Month: May 2016

Fascinating Plant Structures

If you can get past the eye-dazzling colors of the flowers and don’t get lost in the sheer profusion of the greenery, some of those cool plants growing in Hawaii have fascinating leaf shapes, seed pods, and other structures.

Vibrant Hawaiian Flowers

Maybe my perception has been dulled by years of living in drought-stricken California. The vibrance of the colorful flowers I encountered in Hawaii was almost overwhelming!

I’m a Sucker for Sunsets

They definitely fall into the “1 picture is worth 1000 words” category.

Places of Worship

I’ve always found spiritual solace in nature.

My preferred place of worship is the kelp forest in which I’ve spent many a Sunday morning suited up in dive gear. A coral reef will do in a pinch; it’s hard not to believe in a Higher Power when you’re snorkeling with green sea turtles, which I’ve done in the past at Kahalu’u Beach Park in Kona.

Kahalu'u Beach Park

Kahalu’u Beach Park

This trip I briefly explored the land side of the park early one morning, and discovered the magnificent Kuemanu Heiau, an ancient place of worship that is still very much in operation, judging from the offerings placed there.

Kuemanu Heiau

Kuemanu Heiau

Right next to it is a diminutive Catholic church.

Church at Kahalu'u

Church at Kahalu’u

In spite of the little structure’s charm, I found its proximity to the heiau — the symbol of the ancient religion that Christian missionaries set about to eradicate — more than a little unsettling.

Sunset from the Kona Inn Dining Room

Kona Inn

Kona Inn

Good friends, MaiTais, Mud Pie, and sunset at the Kona Inn Restaurant.

MaiTai at Kona Inn

MaiTai at Kona Inn

It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Sunset from Kona Inn

Sunset from Kona Inn

A Close Encounter with Spinner Dolphins

After several days of watching others paddle past our condo, Morgan and I went down to Keauhou Bay and rented a 2-seater sit-on-top kayak late one morning. We were just in time to catch the tail-end of a visit by a pod of dolphins. As we came out of the bay we saw several leaping and spinning in the distance, and headed our kayak in their direction.

Soon we saw the dorsal fins of a handful a few yards to starboard, then almost a dozen surfaced to breathe a bit further to port. Although all you see in the photo below is the Sheraton in the background…

Sheraton from Kayak

Sheraton from Kayak

…I did manage to capture about 10 seconds of video that hopefully won’t make you seasick:

Dolphin Encounter

The encounter with the dolphins swimming close to our kayak was amazing, as was the view of our condo complex from the water.

Kanaloa from Kayak

Kanaloa from Kayak

That kayak sure felt tiny on the heaving swells of the big Pacific ocean. I got a new appreciation for the courage of the paddlers we saw disappearing offshore every day, and felt a visceral connection to the ancient peoples who first arrived at the islands in their sailing canoes.

Watching the Boats Go By

There’s nothing like the vision of a Hawaiian sailing canoe to make you feel like you’re in paradise.

Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Staying in Kanaloa at Kona, we saw watercraft ranging from SUPs to dive boats to cruise ships from our ocean-view lanai. Most mornings we were treated to the sight of a small fleet of outriggers paddling past.

Outriggers and Kayaks

Outriggers and Kayaks

One morning I walked down and watched them launch from Keauhou Canoe Club.

Launching Outriggers

Launching Outriggers

Colorful Boats at Keauhou

Colorful Boats at Keauhou

The well-practiced teams made it all look effortless: carrying the huge boats into the water, climbing in, maneuvering each boat out of the way to let the next one launch, then heading out to sea in close formation.

Climbing Aboard Outriggers

Climbing Aboard Outriggers

Paddling Out to Sea

Paddling Out to Sea

A solo paddler came in just as the fleet left. The beautiful little boat balances delicacy and strength like yin and yan.

Back to the Beach

Back to the Beach

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