South Point, Honaunau Bay, Mango Sunset

Continuing our clockwise trip around the island, we headed southwest along the Hawaii Belt Road.  The entire southern end of the island was very sparsely populated.  Surprisingly so, in fact.  We would sometimes travel several miles before even seeing a single building off in the scrub brush, associated with a ranch or utility company.  The hillsides eventually became greener, and pastoral grass-covered ranch land sloped down into dark rock cliffs rimming the Pacific.

At the southern edge of the main road, we headed further south through a ranching community and then on to a primitive single lane road that went for miles over windswept land toward the southernmost point in the United States.  Upon reaching the rocky outcropping, we found mostly local fishermen with long rods fishing into the ocean, using inflated black garbage bags as massive bobbers as they streamed line hundreds of feet out into that fish rich area of Hawaii.  There was no monument or plaque to indicate where the southernmost point would be located, so we found it by perusing our maps and triangulating on the coast, then stepping out onto the wave splashed rocks.

Continuing back around, and after a delicious shaved ice concoction of li hing mui flavor, melon flavor, and vanilla ice cream, we headed to the fine snorkeling of Honaunau Bay.  On the leeward west side, waves tended to be smaller than the more rambunctious eastside variety, so entry and exit was easy.  Also, the rocks formed benches and shelves to sit on before entering the water that quickly dropped to depths over our heads.  Once in the water – and after some heavy breathing getting acclimatized to the cool temperature – we saw a great variety of brightly colored fish and coral.  The highlight: swimming beside a placid large green sea turtle for as long as we wanted.

Right next to this bay was a small but historically intriguing national park called Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.  The seaside location was a “place of refuge”, where commoners who violated the intricate and strict set of kapu laws could try to run away to before otherwise being killed by strangulation, fire, club, or spear.  If that person reached this place before warriors and enforcers of the kapu could catch them, the offender would perform some rituals by a residing priest and all would be forgiven.  If they didn’t reach that place, they were quickly killed for their transgressions.  Transgressions could include letting their shadow fall onto a chief, walking in the footsteps of the chief, men and women eating together, or one of many other complex and unyielding rules.

The area also contained a royal compound, and served other purposes for the local people.  A native Hawaiian was onsite, creating a feather cape while telling very real stories of his people’s history and answering questions very knowledgeably.  He felt a responsibility to continue both the traditions and the history of his people before they became forgotten in time.

Rounding out the day was a stay at Mango Sunset bed and breakfast, at Lyman Farms’ Kona coffee farm.  We were quite literally greeted by the open arms and smile of host Hans.

The next morning, Hans was a delight as one of the most interesting and welcoming B&B hosts I had yet met.  Originally from Berlin, he was a military jet pilot in the German army before moving to America and becoming a professor, software developer, management consultant, and businessman.  Now his wife Marsha brings in the money as a consultant while he builds their organic Kona coffee farm into a viable – and already award winning – business.

His tour of the farm was one not to be missed by anyone interested in agriculture and especially anyone who appreciates fine coffee.  He had much more to say than he had time to say it, and all of the steps in the production process were made very visceral by his descriptions and displays of the equipment that he and his assistants used to create their well loved coffee.

As a fitting end to this great whirlwind trip around Hawaii, we had lunch on the sun drenched white sand of Wawaloli Beach, as Pacific waves sprayed high above rocks and the ocean beckoned us home.  Mahalo (thank you), Hawaii.