This page contains information on the Big Island as well as Maui.
So much floral beauty 365 days a year
Opening Comments from Bob
The Big Island and the Final Days on Maui: We took a week's vacation from Maui and headed to the Big Island. Hawaii, the Big Island as it is called to differentiate it from the State of Hawaii, is big. All the other major Hawaiian Islands could fit into it. To circumnavigate it will have you travelling over 225+ miles along the Belt Road. After the week we returned to Maui specifically to enjoy the luau at Keawala'i Congregational UCC Church. What a treat! Be sure to click on the link by the poem The Hula. We also drove along West Maui's North Shore Road, not for the timid. It is rugged and one lane in sections. This road is not for the queasy.
Visual Treats: Besides my poetry and photographs which I trust you will enjoy, there are a number of video clips which I hope you take the time to view. They include in order of appearance in the newsletter: Whales,Keawala'i Congregational Church Luau, Mt. Kilauea, and 808 Uke Jams.
Humpback whales make the annual journey from Alaska to the Hawaiian Islands to mate and give birth before returning north. This time provides a wonderful opportunity for whale watching. Here is a brief clip taken on one of the watches.
(If you have an iPad or phone and cannot view the above, click here.)
.Three Poems
The Hula
New stories and legends are told
.... by moving hands
.... and swaying hips
Voices and ukulele
.... add lyrical beauty
.... to the visual narrative.
As the dancers’ hands
.... reach to the heavens,
.... the rhythms of the islands
.... seep into the soul.
Life slows.
Breaths deepen
Ancestors smile,
.... knowing they are not forgotten.
Comment: Many who are unfamiliar with the hula fail to realize the depth of its meaning, especially to those with native Hawaiian heritage. Click on the Keawala'i Luau link to see hula at its best.
Attending Worship
Sunday morning,
.... time for worship
.... though I sit in my rocker
.... sipping tea and reading
.... Rumi and Dickinson.
The wife is off to church
.... with its songs and sermons.
Though I miss the company
.... of fellow worshipers,
.... I cherish the quietness
.... and solitude in my special room.
For it is here
.... that I am often aware
.... of God’s presence.
I rock and sip.
.... Content.
Comment: As regular readers know, I enjoy attending a weekly worship service at a church of my choosing. However, on occasion I find sitting in a quiet place, especially my meditation room, sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea becomes my church of choice.
A Question?
Clouds amass
.... above the volcano Haleakala.
Will the deluge
.... soon pour,
.... or will they hang about
.... hinting at the power within?
Comment: You can ponder that one ...:-)
Keawala'l Congregational Church holds its annual luau to raise money to help the needy on Maui. It is a huge event with top Hawaiian entertainers who enthral the hundreds in attendance. As with island events, there is also delicious food. Kahu Alika (the pastor) and the congregation do a magnificent job. Enjoy the clip! (If using an iPad or phone, click here).
Mt. Kilauea has been erupting since 1983. It is starting a new island similar to how all the Hawaiian Islands were created of the eons. (If using an iPad or phone, click here.).
A closer look at one of the active areas of Mt. Kilauea.
One day we drove along one of the more forbidden roads on Maui–very narrow and somewhat treacherous. This isolated home was spotted in a small valley. This North Shore road is not for the queasy.
This picture was taken from Pali Lookout (Oahu) on our final day before the flight home.
Following a hike down a rather steep trail on the Big Island, I was blessed with this shot.
Though I was not able to capture the true beauty of cattle country on the Big Island, I gave it my best shot here.
Traveling along the belt road on the Big Island, I was fascinated by the interesting blend of colors created by the newer black lava to the older brown lava and soil to the tropical trees and the light blue warmer water and the deep blue of the ocean.
Recommendations:
Since I have only been to the Big Island four times, I am not as familiar with it. However, here are a few suggestions. If time permits starting in Kona take a trip around the belt road–a long day or even better spend an overnight in Hilo and take time to see the falls in the area. Historic downtown Kona is a fun place to take a stroll. The Saddle Road is also a beautifu drive along with Rt. 250, a favorite of mine.. There are many magnificent beaches from which to choose.
Sushi Rock in Hawi on the Big Island is quite a surprise. In this very small town on the northern edge of the Big Island is a small, friendly sushi restaurant that is a wonderful stop for lunch or dinner. The food was delicious. I hope to return again next year on our visit to the Big Island.
Ma'alaea General Store in Maalaea, Maui makes some of the best soups I have ever tasted. Its red hot dogs are second to none. Prices are very reasonable by Hawaiian standards. It is a fun place to go–very friendly service. There is also parking behind the store (up a short ramp, easy to miss).
This little church is located in a small village on the one lane section of the Maui North Shore road.
A favorite church I always enjoy digitally capturing. It is located in Wailuku, Maui
Each week ukulele enthusiasts gather at the Keolahou Congregational Church in Kihei, Maui to jam under the leadership of Kumu Kealoha and his friends. Participants from not only Maui but visitors vacationing from all over the world come to play with the 808 Uke Jams.
(If you have an iPad or phone and cannot view the above,click here.)
Strolling along the Wailea beach walk
Haleakala and cloud cover
Rugged west coast of Maui
ABOVE:Enjoying life (note the steep hint of the one lane road down.
BELOW: Coffee plantation area on Maui
What would a closing shot of Hawaii be without a sunset taken in the Kahana area of Maui?
