Footprints in the Ka'u Desert

 As our Valentines Day treat we decided to take a hike on the Ka'u (Caw-oo) desert trail, a part of the Volcanoes National Park. The first section (which we did) is a bit less than two miles round trip. It is a hike most people would not want to do in summer as it is very hot, the terrain is composed of lava and lava ash/sand from Kilauea volcano. The short version of the story of these footprints involves King Kamehameha and his cousins fighting over control of the Big Island. The battles between armies of the cousins was during the 1780's. The treks and battles  included traversing this huge desert area between Hilo and South Point.

You can read more of this story here: Ka'u Desert Footprints  

Here are some photos we took along the hike. It is not a desert in the usual sense of the word, but the ground is composed of layers and layers of volcanic ash, which, when mixed with rain water become hardened. Those people involved in the cousins' battles were not just warriors, but included their extended families and livestock. It was during one of the battles that Kilauea blew out a tremendous volume of hot ash, killing many people unable to escape. There are over 1700 recorded footprints through the area some of which sadly have been vandalized. The photo here is of an impression of an adult and child.

The area has a stark beauty with a backdrop of Mauna Loa. While we are familiar with the beautiful Ohia trees in our cloud-forest area of Volcano, the tortured Ohia trees that grow in the desert area have struggled to survive and are as contorted as the Sierra bristle cone pines!

By the way, this is the first big hike Lunel has taken with her new knees on the 8-month anniversary of her bilateral knee replacement. The next day the knees were tender, but her regular walks in our neighborhood are over 1.5 miles and she's improving weekly.

Covid, Crisis & Connections

The Covid pandemic has effectively changed the whole world. In many cases it has brought denial, fear, panic, grief, death and, sadly, misinformation. It has separated people both physically and emotionally. And, in some strange ways it has brought many people closer together - reconnecting. Many people including us have found a renewed appreciation for the small things -- bringing a sense of wonder and joy to a dark time.

Last week Phil came into the house and said, "come see!" whereupon we both went out to discover a rare sight -- a King Kamehameha Butterfly, an endemic species (in decline) also known as "Pulelehua" (Pu lay lay hooah). We currently have a variety of milkweed plants for our Monarchs, so a quick search provided us with the name of this butterfly's favorite plant -- the endemic Mamaki revered by Hawaiian people.

When their wings are folded they are hard to spot because of their olive green camouflage - and just look at the color of that chrysalis. 

Consequently, on our trip to town yesterday, Mamaki plants were on our shopping list. Walking into the plant area at the local store coincidentally Mamaki plants were JUST!! being offloaded and we came home with three. 

Today, however they were planted in a sunny spot in honor of a re-connection with a much loved friend Erik whom we had lost touch with over 20 years ago!

Niuhi-Shark and Kamehameha the Great

This week we had the privilege of being invited to attend a panel discussion about the history that prompted the telling of this story of conflict between regional family groups. We were both impressed by the (kupuna) elders who spoke as they attempted to deal with and accept all parts of the story -- political power, death and loss and the unification of the islands. The word in Hawaiian is "ho'okuleana" - taking responsibility.

Another word that was frequently used during the discussion (which included thoughtful audience participation) was "pono"."  The word means  living with a conscious decision to do the right thing in relationship with self, others and the environment further suggesting  that by living with moral character, people will find happiness.  

Of particular poignancy was the goal of teaching the keiki (children) -- how to accept the past without judgment, and how to move into the present, learning from the past. Reading from another book about King Kamehameha (The Lonely One) by the same author (Eyre) an entire lesson plan is offered for young students.  LINK: Keiki Lesson Plan

EXHIBIT: NIUHI-SHARK: Honoring Kamehameha the Great in Paint and Prose

Volcano Art Center is proud to announce the next fine art exhibition to be displayed at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in  Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park from February 16th – March 24th, 2019.  The exhibition titled NIUHI-SHARK honors Kamehameha The Great in both paint and prose with original paintings created by Carl F.K. Pao paired with selections from the book Kamehameha–The Rise of a King by Kāwika Eyre.  

The exhibit in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of King Kamehameha’s death will open on Saturday, February 16th with artist and author present at an opening reception from 5 to 7pm. The public is also welcome to attend a panel discussion the day before on Friday, February 15th at 5:30pm at the Volcano Art Center’s Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.

(If, in our ignorance, we have inadvertently misstated something, please let us know)
AND...To read more about this story follow this link: Learn More

Hill of the Whale - Pu'u Kohola

"Temple on the Hill of the Whale" (Pu'u Kohola)

One off the many impressive things we experienced on our Kohala District "holoholo" (walk-ride-about) in June was a docent led tour of Pu'u Kohola Heiau, one of the last major temples built in the Hawaiian Islands.  

This massive structure was constructed under the direct supervision of Kamehameha the Great from 1790 to 1791 as he became the first person to unite the warring islands into the Kingdom of Hawai’i. (This occurred at the same time that George Washington was serving as the our new nation’s first president.) Annual ceremonies and celebrations are conducted here following very strict protocol that includes songs, dances, chants and reenactments. 

Places we visited  in Kohala District on our "holoholo"

Adjacent to this gigantic structure (but not pictured here) are two additional temples (heiau.) Hundreds of years older, one is now submerged off the coast, and the other (at the base of Pu'u Kohola) is called Mailekini Heiau. Little is known about these two additional structures -- but the historical/cultural significance is the obvious link for the building which occurred during King Kamehameha's reign.

We also visited the valley where the rocks that built this structure were found -- the beautiful and distant Pololu Valley. Forming a human chain nearly 25 miles long, the laborers handed the required water-worn lava rocks one person to another up and over Kohala Mountain to this site. Estimates suggest that over 10,000 people were involved including all those who provided food, built lodging and assisted. Without the use of mortar, cement or other bonding materials, these skilled laborers placed these rocks in exact locations in order to meet specific building specifications received through a priest/kahuna.  

If you are interested, you can learn more through this LINK. To learn more...