Big Island of Hawaii - Part 3

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.

Hilo 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.

Even though Hilo is the capital of the Big Island of Hawaii, it is not a very "big city". It is the biggest city on the Big Island, however Kailua-Kona is rapidly catching up in population as more and more people move to Kailua-Kona from the mainland. This huge influx of mainlander's has caused a dramatic increase in property values all over the island. My own property tax increased 86% last year in 2008, because of it. Big mainland and Arab developers are wanting to buy my land, which I will never sell, and the surrounding properties. This is another factor for the real estate values and tax increases on the Big Island.

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 THE place for a social gathering where neighbors and friends can "talk story" (catch up on the local gossip), exchange goods, and make party plans for the weekend.

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. 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.

Rainbow 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.

This photo by lashr1999

The Brown Kukui Nut Bracelet
The kukui nut tree can be seen growing on all of the Hawaiian Island, not just in Hilo. The kukui nut is a dark, rough, grooved nut that comes from the kukui nut, or candlenut tree, ( Aleurites moluccana), 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. In ancient times, the kukui nut jewelry was only worn by the ali`i, royalty, of Hawai'i. 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 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 major 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 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

The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week long festival that is one of the largest events celebrated every year in Hilo, during the month of April. The festival is a non-profit hula competition performed by students of the art of hula that study all year long in preparation for this event. Students from all over the world come to Hilo every year to join in the competition and celebration of this cultural event.

The Merrie Monarch Festival was first started 47 years ago as a tribute to the memory of King David Kalakaua, who was known as the Merrie Monarch. King Kalakaua came to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1874 and reigned until his death in 1891. He was a patron of the arts, especially music and dance.

The reason the festival was first started by the Hilo Chamber of Commerce, was to preserve the Hawaiian culture and to perpetuate and promote the art of the Hawaiian hula through education. The festival is a presentation that includes students of all ages, from all over the world, who gathe together to perform their skillful talents and knowledge of the art of ancient and modern hula.

Thank you for visiting and continuing on with our circle island tour of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Please continue with us to Part 4 of our tour.

We will be continuing on to Ho'okena, along the west coast of the island as we travel back towards Kailua-Kona and the end of our tour of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Big Island of Hawaii - Part 4