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Published: March 3rd 2009
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"Energizer Bunnies"
We ended up on the other side next to the splash zone. The waves were still pretty high in the morning. All the safe seats were taken when we came down for breakfast so we got to sit next to the taped off area beyond which wave splashes gleefully glistened on the tables and chairs. We never were able to get there earlier than the whole group even though we were never late!
Susan referred to our group as the "Energizer Bunnies."
A frequent feature of ancient and contemporary architecture in Hawai'i is being open to the outside. There are no mosquitoes in Hawai'i. There are "no-see-'ems" but the ocean breezes frequently kept the dining areas, lobbies, and bars free of annoying bugs. That also means cold fronts can chill even the most pleasant venues. But this is Hawai'i and so the sun quickly warms us.
(As I write this travelblog, we are suffering through a cold snap here in southwest Florida. It is almost 60 outside, feeling a lot cooler in the breeze and 17 degree dewpoint! Meanwhile, we have a convention of vultures around our small dock. I don't recall seeing vultures in Hawai'i. But this is Florida . . . .)
The plan for this morning
Open lobby of our hotel
"Ali'i" is Hawai'ian for "the eltie." is to go to a park along the shore south of the hotel to go snorkeling. The way the waves are coming in, I don't think it is going to happen. But Susan is such a charmer, she not only might be able to get the life guards to let us in, she might get the waves to subside!
Unfortunately, she didn't luck out on either count! We are were all set to try snorkeling, Ann especially.
We did go on out to the park where we were to have lunch. All the tables were taken. But as we climbed out of the bus, families at three tables moved over to some of the large rocks near the parking lot. In Hawai'ian culture, "kapuna" - the older ones, are respected and deferred to. How long this respect will last remains to be seen. But those folks were inordinately kind about giving us room.
After lunch, we were bused back to the hotel where following a brief rest, we gathered to take a walking tour of the downtown.
Susan led us, telling us about Kailua Kona. Before going into the history, she said it is the site
Open bar below our room
This is where the first "Mai Tai" was served to customers. of the international ironman contest. We could imagine the bike riders/swimmers/runners performing on those streets, in that water, and on the hills around this Kona harbor.
Kailua is the center of the nineteenth century history of Hawai'i. With his primary temple established north along the shore at Pu'ukohola Heiau and with a summer retreat on the other side of the Big Island at Waipi'o valley, King Kamehameha did most of his interaction with the British, Japanese, Russian, and American merchants and whalers from Kona harbor. His palace which was of Hawai'ian architecture is being reconstructed on its original site at the north end of the downtown.
King Kamehameha had brought all of the islands of Hawai'i under his jurisdiction and was courted by the British to become part of their hegemony in the Pacific. Thanks to the influence of John Young, Kamehameha looked to England for models for how to conduct his own reign. He visited there. His children went to be educated there.
Named after the Earl of Sandwich who sponsored Captain James Cook's explorations, the islands became a popular stop-over for everyone's ships. Plantations to provide provisions in addition to the local produce made the
Monkey Pod Tree
Common and majestic tree, under which we walked when we started on our tour economy of the islands prosper. Much of that prosperity flowed through Kailua. Many Hawai'ian men went to sea (some involuntarily) with those merchant and whaling ships.
An inn was built in a prominent place on the shore. Its red roof could be seen for miles out to sea. It was a major center of the social and economic life of the islands.
One of the first missionary churches was built in what is now the downtown. The group that came with David Lyman (after whom the museum and this Elderhostel were named) split up, Lyman staying in Hilo and the others scattering among the population centers of the islands. These early Protestants helped fill a spiritual void that formed when in 1819, after the death of Kamehameha, the Kapu religious and moral system broke down. Coming in 1820, the rigid puritanism of the missionaries fit right in, though the rigidities had more to do with education, clothing, and sexuality than anything else.
Following the Protestants were Catholics. Rob and Susan told about the first Catholic priest being literally picked up bodily by Queen Ka'ahumanu (the priest was about 5' 2" and she was nearly six feet and
Kona Inn
Famous red roof as seen from the ocean side ("makai") over two hundred pounds!) and thrown back onto the French ship that had brought him. The first baptism of a Hawai'ian was on board a ship in 1819 by the Catholics but their missionary efforts were not accepted until some years later. The British and American Protestants were much more acceptable to the Hawai'ian leadership than the French Catholics . . . until a French warship, according to Rob, lobbed a cannon ball into downtown Kailua. Discretion rather than valor opened the door for Roman Catholic missionaries.
As we toured, seeing the two major denominations' churches, Susan pointed out a green and white church building. My recollection may be wrong but I think she said it was a Korean Christian group. She has tried to make contact with them to allow an Elderhostel group to visit and become acquainted. But like with the waves of the sea, her charm only went so far.
Kailua was where we became acquainted with the ubiquitous ABC stores. More complete but only slightly larger than 7/ll stores on the mainland, we were able to get anything from safety pins to wine to clothes to snacks.
By then, the curse of the
First Protestant church
Founded shortly after missionaries from the United States arrived - on the mountain side of the road ("mauka") camera struck. I became very worried about recharging the battery in its next few days and wondered if there was a Radio Shack around. It happened that there was one up in a shopping center near Hilo Hattie's. Rob picked us up after our historic hike and drove past both stores on his way back to the hotel but we turned down a chance to stop because we thought we could get back there by shuttle later. But that did not happen in Kailua.
Hilo Hattie's remained difficult for us to go to. Their shuttle program was not as frequent but just as unavailable as it had been in Hilo. We were promised better luck later in the week when we got to Maui.
After a couple hours off our feet at the hotel, we hiked back downtown (some went in a cab). Susan arranged for us to eat at a Thai restaurant near the Kona Inn. Ann and I had enjoyed a fried rice dish which we first ate in Bali some years ago called "nazy garang." One of the main dishes reminded us of that. Some of us even enjoyed the green tapioca for dessert. Just
Roman Catholic Church
Originally Catholics were unwelcome in Hawai'i. because its lumps were large enough to be fish eyes didn't mean . . .
Ann and her four less ambulatory colleagues rode a cab back to the hotel from downtown after supper. The walk back was cool and pleasant for the rest of us.
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Marty
non-member comment
Jerry, once again your blog has filled in a lot of information that I either didn't hear the first time or didn't remember.