Sunday, June 24, 2012

Aloha to Keaiwa Heiau and Ford Island


We have a winner from last week's blogs - Marjorie!   


On Saturday, my family ventured up the mountain to Keaiwa Heiau State Park.  From its website at this link,

Keaiwa Heiau is a medicinal or healing heiau (temple) known as a heiau ho'ola. At this site, the kahuna (priest, expert) specializing in healing would diagnose and treat various illnesses and injuries. The kahuna would also train haumana (students) in the practice of la'au lapa'au, medicinal healing using plants, fasting, and prayers. Many of the plants and herbs were collected from the neighboring forest while others were planted around the heiau.





The name Keaiwa has been translated as mysterious or incomprehensible. Perhaps, this name refers to the fact that one could not explain the powers of the kahuna and the herbs used in healing.




It is unknown when this heiau was built but one source suggests that it was constructed in the 16th Century by Kakuhihewa, an ali'i (chief) of O'ahu, and his kahuna Keaiwa. The 4-foot high stacked rock wall encloses the sacred area that measures 100 by 160 feet. Within the enclosure was a halau (large thatched structure) built for the master kahuna to store the medicinal implements and train the students. Other features might include hale (small thatched structure) and a puholoholo (steam bath). 
  
We have never seen a stone circle
in a heiau.


We intended to hike the loop, but it
began to rain.  The trail was muddy
and steeper than I expected.
  
We ventured over to Ford Island to
see the SBX, aka the Golf Ball.
   
Ford Island hosts three memorials -
the USS Utah (above),
the USS Oklahoma,
and the USS Missouri.


Ford Island gave us a view of the
West Loch, home of the decommissioned ships.


Ford Island also offers a view of
the USS Arizona memorial.


What do you like to do on a rainy day?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 30, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 1.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii


The rain in the distance over Aiea.

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15 comments:

  1. DanielleJune 24, 2012 at 12:32 PM

    I love to stay in and read on a rainy day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jeanne MJune 24, 2012 at 12:51 PM

    Hi Kim!

    When my sons were young and it was a rainy day one of the things we enjoyed the most was to take a trip to Mystic Seaport and the Aquarium.

    Mystic Seaport village and ship's area is an active living history museum with 17 acres of exhibits portraying coastal life in New England in the 19th century. One thing we always had to do was to board the world's last wooden whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan, one of the last example of early 20th-century New England fishing vessels.

    If it ended up being a rainy day we could either visit the Mystic Aquarium, which is just 2 block from the Seaport. It is one of the nation's best loved aquariums and features the world's only exhibits based on Dr. Robert Ballard's deep sea discoveries, as well as a wonderful variety of creatures including stunning Beluga whales, Stellar Sea Lions, and North African penguins.

    Dr. Ballard is now in our little state of Rhode Island working in concert with the University of RI at the School of Oceanography. He is best known for his historic discoveries of hydrothermal vents, the sunken R.M.S. Titanic, the German battleship Bismarck, and numerous other contemporary and ancient shipwrecks around the world. During his long career he has conducted more than 120 deep-sea expeditions using the latest in exploration technology, and he is a pioneer in the early use of deep-diving submarines.

    We had moved to Rhode Island in 1971 when my husband got out of the Navy and decided to move to the "Ocean State". Everyone who lives here is in easy reach of the coast-line. In fact if you drive more than 40 miles you drive out of the state! Since we live just 2 miles from the ocean we felt it was important that as our children grew up the understood the importance of the ocean both in the past and going into the future.

    Now when our grandchildren visit from South Carolina we love introducing us to the history and the future of the ocean to them all!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Marjorie/cenya2June 24, 2012 at 1:02 PM

    I am thrilled to be a winner, thank you so very much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ELFJune 24, 2012 at 1:05 PM

    Rainy days are excellent for snuggling under the covers with a book and a cup of hot chocolate! Thank you for the excellent pictures although I am still puzzled what the SBX is?

    ReplyDelete
  5. JaneJune 24, 2012 at 1:37 PM

    Rainy days are great for naps or for hanging out and watching some DVDs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. catsladyJune 24, 2012 at 2:39 PM

    Congrats, Majorie.

    Rainy days are for reading :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. ann albaJune 24, 2012 at 3:40 PM

    Rainy days i love to curl up on the couch & read or watch movies..
    Congratulations Majorie

    ReplyDelete
  8. LilMissMollyJune 24, 2012 at 3:40 PM

    I love laying in bed and reading! What else? :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. MayJune 24, 2012 at 4:58 PM

    Staying in bed and read. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. DebbyJune 24, 2012 at 5:59 PM

    Reading, watching movies are all great things to do. When kids were home, we went to museums.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousJune 24, 2012 at 7:49 PM

    Reading watching tv
    Kimh

    ReplyDelete
  12. bn100June 24, 2012 at 8:33 PM

    Watch a movie

    ReplyDelete
  13. Linda McDonaldJune 24, 2012 at 9:49 PM

    I like to read and I like to watch the rain. We don't get much here, so when we get it, it is enjoyable to just look out at it and listen to it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousJune 25, 2012 at 12:59 PM

    love rainy days and books
    i like to read on rainy days. i dont like ot go out in rain

    blackroze37@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Carol MJune 25, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    I like to read on a rainy day!

    ReplyDelete

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