January 13, 2004

Volcano National Park

Don Swanson from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will explain a little about the volcano and the ongoing eruption and tell you the best way to see lava if there's any to be seen. From the Kilauea Visitor Center proceed clockwise around Crater Rim Drive to the junction with Chain of Craters Road. The active lava flow area is always moving, of course, but is usually accessible with a 1 to 4 mile hike across cooled lava

January 14, 2004

Kupuna: Meeting with Hawaiian elders. It is customary for visiting groups to present some "OMIYAGI" : a small token of appreciation. This can be a gift from your home town - or a song, sketch or some other presentation that you may like to share.

January 15, 2004

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park City of Refuge on Kona Coast 2 mi west of Honaunau.

Established in the 15th century at the time of the death of Keawe, ancestor of King Kamehameha I, this site was a main expression of the severe kapu system of religion. Kapus were various taboos that could require death as atonement. Taboos were numerous because there were many gods who could be angry. Volcanic eruptions or tsunamis, those devastating seismic waves that destroyed coastal habitations, were taken as evidence of the gods' anger. If the gods were angry, who had made them angry? Let that person be discovered and properly punished.

As in Christianity, with its confessional, the severe kapu system allowed for the prospect of forgiveness. If a transgressor in the kapu system could somehow reach the City of Refuge without being killed, the transgressor would be safe at this sanctuary. Atonement and purification rituals, as determined by the priests, might take a period of time, and starvation was a risk, but no punitive deaths were allowed here. Once absolved, the transgressor could leave the City of Refuge and return to the home village without fear of retribution. Refugees in time of war could also find safe haven here.

King Kamehameha II destroyed the kapu system by openly flaunting it in the 1830s. His sacrilegious act amounted to dining with women, formerly a taboo. When he did this and the volcano did not erupt or other untoward events occur, the force of the kapu system was called into question and collapsed.

At the site you can see recreated, carved effigies of the gods, a heiau or stone-walled sacred area, and such minor aspects of daily life as an Hawaiian checker game. Craftsmen at the site build canoes in the traditional manner and display arts of early Hawaii, especially

January 16, 2004

Snorkel at Kealakekua Bay for over an hour! Explore the spectacular sea caves and lava tubes along the Kona Coast. Cruise back to Keauhou Bay.

Kona Historical Society Museum. This old store is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1800's of native stone and mortered with lime made from burned coral. Displays of artifacts, photos and memorabilia tell the story of life back then.

Visit the Kona Le'a family coffee plantation and tour the orchards and mill to learn how Kona coffee is grown and processed.

Drive up to the Mauna Kea Observatory Visitor Information Station of the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy at the 10,000-foot level on the Mauna Kea access road. At the center we will learn about the mountain, telescopes, and the Universe, buy souvenirs and view the stars after dark through the our portable telescopes.

January 17, 2004

Drive up to the Mauna Kea from Route 20--the narrow and winding Saddle Road, so named because it runs between the two major volcanic mountains, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, at an elevation of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). A paved road leaves the Saddle Road at Mile 28 and winds its way up to the lower slopes of Mauna Kea to the Visitor Information Station (VIS) at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy (OCIA), which is the mid-level altitude acclimatization center for scientists and technicians. We must prepare ourselves for bad weather, especially during the winter months, when heavy storms commonly deposit several feet of snow.