created by the spewing lava. I gasped and called to everyone there in the crowd that had gathered, "Auntie Pele! Auntie Pele!", while pointing at her image. Everyone saw her. We watched mesmerized, as time seemed to stop and a few of the elders began chanting Hawaiian prayers.

As we watched our beautiful goddess dance away in the flames, I realized that what had seemed like hours had in reality only been about 15 minutes and I wondered what had caused Madame Pele to be so angry with us. My Auntie I`o, who had been one of the chanters, told me later that she wasn't angry with us, that she was just reminding us of her existence and that her supreme power is in creating new life from the old, by cleansing away the past, as we should remember to do also. My Auntie I`o told me to always remember the blessing that I had received from her viewing.

To this day whenever I see photos of volcanic eruptions I can always pick out this Kilauea Iki eruption. There has never been, before or since, an eruption as spectacular as this one.

Above is what the beach use to look like. Whenever we would go to Hilo for the day to do our shopping, we would stop at Kalapana, that we knew as Kaimû, on our way home for a swim. You use to be able to drive all along the coast back to Kona. Not any more.

Our first stop was always at Queen's Bath in Kalapana. The Queen's Bath was a natural swimming pool made entirely out of puka puka stone (porous lava rocks)and was fed naturally partly by a fresh water spring and partly by the ocean. It was of course where the ali'i (royalty) of old would bathe, hence the name, and all the children of Puna would play and swim.

In 1983, 25 years ago, Kilauea - Mauna Ulu, erupted again and hasn't stopped since. In 1987, the lava, headed toward the Queen's Bath and slowing enveloped it and filled it in with molten lava.

"I used to go there every morning and swim," said Ed Frazer, one of the local residence. "Everybody would go there on a hot day after school."

Queen's Bath was right outside the Volcano National Park. Park Ranger Mardie Lane was there the night lava filled it. "You could see it boil," she said. "Tiny fish and shrimp lived there. It was almost like a miso soup because of all the creatures in the water." she stated.

In 1990, the beach and the town were completely covered by lava, and the church was moved to higher ground. This is the church as it stands today. It has been nicely repainted and will be safe for a while until "Auntie Pele" reminds us once more that her religion is the only one and cleans house again.

In 1997, the Wahaula Heiau, a 700-year-old sacrificial temple was wiped out.

This is a photo of one of the flows that wiped out Kalapana Village. Courtesy of the Honolulu Btar Bulletin Newspaper

There are many stories about Madame Pele and her many lovers, most of whom did not survive her fiery love. This is a short version of the tale of the one lover who proved a match for Pele, Kamapua`a (the pig-man, demi-god).

Painting by the island's living-legend, reknown artist, Herbert Kane

"Kamapua'a had his upper body and head tattooed in black and menacing designs. He shaved his head, and grew a short black bristle on scalp and chin. He cut himself a short cloak out of the skin of a wild hog, and wore it, hairy side out. Did he look like a hog? Some would say so, but there are no mirrors in the mountains and the ever moving rivers deceive."*

He eventually became so powerful that the pig god could also change and appear as a plant or as various types of fish, on of which was named after him, the humu-humu nuku-nuku apua'a.

He and Pele were at odds from the beginning; she covered the land with barren lava, he brought torrents of rain to extinguish her fires and called the wild boars to dig up the land, softening it so seeds could grow.

The legend is that Pele was attacked near here by Kamapua`a a kahuna (priest) of Pele whom may have been named for Kalapana. When Kamapua'a came to Kilauea to court Pele, she rejected his love when she discover what he was and cried out at him, "A'ohe 'oe kanaka he pua'a, you are not a man, you are a pig."

He was insulted and lashed out at her. In Puna, at a place called Ka-lua-o-Pele, where the land seems torn up as if a great struggle had taken place, legend says Kamapua'a finally caught and ravaged Pele.

Kamapua'a, was also jealous of Pele's ability to make lava spout from the ground at will, so covered it with the fronds of the fern trying to smother the fire. He only succeeded in creating vog. Choking from the smoke which she could not escape from anymore, Pele emerged. And a furious battle ensued between them. Pele hurled fire and molten lava. Kamapua'a retaliated with storms of rain.

The battle raged and the two weakened as first fire won, then rain, then fire. Realizing that each could threaten the other with destruction, the gods had to call their fight a draw and divided the island between them: Kamapua'a got the windward northeastern side, and Pele got the drier Kona ("leeward") side. After that, Kamapua'a turned himself into the "ama'u fern and surrounded the summit caldera to be close to Pele".

Thus the name Halema'uma'u (house surrounded by the ama'u fern). The fern's poetic name, pua'a 'ehu'ehu (singed pig) refers to the new fronds' rusty red color, a sign that Kamapua'a was singed by the last bits of Pele's fire.

The two remained tempestuous lovers, it is said, until a child was born, then Kamapua'a sailed away and Pele went back to her philandering ways.

To this day the fern that are still growing around the caldera are tinged with a rusty orange color as if singed by fire.

The `ama`u fern are all species of an endemic genus of ferns (