This Is What I Enjoy

Ola from FITTEDHI finally stumbled upon my blog while he was researching Kekuanohu for one of their hat releases. While leaving Olelo Hawaii class together, he told me my blog was honest. "This is what I like to do on my weekend, and now I'm going to share it with you," was how he described what I would say about presenting these topics.

This post is already two weeks old, but this is just what I did a couple of weekends ago...

I took a brisk ride around the neighborhood before dinner, still looking for evidence of Kaheiki Heiau or at least any evidence or "feeling" of the battle between Kahekili II and Kahahana. I pretty much cyclocrossed my bike over my shoulder and hiked from Kapena Falls to the back of Hawaii Baptist. Nothing yet...

...I did find this core sample which looks similar to those I found outside of the cave at the Makapuu tide pools...

My in-laws had my wife and I accompany them to an old friends house in Kalauao on Kihale St. I took a break from them and walked around the neighborhood. Up and over the bridge and into Kalauao Stream. Here was were the Battle of Kuki'iahu was fought and bodies choked the flow of the stream. 

Another morning coffee at Aiea Heiau, Keaiwa. I will continue to take sometime in the mornings here weekly. On this occasion I found this strange goo inside of a rock that I have no idea what it is...

On a later day I was surprised to get a message from my friend Kaleo. He asked me if I had a chance to see the petroglyphs at Ke iki Beach. As they are usually deep under the sand and only resurface once every decade during very large north swells. My instagram feed was blowing up with lucky beach goers taking pics of them. I decided to jump in my car and blast on over to see if I could catch them in time. I spent an hour looking for them and comparing the angle of the images I saw. I was too late...  

...The following two images are sights I saw while there...

The following images are screen shots (mahalo to the instagram users that shared these) of the petroglyphs that I was trying to get to before the sand quickly returned back to cover them until the next large swell... 

This winter seemed cold enough to allow the Sakura blossoms to bloom off of California Ave. in Wahiawa. We took the family and shared some "jdm" moments. 

After the cherry blossoms, my wife and I ditched the rest of the family so they could watch the superbowl. We instead went to the Freshwater park in Wahiawa and tried to enjoy Lake Wilson for what it is. In the pic you can try to spot out a decent sized trout in the center right. I signaled a couple of fishermen getting out of their truck. So they could attempt to catch it, although I did throw a twig at it just prior...

Finally I got to get into the ocean myself the next day at Yokohama Bay. The waves were firing....

On the way home we decided to stop off at Lahilahi so I could get some more images of the rest of the petroglyphs there. This first image below is the most peculiar and is relatively closer and easier to get to. You can make out a couple of humanoid features under what seems to be a star formation above them, represented by three dots. The rest of the images are hard to imagine as "ancient" although they seem to be the same type as those found at Olowalu on Maui. Or even those at Nuuanu near the cemetery...

So there it is. I enjoy this. My whole day is not totally full of just these moments I share with you. I am not doing research for any particular reason and I honestly want to know all I can and then revisit every historic site on Oahu. I you share the same interest then please accept this blog as a gift. Even better go out and see them for yourself! let me know what you find! Aloha!

Morning Petroglyph

Some days of the week I start work a little later in the day. On one particular morning while getting coffee and gas. I decided to take a cruise to some of my favorite spots in lower Nuuanu Valley "fast kine".

For the last few months I've been trying to figure out exactly where Kaheiki Heiau was once located. Stories say that it was next to Nuuanu stream at the foot of the mountain ridge that leads down from what is now known as Pacific Heights. Kaheiki was the location where Kahekili II's Maui forces came into the stronghold of Kahahana's Oahu kingdom, and destroyed it. Oahu never regained rule of it's own island even after a couple of botched rebellions by a group of faithful warriors of the Oahu kingdom. Although time has been the avenger as foretold by the last Kahuna Nui of Oahu, Kaopulupulu. Kahekili II's rule was taken by Kamehameha in the same valley against his son Kalanikupule, and later Kamehameha's lineage would eventually be taken over by foreign powers. That story can be told over and over in different lengths and opinions...

Another story of this area near Nuuanu Stream Bridge is that of Kamehaikana. In some versions she is Haumea dwelling in Kalihi with her husband Wakea. She is represented by the Ulu and her husband is the slimy dew that forms on the kukui nut. Anyhow, these two legendary beings reside together within the Kona district under the Koolau and she leaves to collect seaweed on the shore. Her husband stays in the mountains but chooses rest in a banana field owned by a chief, mentioned as Kumuhonua or sometimes Leleho'omao. Her husband is captured and forcefully tied to an ulu tree and set to be burned for trespassing. She returns and begs his captures to let her give him one last embrace. She instead grasps him and uses some miraculous power as they both disappear into the ulu tree! The warriors of the chief are commanded to cut it open to find the escapees. But whenever a cut piece of wood from the tree flew and touched them they would drop dead. Finally the chief requested the aid of a kahuna that helped prepare the tree to be cut down safely. Kamehaikana/Haumea was not found nonetheless. A branch from that tree was carved into an image that represented her. The image was taken to Maui and later came under Kamehameha. It was said to help him win land and power. Was this also because it came from an area where Kahekili II first won Oahu?

Yet another story is that of a pohaku that was in the way of one of the first roads to be constructed through Nuuanu Valley. After Boki made peace with the missionarys and Queen Kaahumanu. He went and proceeded to construct a road into Nuuanu. Near to the stream crossing he came upon a large pohaku that he intended on moving. A nearby local warned him that anyone who disturbed that stone was somehow effected with something in their life that would cause them to leave Hawaii and never return. It is unclear what Boki did after that. But he did end up leaving the island in a failed attempt to collect Koa wood from another island south of the Hawaii archipelago. His ship is said to have accidentally exploded on the journey, what ever happened it was never seen again...

After my easy walk off the main road at the Nuuanu stream. I went to Nuuanu Cemetery to revisit the petroglyphs on the Nuuanu/Judd trail that leads to Kapena Falls.

After that I walked back down and over the stone wall behind Nuuanu Cemetery to take a better pic of the other set of petroglyphs off of Nuuanu Stream.

Then I drove into the Royal Mausoleum. The Kalakaua cript was open because there was a visiting class from Kamehameha School gathering in some knowledge.

I wonder how I can possibly get a hold of a retired flag from the Royal Mausoleum. This land within the property is all that remains of the Nation of Hawaii. They don't need to honor the American flag here and the the State flag fly's alone here... 

After my Nuuanu visit, I got to work an hour early and spontaneously decided to continue on my petroglyph visitations. I borrowed the Specialized Turbo from the Bike Shop Aiea and went on the bike path to blast off to Waipahu above the stream near the Plantation Village. I ended up finding the best way to get to the Waikele Stream petroglyphs instead of climbing up the cliff...

Pohaku Pili rests securely on the cliff side overlooking the Waianae range, Waikele Stream, and Waikakalaua Gulch...  

After the Battle of Nuuanu. Kahahana hid in the mountains with his wife, and Alapai. His wife finally came out to ask her brother for aid near here in Waikele. Her brother turned in Kahahana and Alapai to Kalaniopuu and they were killed...

Kanewai Spring