Big Island of Hawaii - Part 5

Ho'okena is part of the Honaunau area of Kona and the Ho'okena Beach Park is one of my favorite beaches (I have many - hard to decide the best) to spend a weekend or just a day in the sun having fun with my loved ones.

Ho'okena is a very magical area of Hawaii and was once home to an ancient Hawaiian heiau, sacred temple. It was built under a frozen lava fall in the cliffs by the beach. One can feel the powerful mana, spirit, while at the spot.

It is a great place to swim, snorkel, camp out, party or just have a cookout. Many times the entertainment from family and friends playing Hawaiian music on the beach is one of the best parts.

The fishing here is great too. Often we've gone diving with just a Hawaiian sling (spear) and brought back our dinner to pulehu over the fire on the beach. While out diving you will find yourself swimming with spinner dolphins as they like to congregate there. They are very playful and seem to enjoy the company in the water.

If you walk towards the southern part of the beach and look up, there is a lava tube that you can explore, but it is very dark, you'll need a flash light. It is slightly hidden behind some kiawe, mesquite, trees.

To the right of the beach, past the drive way are lots of tidal pools and a few blow holes, which are always fun. Don't turn your back to the water as a huge wave could come up and take you away.

You can find opihi in the rocks to eat. Opihi are limpets. The shells look like a Chinaman's hat and the meat of these shellfish is a favorite delicacy. Pounding opihi, as the harvesting is called can be very dangerous in some areas because of the high surf and the slippery rocks.

I can remember by Uncle holding me upside down over a cliff, with my opihi bag in one hand and my knife in the other, so that I could get the big opihi off the rocks on the side of the cliff. When a wave would come he'd lift me by the ankles and when the wave went back out he lowered me down again.

Jewelry is made out of the shells, by sanding down the rough and ridged exteriors thus exposing the beautiful varieties of colors in the shells. The shells are then highly polished. Adding a large polished opihi shell to a few strands of pearls is a true thing of beauty.

Often times at sunset you can see the honu, sea turtles, swimming near the shore and it is a great place for night fishing or squiding with the use of Hawaiian torches.

Our first stop in Honaunau is
Pu'uhonua o' Honaunau, or the
Place of Refuge of Honaunau.

The photo on the right is a shot of the a replicated hale, home, at the park. Next to it is a brackish stream that runs into the ocean by the park. The fresh water comes from underground springs and mixes with the sea water.

This is one of the most visited and sacred places on the Big Island of Hawaii that is open to tourist visitation.

On the walk through this sacred place you will see the ancient heiau, sacred temple of worship, ancient fishponds, the ki'i, (carved wooden statues that are incorrectly called tikis), and several ancient villages. You can feel a sense of calm and protection that permeates the place. Every time I walk in the vicinity of the ancient heiaus I get chicken skin (pidgin for goose bumps) Even the sea turtles, spinner dolphins and humpback whales seek out this serene and beautiful refuge.

The 182-acre Place of Refuge is now preserved as a National Historical Park but in ancient times it was a pu'uhonua, place of refuge.

When visiting any Hawaiian heiaus, it is good to show your respect by bringing a small offering, such as a bit of food or small lava rock wrapped in ti leaf, to leave at the temple site.

Below you can read about the Ancient Hawaiian Law and the kapu'aisystem

In the days of ancient Hawaii, any Hawaiian who had committed a crime, or broken a kapu, taboo, would be protected if they were able to reach the heiaus at the pu'uhonua. In those days, the punishment for breaking a law, no matter how minor, was most certain death. The only option for survival was if the kapu breaker could get to a pu'uhonua, santuary, where he would be protected and forgiven by the kahuna, priest.

Ancient footprints found in the hardened lava close to the pu'uhonua are believed to have belonged to someone so intent on reaching safety that he walked through the hot, soft lava to reach the place of refuge.

Many of the laws in ancient times were centered around the ali'i, royalty, as they were of the highest rank in the Hawaiian caste system. A maka'ainana, commoner, or a kauwa, slave or untouchable, could not walk in the shadow of a king. A maka'ainana and kauwa had to immediately prostrate himself, face down upon the ground, in the presence of the ali'i.

The penalty for not obeying one of the kapus of the chiefs was death. There was no tolerance the law breakers in ancient Hawaii.

Some kapus of the ali'i nui, highest chiefs, were considered equal to those of the gods.

This drawing by Jacques Etienne Victor Arago depicts the death of a man for breaking a kapu.

Because the ancient Hawaiians depended on nature for everything, the kapu ai system was intimately connected with reverence and respect for the natural world surrounding them. This aloha aina, love of the land, made the kapu ai, system one of the earliest examples of environmental protection.

Fishing was allowed only in certain seasons, for certain species. They knew that fishing this way would conserve natural resources and keep their main food source plentiful.

Opelu, mackeral, could only be fished half of the year, the other half being kapu. The Hawaiians understood that opelu was not only a main food source for Hawaiians, but was also a food source for larger fish such as ahi, yellow fin tuna. Aku, the spinjack tuna, could only be fished when the opelu were kapu. This rotation of what could be fished and what couldn't be fished also coincided with the natural breeding times of ocean life.

Certain fruit were reserved only for royalty and kapu to the commoner. For example, bananas were kapu to maka'ainana, commoner men. Women and men also ate separately and on different diets.

It was kapu for the kauwa, slaves or untouchables, being the lowest class, to marry an upper class citizen. They believed that the kauwa were so contaminating that it was kapu to eat with them, to sleep near them; not even their shadow could fall on an ordinary man (the impure inferiors were believed to pollute the pure superiors) and again, the penalty for such an infraction was death.

The kauwa were most often the victims used for human sacrifice at the luakini heiau, sacrificial heiau, however anyone that had broken a law and was sentenced to death, could become a human sacrifice.

There was no such thing as an accident or "not on purpose". The law was the law and the penalty was death. The only ones that had the power to pardon or spare a life over a broken kapu were the ali'i nui and the kahuna of the pu'uhonua.

For women, it was kapu to eat pork, as pigs were used frequently for sacrificial offering, and only the ali'i and the kahuna could eat sacred food. Women could only eat dog meat. Only on special occasions where they allowed to eat other kapu foods, such as certain types of fish.

Women were not allowed to eat poultry, coconuts, turtle, shark meat, or certain kinds of fruits and fish that were offered in sacrifice, these being kapu to anyone but the gods and men.

At other times, certain fruits, animals, and fish were kapu for several months to both sexes. I believe again, that it was more of a conservation of natural resources when no one could eat certain species during specific times. By moderating the demand for domesticated animal meat they were able to preserve the herds.

In addition, foods for husbands and wives had to be cooked in separate ovens and eaten in separate structures.

During the four principal kapu periods of each month, women were forbidden to ride in a canoe or have intimate relations with the opposite sex.

Women were also kept in separate hales, houses, during their menses and could not be visited by the men during this time. The men felt the power of women at these times and felt it best to keep them contained. During their pregnancies, women had to live in separate hales from their husbands. A violation of the
law was certain death.

Other kapu seasons were during preparation of an approaching religious ceremony, when the ceremony had had come to an end, before going to war, or when an ali'i was ill.

Incidentally, it is an interesting fact that early Hawaiians were seldom sick until the coming of the haoles, foreigners, who brought their diseases with them.

Added note: The term haole is not a derogatory term, as so many people from the mainland assume because of their lack of understanding of the Hawaiian language and culture. I myself am hapa haole, part white, and am not offended by being called haole, because that is partly what I am.

It has been told that in the year 1782, the soon to be greatest chief of all, Kamehameha I, had an experience that resulted in the enactment of a law that was to become one of the most well-known of all his laws.

As the story goes, Kamehameha I had set out from Maui one day in a canoe to make a raid off of the Puna coast on the Big Island of Hawaii. He came upon two enemy fishermen who, upon seeing the invading chief, fled to the shore to warn the other people of the village.

Kamehameha chased after them across a lava field. While running, one of his feet was caught in a rocky crevice. Unable to free himself, he was at the mercy of his enemies.

Realizing Kamehameha was stuck and was not able to free himself, the two fishermen who he had been chasing, came back and attacked him. The men beat Kamehameha using their canoe paddles as weapons.

The story says that the men attacked him so severely, that one of their paddles splintered when they struck Kamehameha on the head. His beaten body was left to die. Kamehameha did not die, and when he recovered from the attack he never forgot it.

Later, after Kamehameha came to power he recalled that incident and commemorated it in one of his best known edicts, Mamalahoe Kanawai which means "Law of the Splintered Paddle". This law was designed to protect the innocent and helpless from wanton attacks such as the one he had been subjected to. This means that anyone who is weak is entitled to protection and assistance, and to respect, even from the King.

Kamehameha II (King Liholiho) is credited with overthrowing the kapu system in 1819. The king sat down to eat with commoners and women in public and abolished the kapu`ai. Hewahewa, who was the highest ranking Kahuna from Oahu, renounced his office, because of his anger over this relinquish of power.

King Liholiho then decreed that all the temples should be abolished throughout the kingdom. Across the entire island chain the priests followed the command and by this single act many kapus were forever abolished.

The overthrow of the kapu system was not only the ending of the kapu 'ai law but a complete overthrow of the entire power of the high office held by the ali'i, royalty, and the Kahuna, priesthood. This act was a deliberate relinquishing of power over the common people and an act of liberation for the whole society from the binding force of the kapu akua, laws of the gods, and the kapu ali'i, laws of the chief.

There exists no other society in the history of the world in which the kings ended their own divine right to power.

This drawing by the French artist, Jacques Etienne Victor Arago depicts "Anihenehoh" (sic), one of the first officers of Kamehameha II, 1819, the same year as this historical ending of the kapu 'ai system.

After leaving Pu'uhonua o' Honaunau, we will make a quick stop at a very quaint yet artistically interesting little church in Honaunau, at the slopes of Mauna Loa (long mountain), not too far from "The Place of Refuge".

The history of the church began early in 1842 when Father Joachim Marechal, at that time was assigned to care for both South Kona and Ka'u Districts. The original chapel, was known as St. Francis Regis Chapel.

It wasn't until 1899, when a young missionary priest from Belgium, by the name of Father John Berchmans Velge, took over the diocese at St. Francis Regis Chapel. He moved the church from it's original location up to the lower slopes of Mauna Loa, made repairs on the church and re-christened it in honor of St. Benedict. It was moved again in 1980 to where it is now, when faced with the imminent threat of lava when Kalapana was covered.

Father John was quit the artist and was "God inspired" to paint the interior walls of the church with some striking scenes of various Biblical events. Father John designed and painted the interior of the church in a trompe-l'oeil style of a miniature European gothic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. The columns are decorated with Hawaiian texts. His murals soon became famous, and St. Benedict Church became known as "The Painted Church of Honaunau."

This photo, on the right, is the drive way entrance to the St. Benedict Painted Church.

St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church
84-5140 Painted Church Road
Captain Cook, Hawaii (HI) 96704
Phone: 808-328-2227

Visit the Painted Church Website to learn more of the history.

Driving down Napoopoo Road we are heading to Kealakekua Bay which is one of my favorite snorkeling, diving and fishing spots, but you must be an expert swimmer-diver to be able to handle the water depths and tides here.

Napoopoo Road is a curvy, scenic drive that winds past coffee farms and country stores down to the bay. I have always loved the drive down to the bay as this area is quite rural and the road is reminiscent of old Hawai'i

Kealakekua Bay is the site of the first contact between Europeans and Hawaiians. It was where Captain James Cook came ashore in late November of 1778. The photo above is of the 27-foot white marble monument that was erected to commemorate the historical event. The monument is a far distance from the actual landing site,

An interesting bit of trivia is that the piece of land that the monument resides on is the only piece of land still owned by the British. British ships still come to shore at the monument to clean and repair it, as needed.

The name Kealakekua translates to "pathway of the God," because it had been prophesied in early Hawaiian legend that it would be at this very spot that the god Lono would return to usher in a new age.

Kealakekua Bay was also the site of Captain Cook's death. The exact location is about a mile and a half swim from the beach through open ocean in what can sometimes be shark infested waters.

Mostly hammerhead sharks can be seen in the swim to the monument but not to worry, hammerheads are not known to be a threat to man.

There are only four species of shark that have been known to attack man and they are the great white, the white tip, the tiger shark and the bull shark.

A little later I'll tell you a story about my brother, the beer and the tiger shark while fishing at the Kealakekua Bay.

The version of the history of Captain Cook's death on this video from YouTube is only slightly accurate. It is a mixture of the British and Hawaiian version. We believe our version to be the true story.

In those days, there wasn't a written language. All of history was past from one generation to the next orally in songs, chants and story telling. There was not a reason for a lie in the telling of the event for the Hawaiians. There was nothing to lose or to gain. It was just an event that was. That was not the case for the British.

It is a well known part of Hawaiian history that when the Makahiki festival would end each year, it was kapu for anyone to be out and about except for the ali'i (chiefs or kings) and the Kahuna's (priest). The punishment for anyone breaking this kapu was instant death.

Captain Cook and his men returned to shore at Kealakekua Bay when the Makahiki had ended, because of a broken mast that need repairing. The Captain was unaware of the Hawaiian law, or surely he would not have allowed his men ashore.

The Hawaiians, when seeing the sailors on land, then realized that the Captain was not a god or he would have known about the kapu and would not have allowed his men ashore. This was the reason for the fighting and the death of Captain Cook. The Captain and his men had broken a kapu and the breaking of the law was death.

The story of the theft of a long boat by a Hawaiian for the nails, was a fabrication. There were not any maka'ainana, commoner, or a kauwa, slave around when the Captain came to shore, because of the kapu. The fighting that commenced over the breaking of the kapu was between the Chief's guards (who the Chief had called to enforce the law), Captain Cook and his men. Captain Cook was killed because of breaking the law, not because of a theft by a maka'ainana, commoner, or a kauwa, slave. The Hawaiians realized at that time, that the good Captain was not a god or he would have known it was kapu for his men to be out and about.

One day my brother and I were hungry for some fresh fish so we set off for Kealakekua Bay with fishing poles in hand. Before heading down Napoopoo Road it was getting pretty warm that day so we figured be had better get some beer to take with us. We stopped at old Sam Higashi store and bought a case of beer and off we went.

We hadn't brought a cooler with us, so when we got to the pier at the bay, we dropped our beer into the water to stay cool on the ocean floor. Whenever we wanted a beer we'd just dive in and get one.

We had a great day of fishing! We caught plenty fish, friends stopped by to have a few beers with us and talk story, it was the end of an all in all great day.

As the sun started to set we figured we better dive for the last of the beer before the sun went down and we couldn't find it. Just as I was about to dive in to retrieve the beer, a tiger shark swims up close to the pier, right on top of our beer.

My brother comes down to see what the hang up is and follows my stare at the water. He looks out at the ocean, as the sun is quickly descending into the horizon and the sky is changing from blue to pinks and shades of purple. He looks back down at the lazy circle of the tiger shark around the last six-pack of our beer.

I look at the shark circling our beer and I look at him and say, I'm not diving in there....to hell with the beer."

At that moment there was a huge splash as my brother cannon-balled into the water. All I saw was a huge wall of water push up in front of me and the shark take off at high speed back out to sea.

Up out of the water comes by brother with the 6-pack in one hand yelling, "I don't care who he thinks he is, he's not getting my last beer!", as he gets out of the water laughing. My brother's got more olos than he's got brains and I think this time the shark was more scared of the sudden splash in the water than I was scared of the shark!

So that is the story of my brother, the beer, and the shark. You had to have been there. At the time it was pretty funny to us, I wouldn't advise anyone else doing it. The tiger shark is extremely dangerous indeed as seen in the photos below.

This is a shot of a tiger shark in the Bahamas. Notice the difference in size between the diver and the shark, but even a baby tiger shark can do some terrible damage.

Shark Attack on the Big Island

Here is an example of how a tiger shark can can tear into you. It really is no laughing matter! Tiger sharks tend to be territorial and will attack to protect their territory. Stay out of their way!

This photo belongs to Alan and Megan, a couple who was vacationing in Maui when Alan was attacked.. You can read all about it and see the rest of the photos that Megan took on Megan's blog.
The Shark Attack at Funk in Deep Freeze

You can also view more of her photos on Flickr

I want to go back to my little grass shack
In Kealakekua, Hawai`i
I want to be with all the kanes and wahines
That I used to know long ago

I can hear the old guitars playing
On the beach at Hônaunau
I can hear the old Hawaiians saying
Komo mai no kâua i ka hale welakahao

It won't be long till my ship will be sailing
Back to Kona
A grand old place
That's always fair to see, you're telling me

I'm just a little Hawaiian
A homesick island boy
I want to go back to my fish and poi

I want to go back to my little grass shack
In Kealakekua, Hawai`i
Where the humuhumunukunukuâpua`a
Go swimming by

Where the humuhumunukunukuâpua`a
Go swimming by

Source: Noble's"Hawaiian Favorites" Copyright 1933, 1961 Miller Music Corp, - This song was introduced in Kona, Hawai`i at the July 4th canoe races, 1933. Harrison gave the song to John Noble to publish, who revised the music to give it an almost new melody without changing Cogswell's words. This was done to dispel the claim that others had written the song. Once published, the song became a smash hit. Noble turned over the royalties to the Sherman Clay Co. in San Francisco for $500.00 advance royalty, giving the credit to Cogswell and Harrison.

Leaving Kealakekua Bay, we are headed into the town of Captain Cook and there are two stops worth mentioning if you enjoy living history. Plan stops at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm and the old Greenwell Store, which are both a part of the Kona Historical Society If you have any interest in the history of Hawai'i you will love these places.

The Kona Coffee Living History Farm belongs to the Uchida family that began farming it in the late 1800's. This farm is on the National Register of Historic Places. Completely restored by the Kona Historical Society, it includes the 1913 farmhouse surrounded by coffee trees, a fudo (Japanese bath), kuriba (coffee-processing mill), and hoshidana (traditional drying platform).

Self-guided tours include the orchard, farmhouse and coffee-processing mill. Samples of the aromatic Kona Coffee are served at the end of the tour.

You are able to experience how the people lived and worked in eras gone by as everyone at the living farm and Greenwell's Store are in authentic costume.

The Kona Coffee Living History Farm is open to visitors Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
$20 for adults, $7.50 for children 5 through 12, Children under 5 are free.
Please call for special group arrangements
808-323-2006 coffeefarm@konahistorical.org

A visit to the H.N. Greenwell Store at Kalukalu will take you back in time, to Kona mauka (towards the mountain) in the 1890s, a multi-ethnic society centered on ranching and farming. The H.N. Greenwell Store is the oldest surviving store in Kona and one of the oldest buildings in the district.

Henry Nicholas (H.N.), built the 1,000-square-foot general store in Kealakekua from lava rock and lime mortar around 1875. It doubled as the community's post office, and customers flocked there to pick up their mail, groceries, necessities, non-essentials and the latest gossip.

The store was the hub of the community back then, and the living history program that is there now provides a fascinating glimpse of what everyday life was like for ranchers, farmers and their families in up mauka (mountain) Kona in the late 1800s.

Up the road from the Greenwell Historical Store is the award winning Koa Coffee Plantation. The Koa plantation was started in 1997 and named after the beautiful, Hawaiian hardwood, the Koa tree, which is endemic to the Hawaiian islands.

The Koa farm is vertically integrated to allow better control over the quality of their Kona Coffee from the hand picking of the coffee cherries to milling operation.

In 2002, the Koa Plantation became the very first farm in Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii to use a revolutionary wet-processing system from Columbia that is ecologically and environmentally efficient.

For years, visitors to Hawaii have been taking the taste of Kona back home with them in the form of 100% Kona coffee. Now you can have it shipped direct to you from Kona. The unique environment of the tiny Kona Coffee Belt, works to create the ideal growing conditions that produces these premium quality coffee beans. There is no mistaking the full rich flavor of Kona coffee. The coffee trees flourish in the rich volcanic soil, on the slopes of the Kona Coast mountain range, warmed by the morning sunshine and watered by the afternoon liquid sunshine. The coffee berries are hand-picked at their peak and then sun-dried naturally to bring out its characteristic flavor. The final step is micro-roasting at the farm in small batches. This process ensures the natural freshness of each and every bag of Hawaii Roasters 100% Kona Coffee.

When you open a bag of the award winning Koa Coffee, the aroma of the organically grown beans will take your senses back to the islands.

Before heading down to Ali'i Drive to take the beach into Kailua-Kona for the end of our tour, we will make a side trip to a little town called Holualoa, located above Kailua-Kona.. During the early 1900's, Holualoa was a very busy, horse, donkey and Model-T community as it was the central location for commerce. The town was and still is surrounded mostly by coffee farms in the Hualalai Mountain Range. The Hualalai Mountain Range are the mountains that overlook Kailua-Kona

Today the town is a quaint, laid back, artist community where you will find art galleries, featuring local artists, small island shops, pool halls, and saloons, spread throughout the town. The main industry is still growing mountain Kona coffee.

Kimura's Lauhala Shop, has been there since, well it's been there as long as my mother can remember and she is 89. Kimura's Lauhala Shop is the best place to pick up handmade lauhala items, such as hats and baskets, You would be amazed at the beautiful works of art of the traditional Hawaiian style weaving that can be found here, at Kimura's Lauhala Shop.

The Holualoa Inn is one of the best bed and breakfast places in Kona. The ambiance is fabulous, the meals are fabulous, and the hospitality is full of the warm aloha spirit that is so prevalent in this area. The Inn also supports many local artist by hosting showings for their art work. The above photo is a birds-eye view of the inn and it's surrounding area. If you book your stay with them online, at their website, they will give to a discounted rate.

Here is their link again. Holualoa Inn

For a lovely fresh, locally grown, organic lunch or dinner there is the Holouakoa Cafe, which is a laid back European style coffee house. Believe me, you will love it there! This shot was taken from the cafe's lanai. The service is just as casual and laid back as the Holualoa community, which is a subtle reminder to take it easy, don't rush, just kick back and smell the coffee!




They are located at:

76-5901 Mamalahoa Hwy, Holualoa, 96725
808-322-2233

The Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary of Holualoa is a place of interest to see while visiting Holualoa. The blond zebra in the photo below comes from this ranch . The Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary is a not for profit exotic animal sanctuary for the rehabilitation and possession of raptors and endangered species. They are one of only 38 fully accredited sanctuaries in the country.

Their Nene Program:
The Three Ring Ranch has now become a "Retirement Community" for some of the State's Nene (Hawaiian Goose) population. This means that captive birds beyond the age of reproduction and wild birds that are non-releasable can live with us. These birds serve as ambassadors, allowing adults and children to see them up close and personal.

Please help to take care of the animals by becoming a Three Ring Ranch Supporter and making a donation here:
Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary

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

Please continue with us to Part 6, the final leg of our tour.

We will be continuing on to Kailua-Kona, along the west coast of the Island of Hawaii, and the end of our tour of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Please visit Big Island of Hawaii - Part 6