Not Even Not Traveling 71: Hawaii - Kona

Arriving at Kona

We had circled most of the island chain and returned to the big island of Hawai'i. This time, the Zaandam landed on the western shore, at Kona. 

Passengers had to disembark by tendering, this time. In case you haven't done it, you tender from a cruise ship because you've arrived at a port where the water is too shallow or the pier is too small for a large ship to dock. The alternative used by cruise lines in such situations is a fleet of smaller boats made for transporting passengers to shore. The boats were once called 'tenders' and were supplied by the ports. 

Nowadays, there are no specially-built tender vessels. Cruise ships like the Zaandam long ago upgraded from emergency rafts to tender boats as their standard. In any real emergency, one with time to deploy the boats, everyone would be better off than in emergencies of ages past. Tender boats have two decks, modern engines, heated cabins, and supplies to last a week. We bounced from our ship to the dock in relative comfort.

Once we reached Kona, we hiked to our rental car company. There, after a delay in processing, we got a car and drove up the nearest mountain. Then we kept going. We were deciding destinations as we went and among them we chose a historical site known as the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and Refuge.

The Refuge

For local Hawaiians, sheltering in Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau was analogous to a medieval peasant taking shelter in a Catholic Church. Your pursuers were not allowed to harm you at the holy site. If you had broken the kapu (sacred laws) or your army had been defeated or you were pursued for debts or vengeance, you could go to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau and try to live there until it was safe to come out. The park supports a half-dozen traditional structures, although they are sometimes roped off, meant to be seen more than played in. (I think there are only so many times tourists can get in a dugout canoe without breaking it.)

We strolled among the buildings, some of which were small homes, barns, or sheds. A few structures were forts, really, raised near the shore as if the protection of Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau hadn't been perfect. It had perhaps needed to be buttressed by physical defenses sometimes. More impressive than the homes were the ponds and the shoreline. A past Hawaiian king had a series of fish ponds built. Some of them still actively providing homes for fish. Even better, the ocean shore along the refuge teemed with life of all sorts. It was a natural, shallow harbor. Its tidepools entertained children (and some adults) for hours while we were there. 

We could have hopped back in the car and raced to the southmost tip of the island, afterwards. We would have not made it back for dinner aboard the Zandaam but, if we had been determined, we could have stood at the southmost point in the United States (since that is what the southern tip of Hawai'i is) and skipped a meal. 

The Coffee

Although I mentioned I was sick for the whole voyage and don't find it worth dwelling on, here's where it played a factor for us, though. I didn't want to spend that much time driving anyways. Feeling ill and run-down sealed the decision.

"Let's stop for coffee," I said. 

"Maybe we can give ourselves a coffee tour." Diane consulted her tourist pamphlets, maps, and GPS. 

On the way back to Kona - nearly there, in fact, overlooking the city from its nearest mountain - we stopped at a local coffee house. On the slopes behind it, the shop owners had a two-acre coffee plantation. They were growing and processing their own coffee and chocolate. 

Diane and I sat in the back of the restaurant at a large window overlooking the plants. We ordered a couple of lattes, talked at length with the staff, and watched the plantation guide give a tour to people we recognized.

"Those folks are from the Zaandam," said Diane, pointing out the window to faces I recognized. 

"So this must be one of the ship excursions."

"We could go out there, trail behind them, and get the same tour for free." She grinned and leaned her chin in her hand as she studied the crowd walking through the coffee bushes. We knew they had paid two hundred apiece for the tour. 

"Nah." It was an attractive idea but I was too run down, physically. I needed the coffee I was drinking. 

We helped ourselves to another round of lattes, a shared sandwich, and a chocolate bar.

 

 That night, back aboard the ship, I barely had the energy to attend the concert. (The excellent coffee and a nap helped.) On the World Stage of the Zaandam, a performer put on a show of Carole King music. If you don't remember who Carole King is, hum "I feel the earth move / under my feet" and probably now you do. The performer was great but also, King was an amazing songwriter, so the performer had a huge amount of work to pull from. Even for impatient people like me, it was fine.