Sorry I've not continued the adventures. My previous post may explain- plus laptop difficulties.
April 21
While sitting in the vehicle at the post office I saw my second native bird soaring in the sky- an I'o (Hawaiian hawk). At this point they are now only found on Hawai'i. There are plans to potentially return them to other islands.
One of the first beaches I visited was Kapa'u Park. Every beach view is just a bit different and all of them are gorgeous. An ocean that goes on forever made for a good day.
We made a stop at the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Factory. No tours anymore but an interesting video of how they pick and prepare macadamia nuts. I'll never complain about the cost again! It's a lot of work getting them out of their shell to those bags we buy. I bought a bunch of products to bring home and to eat on our adventures.
Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic site- Pu'ukohola means whale hill. Heiau is the Hawaiian word for a temple or sacred site. Kamehameha 1's temple constructed in 1790-1791 is one of the last major sacred structures built in Hawai'i before outside influences appeared. Kamehameha 1 was the first ruler of the kingdom of Hawai'i. Sacred ceremonies are still conducted at the temple remains however, the public isn't allowed to access the temple. The temple remains are huge and so is the influence of Kamehameha on all of the islands. Definitely check out his story. His birth was prophesied as was his leadership so he was hidden as a child. He brought peace among the islands at the cost of violence but it stopped the fighting among each island's ruler.
There's an easy trail through the historic area. the volcanic rocks are rounded over time by water, Instead of mortar small pebbles were used to fill the cracks. A 20-mile long chain of workers brought the eroded rocks from Polulu and Kamehameha 1 worked alongside them. The immaculate robes of Kamehameha 1 were made from singular feathers of the endemic birds of the islands however, they did not generally kill the birds they only took a few feathers from each bird.
John Young was a British sailor stranded on Hawai'i in 1790. He became the right-hand man to Kamehameha 1 as a military adviser helping him conquer all of the islands. He even became governor of Hawai'i after Kamehameha 1 designated him. His home was near the temple built in European style instead of Polynesian/Hawaiian. There's so much to see at this park.
That's the fun of this trip. I learned local history, saw archeological items, including petroglyphs, learned how to pronounce Hawaiian words, and discovered a whole different natural world all of which will be covered in these blog posts.
Spencer Beach Park is adjacent and Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area is just down the road. oh just another lovely beach or two. LOL
We went back and forth to or through Waimea several times usually via the Kohala Mountain Road with incredible views. We had a gluten free pizza one evening. Another time we stopped at Liquid Life an interesting vegan shop of unique foods. Shopped at the Long's drug and a small shopping mall.
We stopped at the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park visitor center near Kona. This park consists of historical fish ponds, fish traps, and petroglyphs. It's a bit spread out so after the visitor center we backtracked a bit up the highway and took a slow ride on a very bumpy road to eat lunch. We got good at packing food and cold drinks wherever we went so we could eat lunch in spectacular places. I have so many dietary restrictions that going out to eat isn't very safe. Unfortunately, that proved true nearly every time we did eat out.
The first bird I saw as we drove in was another endemic species- two Hawaiian stilts! They were foraging at the edges of the large fish pond. There was also a Wandering tattler, ruddy turnstones, and a Pacific golden plover in full breeding plumage. What a treat to see all of these beautiful birds but the stilts were special. The island has lots of beautiful birds which I enjoyed seeing but it's species I can't see anywhere else in the world that I got really excited about. We were joined by introduced yellow-billed cardinals while we ate.
The park introduces the concept of Ahupua'a. The land concept in Hawai'i is linear- starts in the mountains and moves to the sea so that families and groups have access to everything they need, including precious water. The people recognized that all of the elements are interdependent. The park lies at the base of five. The Hawaiian people built ponds that the small fish swam into, fatten up, and unable to escape were caught to feed the people. There were also Black crabs (a'ama) wandering around on the rocks. The people would pull off one leg and eat the meat raw. By only puling off one leg they allowed the crab to live since they regenerate their legs.
Then off to shopping in old Kona and meeting several store dogs. I rarely saw dogs when we were out and about. Nearly all of the beaches did not allow them. Many homes had cages outside for their dogs. While wandering the streets and shops, I was accosted by the Macaw guy. If you wander the streets of old Kona watch out as he will start sticking macaws on your head and arms without asking while they scream in your ear and scratch up your arms. He took photos of me and I paid for the most red-faced sweaty scary poses I've seen of me. I was very hot and he was a decent old guy. In the end, only I get to see those photos. LOL For dinner, we found a hole-in-the-wall vegan spot. Delicious food with seating outside for dinner and yet another little dog.
We were on the hunt for Honu (Green sea turtle) the whole two weeks based on the book Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed. The first two spots that always have them- Kahalu'u Beach Park and Kamoa Point we found none.
Anaeho 'omalu Bay at night was the last stop for the day.
April 22
Today we got a call from the Hawaii Wildlife Center to pick up an injured Pueo so we dropped our plans and drove across the island to Pu'u Huluhulu; 6,758' crest between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The Hawaii wildlife Center rehabilitates rescued native birds and the only native mammal to the islands- Hawaiian hoary bat. They depend on volunteers to rescue and transport injured birds and my friend is one of those volunteers. Getting to the meet up was an adventure over the most roller coaster road I have ever been on. I don't generally get car-sick but this road was crazy. We picked up the box with the bird and quickly turned around to get it the center. Turns out it was a non-native barn owl. They do not rehabilitate and release non-native birds. Remember, all those birds most people see are not native and have pushed out many endemic species to the point of extinction.
After spending time hanging around the wildlife center and doing some shopping we went into town to a tiny place- Minnie's Lim "Ohana Style Restaurant- where we ordered lunch plates- grilled ono (a fish) and salad. Absolutely out of this world. Yeah, ono means "good to eat." Off to Keokea Beach State Park to eat with an incredible view of the ocean- and a feral kitty. Just the beginning of feral cats all over the island. They don't seem to have the infrastructure to get people to spay/neuter, keep pets indoors, and adopt them out easily.
After lunch we headed to Polulu Valley lookout. What an incredible view (yeah another one lol). The road ends here. There's a short steep trail down to the beach but I just wanted to hike down far enough to get a good photo of the view. You have to drive a good hour or so to get to the other side of this area because there is no road. This is where a huge chunk of Kohala mountain fell into the sea 250,000 to 300,000 years ago. It is the oldest of the five volcanoes that make up the Big Island (the others being Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Hualalai).
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