Yesterday was the birthday of King Kamehameha I, the first king to unite all the Hawaiian islands under one leader. He was born in North Kohala, and every year the community celebrates his birthday with ceremonies at his statue in Kapaau and with a parade.
The parade features Pa’u riders representing all the main Hawaiian islands. Each island has an official color and flower. Maui’s flower is the Lokelani rose and its color is pink.
Hawaiian men and women started riding horses, soon after their introduction to the islands in the early 1800s. Sidesaddle riding was common for women in those days, but it was never introduced here. Women learned to ride the same way as men. They wore a Pa’u skirt, 12 yards of colored cloth wrapped in such a way as to preserve their modesty and dignity while riding astride their horse.
The ceremonies include draping leis over the arms of the statue. These leis are made as a mark of respect, by groups and organizations. It can be a tricky business getting the leis into place, especially when there’s a good breeze blowing as there was yesterday.
Posted for this week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme of ‘Pink.’ See more responses here.
This week’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge theme is ‘Pink.’ See more responses here.
Here’s a Gold Dust Day Gecko exploring a banana flower, looking for water or something sweeter. Weather permitting, I hope to have another pink post tomorrow!
I happened to glance out of the window on a recent evening and saw a nice sunset in progress. My house is not great for sunset photos, with power lines and trees getting in the way. If I walk down the drive towards the street, there’s a spot that’s not too bad for photos. But these days I have a new option.
The house below has been empty for months – and falling rapidly into disrepair – but it has some clean and open views (though not the “expansive views of Maui” in the real estate listing). So I marched down there and took advantage of the gorgeous skies and lovely palm silhouettes that were on offer.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘The Great Outdoors.’ See more responses here.
Recently, I took a hike along the South Kohala Coast, starting out at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay in Waikoloa Resort, and heading south to Keawaiki Beach, before returning the same way. This is a hike I’ve done before, but not for some time.
ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay is often referred to as A Bay because it’s a tad easier to pronounce. It’s one of the more popular beaches on the island, but head south, around the corner from the main beach area, and the golden sands are largely deserted. Well, except for the odd green sea turtle taking a nap.
There are a few rustic structures behind the beach along here, but it’s a far cry from the resort developments less than a mile to the north. When the sands end, there’s a short stretch where high tides wash up against a wall of greenery. Hiking at those times, which I did, involves nimble footwork or getting your feet wet. I’m not nimble!
A table supported by elephant heads!The trail can be underwater at high tide.Looking back towards A Bay.This turtle found a quiet rocky beach to rest on.
Beyond this point the coast becomes rocky lava, where flows from Mauna Loa have tumbled into the ocean in bygone days. The trail is mostly over a’a lava, which is irregular and rough. The trail itself is not hard to walk, but straying into the lava fields is another matter entirely.
I found this sad looking buoy banging around in a tide pool, so carried it higher on shore where it looked much happier.
The first marker on this part of the trail is the lone palm tree at Akahu Kaimu Bay. Just inland from this palm is a pool, which is mostly freshwater and deep enough to swim in. This is a welcome option on a hot day, but since it was mostly overcast with a nice onshore breeze, I didn’t take a dip this time.
The lone palm tree at Akahu Kaimu Bay from the north.The lone palm tree at Akahu Kaimu Bay from the south.The lone palm tree and pool at Akahu Kaimu Bay.
The trail continues over the lava field to the next bay and it was here I got lost. The coast trail often passes over the lava rather than follow the coast around points and the only trail I could see appeared to be doing just that. But when I followed it for a while I saw that it continued inland. However, I could also see that where it headed was to the Golden Pools of Keawaiki, which was I planned on visiting anyway, so I carried on until I came to familiar ground. The golden pools owe their color to a unique algae that grows here. These are not pools for swimming in since that could alter the conditions and destroy the algae.
The trail to the Golden Pools of Keawaiki.The highway, less than a mile away, is seldom seen and never heard. The Golden Pools of Keawaiki.The Golden Pools of Keawaiki.
Heading back to the coast, the trail comes out at Pueo Bay where I found an abandoned kayak, not in great condition. Keawaiki beach, just beyond, is another bay marked by a sole palm tree, but this poor tree has been badly damaged by storms and is no longer much of a tree.
Abandoned kayak at Pueo Bay.Keawaiki Beach.The beach at Pueo Bay.The house near Weliweli Point.
Heading back north, I passed the sole house on this part of the coast, just beyond Weliweli Point. I have yet to see anyone at this spot, though someone obviously maintains the property. I got back to the bay where I had strayed off the track and realized where I’d gone wrong. The coast trail zigzags up from the beach and is marked only by a couple of pieces of bleached coral, which don’t stand out much on a beach strewn with the same kinds of coral pieces.
This trail isn’t a great one for birds, but I did see a Great Frigatebird wheeling overhead, which is always nice. And though this coast appears unforgiving, there are hardy plants to be found including native Hau trees and swathes of Beach Naupaka.
A Hau flower.Beach Naupaka flowers.A great frigatebird.
By the time I got back to A Bay, the Lava Lava Beach Club was busy with dinner patrons, enjoying their meals at tables set up on the sand and close to the water.
Lava Lava Beach Club.
Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.
Back in 2021 I posted about ghost bikes (here). The bike in the top photo of that post was attached to a small tree, which has had the misfortune to blow over in a recent storm. So the sad memorial is looking even sadder currently.
Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge. See more responses here.
Bees and butterflies aren’t the only ones attracted to flowers. This Japanese White-eye was digging deep for the good stuff within a Japanese Aloe flower.
Graham's Island 