The kids were excited to see the ship, I wasn't quite as happy. I knew that having the ship in port would make things busier around town. Today I had planned to start our day at the Pu'uhonua O Honauna National Historical Park south of Kona. I was worried with the excursions from the cruise that the park might be busy. I thought about changing our plans for the day but decided to stick with the orginal plan and hoped for the best.
As we drove south the the national park we saw this in front of us.
Dan joked that they were probably heading to the same place we were, I wasn't amused with his humor. I really wasn't amused when they took the same turn we did to get the park. Lucky for us we were saved when the tour bus turned off at a coffee farm.
We arrived at Pu'uhonua (Place of Refuge) and there were no buses in sight! There is a $5 entry fee at the park, it is $5 per car. We parked and there were only a few other cars in the lot. The park is relatively small and upon entering you are given a guide map. The walking trail is well marked.
The Pu'uhonua O Honauna has a fascinating history. In ancient Hawaii the penalty for breaking the law was death, the only way to avoid death was to make it to the Pu'uhonua or Place of Refuge. This was not an easy task, the only access was by swimming across a bay that was said to be shark infested.
The historic site is also home to Royal Grounds with a fish pond and several reconstructed buildings. The paths you walk on now were at one time reserved for royalty. It was against the law to even cast your shadow on the sacred Royal Grounds.
Keoua Stone, Keoaua the high chief of Kona sat on this stone
Hale o Keawe is a rebuilt temple that once held the bones of 23 noble chiefs.
In the very last building we found a great surprise! We found a master weaver Uncle Taro doing a demonstration with coconut fronds. He seemed happy to see us approach and asked the kids if they'd like to make something. The kids were a bit shy but said that they would like to. He was delightful, very friendly and talkative. He kept telling us that most people look in and then keep walking, too busy to stop and see what he is doing. He said that was especially true on days when people come from the cruise ship on excursions. They seem to have no time and are on a schedule where they need to get back on the bus. I was thankful that we were able to stay as long as we wanted. Uncle Taro showed the kids how to make a fish out of coconut fronds, he helped Ali with hers and Connor and I worked together. The kids were so excited about their projects and were happy to have met Uncle Taro, this was definitely a highlight of our day!
Ali and Uncle Taro
The kids and their finished projects
After our lovely chat with Uncle Taro we headed back to the car. When we got back to the car there were three buses in the parking lot, I was so glad that we'd arrived before them and been able to enjoy a relatively empty park.
Upon the advice of some of my friends we headed south another 1/2 a mile to the South Kona Fruit Stand. This was definitely a yummy stop! We ended up with a smoothie, some excellent lemonade, and some fruit. We also have a loaf of banana macademia nut bread for breakfast tomorrow. I highly recommend the Liliko'i Lemonade, it is amazing!
Ali enjoying her guava banana smoothie with Dan
After our stop at the South Kona Fruit Stand we headed back to the condo. We'd actually packed a lunch but we ended up eating it on the lanai. Can't complain too much about a picnic in the room, the view was pretty good.
We took some time to relax in the room and then headed to Kahaluu beach park for some snorkeling. When we arrived the water was pretty wavy for snorkeling. We decided to try anyway. It was pretty rough out there and we didn't see too much, I saw a few schools of fish but it wasn't as clear as I like. On a happy note, Ali did great! We also saw two sea turtles up near the shore so that made the short trip worth it!
We headed back to the condo and spent some time at the pool. The kids love the pool!
We decided to take advantage of our laid back night and head to downtown Kona for some shopping. We went to a few souvenir shops and of course we had to go to Crazy Shirts. Crazy Shirts is a bit of a tradition for us, my family has been shopping there since my first trip to Hawaii in elementary school! The shirts aren't cheap but the designs and quality are great.
Ali outside the Crazy Shirt store. It seems the mermaid must have lost her shell bra.
Tonight we went out to dinner. We went to Killer Tacos, one of our favorite places from last year. Killer Tacos isn't fancy, it is located near an industrial park. The food is good though and it is cheap. My family loves mexican food so Killer Tacos is perfect for us!
We ended our night with a little night swimming at the pool. The kids had been begging for days to do it. Who knew swimming after sunset could be so exciting?
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