Hawaii’s Big Island of
Lanais and Luaus
By Caroline M. Jackson
I awoke to the deafening
pounding of surf against the unyielding molars of black lava. With a rhythm
ordained by an unseen authority, the opal expanse of the Pacific churned and
rippled before it changed into a crescendo of giant waves chased by
rainbow-hued spumes of curling spray. One minute the jagged lava coastline
was exposed, the next it was transformed into a white tablecloth of
cascading waterfalls. Leaning towards this breathtaking scene, a thick
fringe of palm trees bowed in abeyance, their fronds quivering in the ocean
breeze. At arm’s length from my lanai, Hawaiian birds, delighted that the
golden orb had risen yet once again, chortled and whistled as they sought
out insects hidden in the palm crowns.
Coming from northern
climes, it was hard for me to believe this scene was unchanging during every
season of the year. Below me on the lush grounds of the Royal Kona Resort,
two kitchen staff hove into view. They were headed for the imu, an open
underground earthen oven being prepared for the evening luau. After watching
this traditional scenario, I was further entertained by the arrival of a duo
of tree trimmers. For the next hour I sat watching these two lithe young men
swing their way between the palm trees and skillfully slashing wayward
shoots and giant fronds with their machetes deftly hanging from their hips.
With only ropes for safety, they propelled themselves up the swaying palms
with nary a qualm. Their fleeting moments of respite were only when they
drenched their bodies from upturned water bottles.
Sorely tempted to spend the
rest of the day on my well-appointed balcony, I remembered I had booked a
trip on the Atlantis, a submarine which was leaving from the Kailua Pier in
the adjacent village of Kona. Not having the nerve to go deepwater diving,
this was the next best alternative. I was not disappointed. Built in my
hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, this amazing little 80-ton
submersible cost a cool four and a half million dollars. On arrival at the
pier, we were ushered aboard by competent staff who informed us that in 15
years they have never had to use any safety equipment. They also assured us
that the vessel could be brought up 100 feet in less than 45 seconds. It was
a comforting thought in case anyone got the bends.
Our undersea venture was to
be a wall dive so along with 22 other passengers, we were instructed to sit
on one side of the submarine looking through portholes. After receiving
comprehensive safety instructions and being issued with fish identification
cards, our dive was underway. Within minutes, the coral wall environment
came into view – finger, cauliflower, plate, antler, wire and lobe corals
which looked a bit like lumpy mashed potato. Once our eyes grew accustomed
to the unfamiliar watery environment, we spotted shoals of colorful fish -
the Grand-eyed Emperor with its human-like teeth, a peacock grouper, yellow
tangs and the long-nosed butterfly fish. One of the most productive fish is
the purple-hued parrot fish which chomps on chunks of coral and provides 70%
of Hawaii’s sand beaches. One such fish can create six pounds of sand per
day which translates into a ton of sand per fish per year. It was
heartening to learn that this area had recently been declared a protected
area.
We had planned on
photographing the colorful coral tapestry, but after we had gone below 15
feet, the true color red was lost. Towards the end of our dive, we turned
away from the wall and descended to the sea floor at a depth of 122 feet.
The maximum allowed by the coastguard is 150 feet. Now we hovered over the
sandy sea floor, home of large edible horseshoe crabs. All too soon, it was
time to surface. Because the vessel doesn’t have a periscope, a large
bubble is sent to the surface so that the surface officer pinpoints our
location and makes sure the area is clear from surface traffic such as
speedboats, swimmers, etc. At forty feet, the vessel is buoyant and
unstoppable, so the final ascent is quite rapid. After a giant blast on the
hooter, we watch the depth guage as we head towards watery rays of sunshine
reflected on the surface bubbles. As the hatch is opened and we climb up the
ladder, I feel a little Jonah and blink in the bright sunshine. It has
been a unique and thrilling experience and best of all, I wasn’t even wet.
Feeling a little peckish,
we headed for Kona’s outdoor market where we loaded our cooler with POG
(Papaya, Orange and Guava juice), fresh macadamia nuts and dried papayas.
This would be our nourishment as we drove along the coastline to our next
destination, the 45-acre Pua Mau Place Arboretum & Botanical Garden. Our
route took us north from Kailua-Kona along Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway
towards the west slope of the Kohala Mountains. This part of the Big Island
is sliced by deep ravines and the Arboretum nestles in Keanahalululu Gulch
just past the six mile marker. Positioned on an arid, exposed escarpment
above the sparkling Pacific Ocean, the garden is dependent upon irrigation
water from two deep wells bored through lava rock. With the early afternoon
the sun beating down on our backs, we picked up a map at the Pikake Gallery
and gift shop and began our walk along the mulched paths. Our first stop was
the walk-in aviary with its variety of colorful birds including pea and
guinea fowl.
An uphill hike then took us
past canyon walls brimming with delicate bougainvillea. Around each corner
was another spectacular view of the ocean or a walled tapestry of exotic
tropical flowers. It is appropriate that the name Pua Mau means
‘ever-blooming’ in native Hawaiian. While draining the last of our water
bottles, we stood at the red lava rock canyon viewpoint and absorbed the
scene before us – the date palm grove, the lavender trail and the many
whimsical animal sculptures that were randomly placed throughout the
grounds.
Although not well
publicized, this floral treasure trove is well worth the drive north.
As the sun dipped towards
the ocean, we retraced our steps south towards the village of Kailua-Kona
where we had tickets for a luau at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.
Unsure of our driving time, we arrived at the hotel a few minutes early and
had time to wander around this historic building. The spacious lobby sports
portraits of Hawaii’s royalty and glass cases display artifacts which tell
the story of King Kamehameha’s life and times. But there was no time to
delay; the crowds were amassing and we went with the flow. First on the
agenda was an opportunity to learn one of the Polynesian arts and crafts.
Quickly everyone was involved in learning a hula, weaving a fish from a
coconut frond, or watching how to open a coconut. I got lost in the
‘coconut’ crowd as everyone’s eyes followed a young Hawaiian nimbly
climbing one of the palm trees. His sense of humor had the crowd enthralled
and thankfully no-one was hit by a falling coconut.
Just as this Island Breeze
show ended, everyone lined up along the waterfront to watch a torch lighting
ceremony and the arrival of the Hawaiian Royal Court by canoe at the
beachfront. It was a splendid site and no-one seemed to be in a hurry for
dinner.
However, we were soon
shepherded to our outdoor tables in front of a stage. The buffet was
sumptuous with pork from the imu, fish, chicken, Hawaiian sweet potato,
pineapple wedges, banana bread and coconut cake. Of course, there was the
Hawaiian staple known as poi, a gooey purple concoction made from taro
roots, which I gingerly poked with my fork. All this was washed down with
Kona coffee.
Satiated, we sat back and
enjoyed the lively entertainment from the Polynesian islands. Fiji was
represented with its traditional spear dance, Tahiti with its drum rhythms
and the painted-face Maori warrior dance from New Zealand which nearly gave
me nightmares. Last but not least, was the Samoan fire knife dance.
Fortunately a sheer fire curtain was drawn across the stage to protect the
diners from flaming arrows landing in their Mai Tais. This luau had been
unique not only because of the setting, but because the whole evening evoked
a sense of history and tradition. I think the Hawaiian rulers of old would
have been pleased.
Where we stayed:
Royal Kona Resort: http://www.royalkona.com
Contacts:
Atlantis submarines: http://www.atlantisadventures.com
Botanic & Sculpture Garden: http://www.puamau.com
Island Breeze luau: http://www.islandbreezeluau.com
Big Island Visitors Bureau: http://www.bigisland.org
Hawaiian language:
Aloha – familiar Hawaiian
greeting and farewell
Heiau – ancient stone temple
Kane - man
Keiki – children
Lanai – balcony
Mahalo – thank you
Makai - towards the sea
Mauka - towards the mountain
Pupu – hors d’oeuvres
Wahine – woman
Images by Hamish M. Jackson
