Finding Your Way on Hawaii Island

Today we had a chuckle when we drove in for my doctors appointment.  When people first move to the Big Island they can experience a learning curve when it comes to directions and street names because 99.9% of all Big Island street names are Hawaiian.  First, that means that although there are some familiar vowels, they are pronounced quite differently, A = ah, E = eh, I = ee, O = oh, U = oo, and, there are only 7 consonants:  h, k, l. m, n, p, w.

Secondly, you learn that local folk don’t refer to north, east, south and west.  This is an island, and directions are given in relation to the five volcanoes (mountains.) Mauka means toward the mountain and Makai refers means away from the mountain.  Sometimes directions are also given in relation to a village or town.  For example – Kona-side, or Hilo-side. 

So, driving in for our appointment went like this:  Leaving our house on Luana in Leilani Estates, we drove mauka (toward the mountain) past Pahoa.  Once onto Kanoelehua we turned mauka again on Kekuanaoa until we came Kilauea and then mauka to Ponahawai, turning mauka once again up to Komohana, and finally onto Pu’uhonu. Got that??    (PS Yes, we can actually pronounce them.)