Kona on Oahu

I have acquired some free time in the last couple of days and decided to get outside and take a discovery ride solo. This trip took me toward Hawaii Kai.

The main location I was planning on visiting was a destroyed heiau in Niu Valley. I had read about it and was pretty sure I knew exactly where it once was. At the base of the undeveloped ridge in the center of the valley. Kulepeamoa is the name of the heiau and ridge. McAllister noted portions of terrace were still visible. Although the remaining stones may have been taken years later for cattle pens.

Kulepeamoa would have been facing the ocean on the southern end of Kulepeamoa ridge. Behind the houses on the corner of Haleola St. and Halemaumau St. in Niu Valley.  

I tried to get a closer look but no one was home to ask. So I took a ride to the end of Kupaua Pl. and found a trail head. I locked my bike up at the nearest light pole and headed in. I had hoped a trail would split off and lead me toward the base above Kulepeamoa Heiau. But after about a half an hour of hiking. I realized it was just taking me toward the back of the valley. I had to turn around once the trail became littered with thorny branches.

I'm unsure what I found toward the beginning of the trail. There was a square enclosure of very large rocks that seemed to form a platform. Inside the formation it was mostly level and a few prominent stones had curved bowl like indentions. I thought it would have been cool if I had suddenly stumbled into another whole different Heiau. But then I also thought maybe this could have been a cattle pen. Or a well bulldozed pile of stones that were cleared for development in the lower parts of the valley...

Here is about the spot where I decided I should head back to my bike. Beautiful view though...

After I got back on my bike, I rolled down to Paiko Lagoon. It's a wild life sanctuary and a school of fish had just rustled the water's surface when I took this pic! I think a duck I saw earlier may have startled them. 

I picked a pink hibiscus from a nearby wall and clipped it on to my seat post, filled my water bottle up, and headed back onto Kalanianaole Hwy...

Pahua Heiau is probably the most widely known heiau in this area. If people cared to see such things. It was rebuilt in modern times and is even protected by a group that maintains the landscaping of this sacred structure. This heiau was spotted in the corner of my eye one day when I took the back roads to Sandy beach. I yelled, Oh I think I just saw a heiau. Then turned around to visit it. 

This last visit was quite similar as I must have been exposed to too much sun by this point. I totally forgot where I was going and had decided to attempt a KOM on Strava, going up Heartbreak Hill and then Kamehame.

But after seeing the heiau in the corner of my eye, I remembered what I was in the area to do. I admit I didn't have it in me to try to create personal records of climbing up mountains on my bike anyhow.

Pahua Heiau is between the ancient ili titles of Kamilonui and Kamiloiki. Again like the former Heiau, at the foot of the ridge. As those were the ideal locations for heiau building and surveying the land from there.

I left the pink hibiscus there for some reason...

 Maunalua, the furthest district east of the greater district of Kona, now known as Honolulu. Although Maunalua is only an ili in the district ahupuaa of Waimanalo.

On my way back west I noticed a couple of men clearing the wetland reserve next to the country club. I read the sign and quickly turned around to talk to them. I entered into the gated area and one of them, still standing far away. Gave me a gesture that seemed to tell me to hold up and not proceed any further. He was in a conversation with the other man for quite some time. So I headed back out to talk to them through the fence.

One of the men came up to me and told me this area was very significant to the ancient Hawaiians. Up until Kaiser came and destroyed most of the structures for whatever purpose of his own. Some credit must also be given to our own people during the time of the end of the Kapu system though. Back on the story, he told me there is evidence of the Hawea Heiau structure still to be seen on the foot of the ridge and heading upward. The bottom section was very recently bulldozed by a new development. He also suggested that some think that Hawea Heiau is around the ridge at the location where the post office is now. As that was also marsh land.

There are all sorts of indicators that this was a prominent place for the people of the district. There are some plants that were used by ancient residents of the land still growing next to the hillside, and a freshwater spring is right next to the marsh. Mud hens still flock here and a family of them were spotted by him on the country club side of the marsh.

I feel so bad because even though I took out my phone notepad to try and catch everything he was saying. I didn't get his name. He told me a romantic story about how he lived in the area for more than 40 years and used to ride horses with his girlfriend up and down these valleys. When he saw what was going on here recently, he asked to be a volunteer. Every second Saturday there is a open invite for volunteers to help clear the land. The next one will be September 14 at 8am-11:30am. Not much to ask for, I hope I can make it. Kaleo Pike is the person guiding this revival of Hawaiian culture. She told him that the Heiau housed two sacred drums from Kahiki. One was actually called Hawea and the other that he could not recall that started with "P". I hope I can get a chance to hear what Kaleo Pike can share about this area... 

Museum...Wednesday

Aloha! I've been quite busy in the last couple of days and although I've tried my hardest. Museum Tuesdays with be side by side on this post once again. I managed to visit a couple of exhibits while running around town. 

Some of the following images were revisited and originally the main inspiration for my interest in sharing information about historical locations and wahipana with you!

I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

The following images were taken at the State Art Museum on Hotel St and Richards.

The following images were taken at Satellite City Hall Ala Moana. Pertaining to the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame...

Museum Tuesday

Shark week just ended on the television but it's always on here in Hawaii..

 

This large stone from Kapa'aheo Kohala, Hawaii island. Originally located in front of Mookini Heiau at 'Umi Wai

Laie

Last week Friday I finally went crabbing with my uncle Paul. He's the youngest of my dad's siblings and to me, seems like he embodies my grandfather's spirit. Although my father, my aunty Lou, and my late uncle Kalani all have some sort of traits from my late grandfather Wilfred. I think my parents underestimate my memory of him. As my cousins would all gather together to go crabbing in Ala Wai (yeah I was raised eating crabs from there). Or going surfing in Waikiki. We would always gather back at my grandpa's house in Kapahulu. He'd be waiting on the table outside with a bottle of Colt45...

 

My uncle picked me up and after the nets were baited, we headed out to Laie. We decided to try the bridge on Kamehameha Highway crossing Kahawainui Stream. My uncle took two nets and left me with four. He steadily watched his two nets laid next to each other. As I dropped mine on both sides of the bridge and took the timed cruiser technique...

Hukilau Beach at the mouth of Kahawainui Stream

 

After a couple rotations of pulling my nets with no luck. I took to pursuing this bird as it tried to fish.

 

I took my, "Sites Of Oahu" book to read. As I had the rare opportunity to look over the land from the mountains to the ocean at the same time that I read about the location and viewed its site numbers on the maps in the book.

 

Site 278 in McAllister's island survey mentions Hanapepe. On an elevated piece of land on the Kahuku side of the first bridge in Laie. An akua stone dedicated to a female fish god named Kamehaikana. Where the first caught fish were left as offerings...

Later in the day I decided to relocate a couple of my nets and headed up stream to find an opening at the end of the fence. So that I could get into the canal.

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As I passed a somewhat elevated area with tall grass. The stream side opened up to a small coral outcropping...

 

past the outcropping was a small cemetery containing unmarked graves although it looked well cared for. Mounds could be spotted where burials were, by slight elevations on the surface. Only a couple had headstones, although unreadable. Others had traditional Hawaiian stone markers.

 

Laie and more specific, the mouth of Kahawainui was a location of a large Hukilau, or fish gathering. They were said to have been hosted during the turn of the 19th century by the Kamakeʻeʻāina family. More specifically Pahumoa "John" Kamakeʻeʻāina. Could this be a resting place of those that would have been a part of the Laie Hukilau. Gathering fish as a community and sharing them with all that needed them? Could McAllister have misinterpreted the pronunciation of the family shrine. With that of the goddess Kamehaikana???

 

 

Just after taking a look around and gathering my empty crab nets. A huge rain cloud covered the windward side of the island. Heavy rains forced us to leave and head home. Luckily my uncle caught a few crabs and ended up giving the two big ones to me!

Museum Tuesday

These two ki'i pohaku were gifted to Bishop Museum by Robert N. Wilcox in 1884. They originated at Necker Island, Mokumanamana...

Kamananui - Mokuleia

 

 

 

 Last Friday, a group of my cycling buddys and I decided to take a drive out to the north shore and explore some of the back roads. We parked at Waialua High School and agreed to attempt Mt. Kaala Road. We didn't even make it a couple thousand feet until being turned around and ushered off of the private property.

I suggested riding the Plantation Road back behind Waialua High School. I've been there by car already and posted about it in my first coverage of Waialua in my blog. They agreed and we headed up the dirt road.

 

 

 

 I was excited because unlike my last visit to the property of the Benedictine Monastery, there was no loose dog and I was on a bike with fully grown men. Instead of in a car with women and a baby.

I took a closer look at Kalakiki Heiau at the end of the road and can finally supply you with better quality images.

Kalakiki Heiau is related to a shark god of the same name that had a stone in line with the heiau on the shore. Kalakiki Heiau is said to be connected with another called Onehana Heiau. The latter had a more grizzly reputation but both are said to have been associated with human sacrifice. Some say that the sailors, Gooch and Hergest, taken while in a landing party looking for water in Waimea Bay. From the Russian ship Daedalus in May 1792. Were taken here to be sacrificed. Most other stories say they were taken to the Waimea district Pu'u o mahuka Heiau. Although, the Daedalus would have been sitting in the harbor ready to avenge the capture of their shipmates if they saw them at the nearby heiau on the hill...

 

 

The spot where people came to leave offerings and make prayers was at the lower end of the hill at Kalakiki Heiau. Now partly disturbed by a water tower used by the monastery and the heiau grounds and inside of a cattle area...  

 

In the gulch below the heiau are a few peculiar large stones. One that looks like the shape of a sharks fin. Another shark god named Nanaulu may have been associated with this area...

 

I'm happy to involve my cycling friends along with my Hawaiian history discoveries. Although a longer epic climb and descent that day would have been favorable to most of us as well..

 

 

After our ride we went to Paalaa Kai Market and Bakery for some fried chicken, rolling rocks, and snow puffies...

 

We drove back into Mokuleia to hang out at the beach and cool off, more like the ahupuaa of Kawaihapai. Just then we were surprised at the arrival of a six foot long spotted eagle manta ray and its baby. During the time we were there finishing off our food and drinks, the mother ray birthed three or four more babies just off shore...