« Hawaii - Big Island (Part 1) »
This is a compilation of photos we took over 3 trips to the Big Island. We were based in Kona (world-famous coffees) on the western end, but the island is small enough that a trip to Hilo on the other side, around the perimeter, takes only a few hours.....or most of the day if you stop to see the amazing stuff in between.
 Birds of Paradise |
 Imaginary flowers that really grow in Hawaii! This one is called "Torch Ginger" |
 This one starts out as an egg-shape dangling from the trees and then bursts open to reveal these |
 Fiddleheads.
No fiddles though. Too bad. |
 Yep! This is where they come from....honest! |
 Don't have a name for this one. |
 Umauma Falls |
 I'm leaning on a palm tree, but the one behind me is a Banyan, the biggest tree I ever saw! |
 The story of the Refuge:
If you found yourself in trouble in early Hawaii, and were in line for a death sentence, you had another option. You could, if you were fast, escape to one of the Refuges. There you would be cleansed by the priests, and no one was allowed to hurt you while you were inside. When the priests were done with you, you were absolved of any wrongdoing and could go back to your real life.
You would be greeted by these. |
 and taken here to make offerings of fruit, etc.
A story about the Refuge: King Kamehameha's wife violated some rule of Protocol (easy enough to do -- many, many rules). Feeling her life was in jeopardy, she swam to the Refuge. When the King realized she was gone, he swam over to talk to her, whereupon she hid in the tiny crevice under a huge boulder. He did finally find her, and convinced her it was safe to come home. |
