We had to get up early to drive two hours back to Kona for our snorkeling trip. We were taking the SeaQuest Deluxe Morning Snorkeling Adventure. It was a four hour boat ride and snorkeling experience. We had to get up at 4:45 to make it there for the check-in. We left a little late and I pushed the speed limit quite a bit to make it a few minutes late.
Once there, we met our captain and mate. There were twelve passengers on the small boat. There were other party boats that could hold almost a hundred people, but our travel book recommended this boat because it was small and would go places that the other boats could not go.
After a long ride out into the open sea, the captain turned us toward shore and we entered a lava cave. The captain explained that the rocks we were looking at came from two different lava flows. The older flow was eroding out from under the newer flows and creating these caves. He could take the boat in to the back of the cave.
Our first snorkeling spot was Honaunau Bay. On the way in he took us by Pu’uhonua o Honaunau – the Place of Refuge. The captain gave us some boundaries and let us go. Kim wasn’t sure she wanted to go in the water yet, so I took off to do some touring. The water was very clear and there were many things to see. I saw some fish I had not seen before. I went back to entice Kim into trying snorkeling before the opportunity was over. She wouldn’t budge. I went out for some more exploring. I was the last person back on the boat. They had fresh fruit and chips for us to eat.
We then went to Kealakekua Bay. This is where Captain Cooks met his demise. There is a white stone monument to mark the spot where he was killed. When he first arrived, the Hawaiians thought he was a god. He stayed and traded for a few days and then left to find a northwest passage above North America. Since he could not find one, he returned to Hawaii and entered Kealakekua Bay. Some Hawaiians had taken a ships boat and he and a landing party went ashore to recover the boat. He was killed in a scuffle. To the horror of the European crew, the Hawaiians returned only the flesh they had taken off of captain Cooks bones. The crew thought that the Hawaiians had mutilated his body out of spite. In fact, what they had done was to honor the man they thought was a god. They took his bones, heart, hands, and head and distributed them to significant chiefs throughout the islands.
I thought the last place was a beautiful place to snorkel. This place was much better. The boats all parked right around the monument and the snorkelers stayed close to the boats. Kim said she was going to try snorkeling here, but I didn’t think she would go in. I took off for the rocky point that was vacant of snorkelers. When I got there, it looked like an aquarium filled with fish. They were everywhere. I stayed and took some pictures and videos and started back to the boat. I turned around and went back to the point because the areas close to the boat did not have the same amount of fish. Fearing that I was late, I made a bee-line to the boat. I was told I could have fifteen more minutes, so I jumped back in and explored the area closer to the shore. I guess I was more than fifteen minutes, because the boat came looking for me.
To my surprise, Kim went into the water. The captain bribed her with chocolate. He worked with her to make her feel more comfortable. I was glad to see her go in. I know she is scared of the water, but I know she wants to see the coral and fish.
On the way back, we stopped at the End of the World. It is a famous spot for cliff diving on this island. There was a family there and they were about to jump. The father went first and then the son. The captain rewarded them by tossing out two bags of cookies. The mom was very hesitant and did not jump while we were there. I wanted to try, but it must have posed a liability risk for the captain and he would not let me go.
After the snorkeling adventure, we went to lunch at a place that was recommended for their fish tacos. Kim was eager to give them a try. We had an unexpected guest once our food arrived. A gecko came over to the table. He was on the railing next to our table. He didn’t seem shy. Kim gave him some fish and he took a few bites. I held my water glass up to the railing and he licked the sweat off of the glass. Our waitress said there were a few behind the bar that like to drink the hard stuff. She often finds then hanging on the bottles behind the bar and licking the spilled booze.
We wanted to buy some REAL Kona coffee. Kim found a coffee farm and mill that was on our way home, the Greenwell Farms. We stopped in to take a tour and buy coffee. We are not coffee drinkers, but we love the smell of the beans. Kim didn’t want to try any, but I was curious. I think I’m starting to like the taste. The Private Reserve was the best. I got a half pound for Brian and the group at work. On the tour, they took us out to their coffee grove to see the trees. Every six years, they cut the trees down to a stump about two feet from the ground. It takes two years for the trees to grow big enough to harvest the coffee cherry. The cherry is the bean with the fruit on the outside. The cherry must be taken to the mill that same day. If the cherry is left overnight, it will spoil and the bean will not be good. The beans are loaded into the wet mill that removes the bean from the sticky fruit. The beans are then soaked in water for a day to fully remove the last remaining sticky fruit. They are ten put on top of long rows of screen to dry for six days. They are then taken to the roasting house where they get their flavor.
The real Kona coffee belt is only 22 miles long and goes from 800 feet to 2500 feet above sea level. It stays between 50° F and 90° F all year long. There is an afternoon rain and cloud cover that helps to grow coffee.
We returned to the Place of Refuge to have a look inside. In the days before the Europeans came, the Hawaiians did not have a jail. If you broke a law, you broke the social contract with the others that lived around you. The only penalty for this was death. The only way to escape was to get to one of these Places of Refuge. You would be counseled on how to be a better citizen and receive a tattoo on your forehead. You could go home then without the fear of being killed. On the way out, we ran into some people we met the first day at our B&B in Oahu.
Another stop was the Painted Church. It was St Benedict’s Catholic Church. The parish priest painted the murals from 1899 to 1904. It was very beautiful inside.
I was still covered in salt from snorkeling, so I needed to shower. It still seems funny to shower with three open walls. I had to close the blinds on one side, because that side faced the neighbors.
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