Hawaii Twila: Day #7 (Sun)

Meeting day! So because Christmas time brings a lot of professing tourists to the area, what is usually one meeting turns into three! The meeting on the Kona side, is usually at Auntie Vi's. In Hawaii, if you are older, you are called Auntie unless you are a Grandmother then you are called TuTu. So Auntie Vi has never married or had children, thus she is called Auntie. She is in her 80's. Her parents (Mother?) heard the Gospel from Joe & Grace Brown - a married pair of workers who pioneered on the Big Island (Dave & Emily Christie were on Oahu). They had to leave in 1940 because of the war. The next workers were Bea Mo'okini (native Hawaiian) and Hazel Pierce. Auntie Vi said meeting has been in her home for 50-60 years. She wasn't certain. She has a nephew living behind her who does not profess. None of her relatives profess. I was so thankful we were asked to go to this meeting so I could meet Auntie. The elder divided up the friends and visitors and chose where each went for meeting. I led the meeting and Kelly took care of the emblems.

The other usual ones in this meeting were Karen Smith and her son Sebastian (Doyle Smith's sister-in-law. Her husband works in Bahrain but Sebastian is going to College on the Big Island so Karen lives here too), Debbie & Kelly and Kale Ricaido (who is native and a brother to the lady of the home we were in on Wednesday for Bible study). Visitors were two couples and two other families - I think all from Canada?

The usual elder had meeting in their home with several of the visitors and some regulars and the Wed Bible study home had the same. I didn't know any of the Canadians before. Most are from Saskatchewan. Somehow Canadians can afford to come here for Christmas. One couple has come every year for 23? years!

After meeting and a picture with Auntie Vi, we went for lunch at a Thai place. Yes, I know this is Hawaii, but Polynesian restaurants aren't very plentiful. Anyway, we sat outside so near the coast. The street here was closed Fri and maybe Sat because of the high surf. Someone said the ocean went over the road and into a restaurant once on Friday! So they closed the road. It is unusual to have such high surf. There are storms out to sea often but rarely with this high surf.

Then we went snorkeling again! YAY! (pictures in a different post). First we went to Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau which was Royal Grounds and Place of Refuge. This was a place for the ali'i - royal chiefs - to reside. By the Royal Grounds, was the Place of Refuge, separated by a stone wall. It was a place for a Warrior from the losing side of a battle or someone else whose life is in danger because of violating kapu - sacred laws, like your shadow fall on palace grounds, or you dared to touch a chief's possessions. Breaking kapu meant certain death otherwise the gods would react with violence - volano eruptions, tidal waves, earthquakes. But if the kapu breaker can make his way to the Place of Refuge the priest will absolve him of his sins and he can go free (similar to Biblical Cities of Refuge). There was a lovely native Forest Service lady who gave us a talk.

After touring the royal grounds etc, although part of it was closed due to the high surf (grump) we went to "Two-step" which was the public beach right beside the Place of Refuge which usually is an awesome place to snorkel. However because of the high surf, the water was a bit more murky than normal and there weren't as many fish. I did much better this time though so that was good. I was happy to have a "good" snorkeling experience. But I was thankful for the pics I got last Wednesday. It was in this bay a week ago that Deb & Kelly saw dolphins, swam out to see them closer and ended up "swimming" with them! NOT an everyday occurrence. Alas, there weren't any dolphins today.

Kailua-Kona on the way to meeting

Road to Auntie Vi's

Still on the way

Her house

Kitchen

Sweet little meeting room where her cat Spence, kept coming in and meowing. At least it wasn't chickens! Doors and windows wide open for the breeze so you could hear the Roosters crowing and cars driving by and a woman stopping by to leave her a gift "Merry Christmas!"

Her orange tree

Auntie Twila and Auntie Vi

Bougainvillea

Her backyard

Don't know what flower this is

Orchids

Leaving her home

Coffee bean tree

Papaya

My wonderful friends!!

See how close the ocean is!!

Possibly Banana trees

Place of refuge

The 1/2 size replica of the Hale o Keawe temple.

Looking north to "Two-Step" (so named because of two steps in rocks to get into the water)

Hale o Keawe rebuilt temple in distance. Once held bones of 23 ali'i (noble chiefs)

Temple replica up close

Konane - Traditional Hawaiian game

There are "bowls" in the stone where they may have used it to evaporate sea water for salt, or holding dye, or making 'awa - ceremonial drink

Supposedly there is a tree mold caused by lava surounding trees and knocking them down in the past, in this rock...

Ki'i - wooden images - standing watch

See the roots?

Cove where the royals would land their canoes

Rock wall made with NO mortar! 10' high, 17' thick separating royal grounds from the pu'uhonua (refuge). Built around 1550; stabalized and repaired since.

Image sentry looking out to bay

Hale o Keawe temple

aargh!

Happy looking fellow..?

Ponds where fish were kept for eating

Sometimes used for canoe storage or eating or resting

Ki leaves used to form a net for fishermen

We think this is for emptying water from the canoe??

Fish trap

See the thatching

Tiled wall

Geckos!

This little guy must have lost his tail at one point, as it was short and stubby. Probably growing it back

Our native guide telling us about how to make fabric with fiberous trees. She made these samples from just an inch thick trip of bark pounded down and dyed