Hawai'i, Day 4

Trip Start Sep 09, 2008
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Trip End Sep 30, 2008

Flag of United States  , Hawaii,
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Today, we decided to bag the final two National Park sites on the Big Island, so it became a somewhat leisurely day of driving the Kona and South Kohala coasts. This part of the Big Island is a very dry, lava strewn landscape. Nonetheless, it contains several sites of importance in the history of Hawai'i.
Since we got started a little late, we decided not to return to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park for a little turtle snorkeling, but head up the coast instead.
The first site we visited is called Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. Whereas Pu'uhonua o Honaunau was all about the royalty (ali'i) and the sanctity of the place of refuge, Kaloko-Honokohau is more about the everyday needs of the ancient Hawaiians. This site preserves two constructed fishtraps/ponds where the ancients farmed fish. Simple in its concept, the inlets to the ponds allow small fish and tidal influx to enter the trap, where the fish are fed. They then grow to a size unable to exit the pond and form a continuously refreshed storage facility for fresh fish Renewable Graffiti on the Kona Coast
Renewable Graffiti on the Kona Coast
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We took a brief walk out on the beach and saw several sea turtles eating the algae at the shore. Suddenly, sea turtles have become almost blasé. This reminds me of our time in Alaska, where we learned that Bald Eagles are far from uncommon. Still, the Green Sea Turtle has a certain majesty about it as it swims about eating...still not tired of watching them!
We then drove further north up the coast through a barren area of lava flows where the natives have laid out "renewable graffiti" in the lava fields. Messages are laid out in white stone or shell/coral on the dark lava background. If there is a new message, the old ones are raided. Kind of interesting, but it still seems like a mess at times. The messages are all pretty harmless. Driving along here, it occurred to me that I had not seen a billboard in Hawaii - now THAT'S an idea I can live with...
Further up the coast, we visited Pu'ukohala Heiau National Historic Site, the location of Kamehameha's most important temple of tribute. In this case, the temple commemorates the family war-god, Ku, in response to a prophecy that foretold of Kamehameha's rule over all the Hawaiian Islands following construction of the Heiau.
Not a lot of pictures with this one, but I am including a very neat little bird we found at the Heiau, a Saffron Finch. Like most other birds on the island, this one is introduced, but pretty nonetheless.
Tomorrow, we complete our lap of the Big Island and stay over in Hilo prior to our flight to Maui on the 24th.
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