SATURDAY - MARCH 11 - SOUTH OF KONA

Our first drive was to the south of Kona. We had breakfast at the hotel.  Since we couldn't check into our condo until 4, we left our suitcases at the hotel and took off on our drive.

Our first stop was Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park.  Otherwise known as Place of Refuge.  The old Hawaiians had a lot of rules that, if broken, would be kapu - taboo.  For example, if you walked where the king had walked, looked at the king's wife, and so on.  If you had made the mistake of committing some kapu offence, the punishment was death.  If you could make the journey to the place of refuge, you would be forgiven.  Getting to the place of refuge wasn't easy - sharks, sharp reefs, terrible currents, but if you managed to get there, you wouldn't die.  It's a National Park and for the next few months, seniors over 62 can get Senior Life Passes to National Parks for $10.  In a few months the price goes up to $80.  We bought one for each of us.  Free entrances to all US national parks - what a deal!

We went on a self-guided tour and it was great!  A few photos.

An old Hawaiian board game that looks a lot like Go

A lava rock wall over 8 feet high

A few tikis

A rock that was a favourite place for the king to sit.  There were several post holes around it for a shade drape to be placed

Tidal pools had fantastic fish

Large drying buildings for plants and fish

Inside of the buildings

We attempted to go to the Captain Cook monument.  Lots of cars were parked near where we thought the monument was located but we didn't see any people.  Finally, an incredibly exhausted, sweaty, red-faced group showed up. The told us the walk was 3 miles down (and worse-up) a steep hill.  When they got to the bottom, the ocean was supposed to be a great snorkel spot, but was very crowded.  We opted to drive on.

We then found the painted church.  From the outside, it looked like a small colonial church.  But the inside was lovely.

We were driving around on a Saturday, and, unfortunately, a coffee company that was supposed to be interesting was closed.  We found another that turned out to be very interesting, Greenwell Farms.  They had free tours every half hour.  We joined one right away, and it was great.   A few factoids:  Coffee plants flower from January until April which means that the fruit can be picked from now to the end of the summer.  Since the fields in the area are very rocky, the coffee "cherries" have to be picked by hand.  The fruit is soaked to help remove the outer layers.  The beans usually are half beans, but 1-2% are round called peas.  The peas can make a coffee too, that is quite delicious - and quite expensive.  The coffee beans then have to be dried.  Eventually, the coffee beans can be sent for roasting.  

The coffee trees, above, were over 100 years old.  Coffee trees are related to Gardenias.  They can grow as tall as 20 feet, but are trimmed to only about 6 feet tall to make harvesting more simple.  In Hawaii they are trimmed to 2 feet tall and grow 4 feet in a year.

The beans are dried under the red roof area.  The rain can't get to them.  The roof rolls back so the beans can be removed.

The vats are for bean soaking

We got back to Kona and found another small church.

St Peter's church along Kona bay.

We got our suitcases, and drove back to Kona to get to our condo.  It'll do - stopped at Safeway to get what we need for lunch and breakfast.  Tomorrow to the north.