Snorkeling Snapshots - Two Step

The other afternoon my father and I went snorkeling at Two Step.  Two Step is one of the two most famous snorkeling spots here in South Kona (the second is at the Captain Cook monument). To get there from the Inn, we follow Napo'opo'o Road down to the water (about .8 mile), then stay on it until we reach the park (about a ten minute drive).  Napo'opo'o turns into Pu'uhonua Road, the road that leads to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau national park.  Two Step is just to the north of the park.  We parked in the park parking lot and walked back out, down to the water.  It was about three in the afternoon and there were a few people around, but it was pretty quiet.  The water was calm, warm, and clear as usual.  The afternoon was just a touch overcast and a misty rain fell part of the time we were down there.  We jumped in and swam out a bit, then spent about an hour just floating and observing the reef world below.  We saw all the normal, beautiful things: huge coral heads in lush yellow hues, brilliant-yellow tangs, vibrant rainbow parrotfish, darling little spotted box fish and shy puffers.  Then we happened upon a small group of threadfin butterflyfish.  These butterflies have grey cross-hatching on their sides and bright yellow on top.  One particularly inquisitive little fish swam right up to us from below and looked into our faces.  Neither of us had ever had this experience before.  Although tolerant of snorkelers and swimmers, reef fish are watchful and shy and usually keep a distance.  This little threadfin kept coming right up to us.  It came so close I got a good look at its delicate little face and flowing yellow top fin.  We eventually moved on, not wanting to bother it.  We weren't sure if it was just curious, or if we were infringing on its territory.  We exited the water feeling relaxed and refreshed as only the salt water can leave you.  We marveled at the fact that each session spent in the ocean is different, each provides something new, surprising, and beautifully mysterious.  It is always different, at different moments through the day, on different days, in different seasons; always filled with life, always wondrous.

Green Friends - the Stardust Gecko

When you eat breakfast in our dining room, you may be greeted by one of our "green friends", the stardust geckos. Although not native to Hawaii, these little geckos are quite at home here on the Big Island and can be spotted in gardens and homes and on lanais all over the place. If you've seen the Geico gecko on TV, you'll know what they look like: a gorgeous bright green with red, gold, and blue markings. There are native geckos on the island as well. They are tan or brown with dark markings and hunt at night. You may hear the native geckos “barking” as they hang out near lights in the evening, hunting moths. But it is the green geckos that charm most visitors. They are inquisitive little creatures, bravely hanging out near us on the walls or ceilings, waiting for a handout. They eat insects, nectar, and fruit. We have a couple "kitchen" geckos that wait around each morning for a piece of fruit. We give them their own little saucer of fruit. So please don't be alarmed if you see one of these gorgeous guys during your stay, they are harmless to humans and are very beautiful, helpful creatures.

Open water swimming, anyone?

Kealakekua Bay is known for its beauty, but it's hard to comprehend how truly beautiful it is until you're here. For many people, a morning dip at Manini Beach or a swim across the bay to the Captain Cook monument are weekly or daily rituals. The bay is normally quite calm, has tremendous clarity, and a healthy, gorgeous reef rich with sea life. In short, it is a fabulous place for swimming.

I'll never forget the first time my dad came to visit us here. Like many first-time visitors to the Inn, he didn't really realize how close we actually are to the bay, and how immensely beautiful this area is. We walked down to Manini Beach one morning and I could see him getting more excited by the second as we viewed the water. My dad happens to be a world-record-holding Masters Swimmer, and I could tell he was just about to jump out of his skin with excitement. He ended up diving in right at Manini and swimming over to Napoopoo Beach. Since that first visit he has come to see us many times and is now staying with us for the summer. He starts each day with a swim in the bay and is still in love with it.

It is difficult to express in a few paragraphs or photos, or even on a map how special this area is. If you love the water, whether for training as a triathlete, as a diver, or for a peaceful daily dip, you'll be in heaven. It is especially nice for athletes taking part in Honu, LavaMan, or IronMan because we are conveniently close to Kailua, while not stuck in the noise and hubbub of the town itself. We are a quiet refuge surrounded by sublime water and excellent roads for running and biking. What more can we say? Yellow tangs visible from the road, plumeria blossoms falling onto the pavement as you run…it’s just too beautiful for words!

Cultural Festival June 27 and June 28

Another wonderful thing to keep in mind about visiting the Big Island in the summer is that summer is the season for cultural festivals.  They happen all over the island, but the one that is closest to us here at Luana is the festival at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, the City of Refuge National Park.  This year it takes place over the weekend of June 27 and June 28.  The 27th will be the craft-day and the 28th will have Hawaiian food-tasting.  Usually the events open and close with a traditional ceremony, and there are lots of wonderful displays and activities to try like carving ipu (wooden gourds used like drums in hula), chanting, dancing, canoe rides, lei making, weaving, etc. Last year we were lucky enough to see children dance hula.  It is a very special opportunity to see master craftsmen and women doing what they love, and to experience some native Hawaiian traditions in an extremely beautiful setting.

Here is the press release from Pu'uhonua o Honaunau.  For more information, please visit their site: http://www.nps.gov/puho.

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau Celebrates
48th Annual Hawaiian Cultural Festival

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park will be celebrating its 48th Anniversary and Annual Cultural Festival and on Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The theme is “Na Mea Hana Lima na Kupuna” -the working hands of our elders. Many activities are planned for both days including a royal court procession, cultural demonstrations and hula. Saturday features canoe rides and Sunday includes a hukilau and Hawaiian food tasting.

We welcome everyone to join us in experiencing the history and culture of Hawai`i and the unique Honaunau area. Bring your family and friends and spend a day in the park. Come prepared for hot weather; bring water, sturdy walking shoes, hat and sunscreen. Park fees are waived for the weekend of this special event.  

Why come to the Big Island in the summer?

Because so much of the mainland is nice in the summer, some people may wonder if it's worth traveling to Hawaii this time of year.  Well, it is!  The first thing to know about summertime on the Big Island is that the water is warmest and calmest now.  Where I'm writing from, here on the Kona Coast, the waves are minimal, the water is clear, and there's lots of sunshine.  Kealakekua Bay, Manini Beach, Keei Beach, and Two Step are often like a large bathtub this time of year. Walking down to Manini Beach, slipping into the gentle water, and floating on my back looking up at the blue sky is one of my greatest joys in life.  

The other important thing to note about the Inn is that because we're down near the water it never gets too hot here.  Our guests from Pheonix and Austin and L.A. remark on the comfortable climate here.  The temperature year-round down here in our little micro-climate never passes eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit.  We're lucky to have lots of sun tempered by the cooling ocean breeze.  Of course we're biased, but we think it's perfect!

Farming

The Big Island is a farming island.  Due to the island's diverse micro-climates a variety of crops can be grown year-round.  Kona is famous for being one of the world's excellent coffee-growing regions, but the Big Island produces many other major crops including macadamia nuts, papaya, bananas, and flowers such as orchids, anthurium, and protea.  At a single meal you may have delicate local lettuce and juicy tomatoes and cucumbers grown in the cool moist Waimea uplands, beef and milk from local cattle raised on the Hilo-side, mushrooms from the damp Hamakua area, marlin caught off the Kona coast, poi from Waipio valley, and passionfruit from the Hawi area. 

Right in our neighborhood we have: a plumeria farm, a large coffee farm (although most people also grow a few plants on their property), a huge coffee roastery, a macadamia nut processing plant, a queen bee farm, a honey processing plant, a plumeria farm, and a large orchid farm next door.  In addition to these large operations, everyone we know grows some food on their property.  Papayas grow like weeds here and just about everyone in our neighborhood has some papaya trees, as well as citrus which does great down here near the ocean in the sun and heat. Here at the Inn we grow green figs, tangerines, starfruit, white pineapple (a local delicacy), mangoes, and coconuts.  We also rotate various vegetables and herbs like lemongrass, sweet potatoes, kale, citronella, and amaranth.  (We also just added a Tahitian lime and a Meyer lemon and will continue to add more food-trees each year.)  Our neighbors produce oranges, limes, lemons, avocados, pummelos, bananas, tangelos, lychee, surinam cherry, and jaboticaba, among others.  We often share and/or exchange fruit since it is so plentiful, different things are ready at different times, and we all grow different varieties.  It is a wonderful luxury to live in a place with so much local food and such a strong sense of pride in the land.

Kona winds

One of the best things about living down here near the water is that we get a wonderful breeze flowing through the house throughout the day.  You always hear about the tradewinds in Hawaii, but we also experience the Kona winds down here.  The tradewinds blow west from across the island from offshore Hilo (on the opposite side of the island).  They travel over the mountains and can bring rain, clouds, cool temperatures (at night and in the winter), storms, and smog from Kilauea (vog). However, down here so close to the ocean we feel the Kona winds that blow in from the ocean and push the rain and vog back up mauka (towards the mountains).  It's the Kona winds that keep our little neighborhood in its own special micro-climate with warm dry days and lots of sunshine - perfect for growing plumeria and citrus fruit.  As I sit here and write I feel the cool wind blowing through the house and hear it moving the palm fronds and the windchime outside.  These soft  sounds, along with doves' gentle cooing and birdsong are the background sounds of life here at the Inn.