Nuuanu Pohaku Hunter

Ever since my trip with Nicole and Jan I've been thinking about visiting places they've mentioned. One in particular was a large pohaku that gave Nicole the chills when she encountered it. When she saw it , it had offerings and a concave section on it. She told me it was on the trail that leads off from Pali Lookout to the Pali Puka. 

On my first attempt, I arrived one morning with slippers and coffee in hand. I took one look at the steep trail and decided not to try it. I did however, find a rock that stood out to me just at the beginning and I took a couple of pictures of it and of a few more smaller ones around it. 

On my second visit later that week. I arrived well prepared with my shoe goo'd Vibrams! Although, still carrying a coffee in hand. The trail was kind of moist and steep but nothing too hard. The full hike to the Pali Puka is about a half an hour hike. But I was just looking for something on the trail, not at the end of it. I made it almost all of the way until recalling that Nicole mentioned it was in the ironwood forest. Which was actually toward the beginning of the trail. I looked all over the place and couldn't figure out which one it was. Running up and down the trail like if I was a regular there. Finally I pulled out my ace card and simply had a text conversation with Nicole. With everything she told me, I realized it was the rock I saw when got there the first time! Just over the wall where the tour buses park. Is the trail head for the Pali Puka. The trail immediately splits in two directions. To the right, a steep stair like path that follows the ridge. The Pohaku is jutting out off of the first climb on that trail. In fact on my second trip there, it was funny that I glanced at it and thought I saw a piko on it...

Neither Nicole or I have any background on this pohaku. It is simply one of those features that just stand out from it's surroundings. Who knows for how long and who else noticed. She saw offerings on it so it stood out to her. But she got the heebie jeebys for some reason and even mentioned hearing voices coming from somewhere just before she had enough of it and ran out of there...

Here I am standing next to it for size comparison

It could provide some rain shelter for an animal or small child. Below it are some evenly sized stones that seem to form a small terrace. Unless they all rolled here under it uniformly...

I'm not sure if this is a petroglyph on it but some hikers that caught me observing it seemed to think so.

Here is a slight piko that caught my eye when I first entered the trail head.

This stone sits just ahead of the large pohaku and is only about eight inches in width but has a very flat top that looks worn down by the elements or some ancient use. I brought two violet colored shells with me that my board shorts somehow captured one day at the beach and deposited under my car seat. I set them there for what ever reason. 

I was surprised to see the holes that were behind the flat top stone after looking at this image.

Here is a separating section of the large stone. Seems ear like, If there was a face on it I'm unsure...

I don't' know what to say about this pohaku. It has no story that can be found in a book. But it does feel important somehow. I would guess that it could be a guardian of the trail. Where travelers would honor with gifts in order for a safe journey. It was ironic when I was there because the young hikers that were there while I was looking for it were two males and a female. Possibly one of their girlfriends. I began to think about how Kahahana, his wife Kekuapoiula (famed for her beauty throughout the islands), and his friend Alapai. May have traveled this way to flee from Kahekili II after the battle at Kaheiki.  A generation after that Kalanikupulei may have fled this same way after the Battle of Nuuanu.

UPDATE:

Here is some information I just found that might be referring to this stone. There were/are two stones on either side of what was the old Pali road connecting Koolau with Kona. Hapuu the kane stone, lay on the Ewa side and Kalaihauole the wahine stone lay on the Waikiki side. Pigs were offered to Hapuu and Dogs were offered to Kalaihauole. They were also adorned with fern leaves and lehua blossoms. They may have also been piko stones that parents of newborns would place their child's cut umbilical cord in to connect them to the aina. But at the peril of black magic if it were found. They are surrounded in legend from stories of mo'o origins. In human form they are said to have requested to raise Umi's child from the Big Island, and they may have been the ones that encouraged Kapoi to travel to Waimanalo and create Kaupo Village in Makapuu... 

This gentleman here is the security guard for Pali lookout. Kawika, a Papakolea resident (hire local!) opens the gate very early in the morning and monitors the parking. Kama'aina park for free while tourists need to pay a machine by the way. The first time I showed up he was cruising under a tree with his jackson chameleon and a female police officer. He jokingly yelled out me as I got out of my "import" car and asked, "you drift in that?' I gave him a funny look and we both laughed. (Like he was asking the wrong question in so many ways. In front of a cop and my car is front wheel drive)

He told me a story about one time he was there at around four in the morning. No lights yet, and no one else there. He was sitting in his car and an old local looking lady came up to his window and started talking to him. He wiped the drowsy out of his eyes and listened to her as she told him about some stories about the history of the area. He thanked her for the conversation and she walked away. He questioned how she got there and got out of the car to look around, she was gone...

(I found my own Jackson Chameleon later that week in the back of my friends property in Pearl City. I put it in my backyard and it disappeared from my vision within a matter of minutes. Hope he's ok)

A very sad thing about our island is that some people, most time our own local residents are so pilau! This pile of opala was just off the side of the road leading back to Honolulu from Pali Lookout. Condoms and Coconuts!

The following pics of piles of rubbish were found at the look out spot where you park to swim at Kapena Falls...

Anyone need a front and rear bumper for a 94' Acura Integra? Or a semi polished GSR valve cover??? :P

Congrats...

A couple of days later, I was stuck sitting at home after work and decided to continue on my search for Kaheiki Heiau. Jan has a image of a terrace next to the stream that he uses to describe Kaheiki Heiau. He passed some information that it might be near the stream just under the lookout near below Kapena Falls. Thats how I found that car part dump under the lookout area. I couldn't figure out a way to climb down there so I figured I'd start on the opposite side of the stream and try to cross it somehow. 

Nuuanu Stream is actually called Kaheiki Stream at this section. The Heiau of that name was located near the foot of the hill that is now called Pacific Heights. The only problem is that Pali Highway cuts the foot of the hill in half. I'm not sure if a heiau would have been constructed so close to the stream where a storm surge could topple it's walls. Also, would Kahahana  have chose to make his final battle on the bottom of a hill where Kahekili II's war general would have the high ground??? 

Just behind the Miyohji Mission is a small bridge that connects a small neighborhood on the other side. 

Just at what I would suspect is the remains of the foot of the hill at Pauoa Rd. I found some terracing in the bushes. The overgrowth was too think for me to proceed any further and I didn't want to make a commotion in that small neighborhood. breaking branches and what not...

the terracing isn't as tight as I would suspect most heiau walls are but who knows. Possible foundation for the Pali Hwy above? Kaheiki Heiau? Both, stones from Kanehiki used for support of Pali Hwy???

Here is another observation of stones that might have originally stood upright. You see how the angle of the one in the ground matches the angle of the tip of the longer stone laying on it's side? Hard to see in this image but I believe this is a good indicator of upright stones. If you ever see two stones like this in the middle of nowhere with no others like them around, try to imagine the placement for yourself. I even saw something like this in Moanalua Gardens. Don't try to put it up though! What's done is done.

The last three images are where I was trying to capture the slope of the hill that Kaheiki would have been on. Kahekili II's army swarmed down that hill and even down for Punchbowl. They waylaid the Oahu forces and the kingdom of Oahu was lost to foreign powers ever since...

Traditional Hale Building With Francis Palani Sinenci

Our Kumu Kaipo'i informed our Olelo Hawaii class that he was planning on visiting Bishop Museum and class would be canceled on that Thursday night. So most of us went along with him as he requested. Francis  Palani Sineci, a retired efficiency expert from the army. Had a new found calling in his later years and he has become the renowned expert in the construction of traditional Hawaiian homes. Using traditional materials found in the Pacific islands. He was to give a talk about it that night and then on the following Saturday he and his group would host a workshop and actually construct a Hale outside of Atherton Halau.

Francis Palani Sineci has already made many hale all over the world. The group that he has under him already have multiple hale constructions in their own experience as well. He has even built a large Hale in Hainan, China!

A few things I recall him speaking about are that he favors using Loulu Palm for thatching. Not an endemic verity of Hawaii though, because they aren't firm enough. He takes the palms that are matured and coming off of the side. Foreign loulu palm have thorns on sides of them but he insists that once you learn to remove them. The job is not any harder than using something else.

Another cool thing he mentioned was that he uses a "Shaka" hand formation to bundle cordage. His special twining technique is useful for measuring lengths and for easy unraveling when weaving the connecting points of a hale.

He mentioned that if Home Depot could supply people with sand, stones, wooden poles, cordage and thatching. He could construct a hale in a few days. It's preparing all of the supplies that is the most time consuming part.

Most Hale placement were usually made near the shore. The roof and angle of the hale would be lined up with the horizon to help with the structure being level. Only Hale Wa'a, canoe houses would be facing the ocean instead. To make for an easy entry in a direct path from the water while carrying the wa'a inside. Thatching was usually done into the wind or in a herringbone pattern left to right with the wind. Posts were soaked in salt water for a month and situated in the supporting holes with sand. To deter termites from consuming the hale. Some materials that were used are Keawe, Eucalyptus, Strawberry Guava, Ohia, Mangrove, and Ink Berry. Hale were very important for shelter and storage. Although he mentioned that people would usually chose to sleep outside on a clear night. Hale were more importantly used to hide oneself when the high ali'i were nearby. If a commoner was seen or heard it could cost them their life. Because of strict kapu laws of the time. He shared a story about John I'i having his head buried in a hole in his families hale and covered in tapa. Because he had an inopportune coughing spell during the moment a high chief was passing their home.  

Traditional Hale in the past were supported at the very base of them by human bones. They were like a blessing to the home. At times, people were actually killed for their bones. Later, people figured that using fish bones would be a lot more humanitarian.

His building techniques have also changed with the times. Some of the cordage will actually be a modern threading. Another technique that he has pioneered is the using of a wooden scaffold that is created over where the hale's roof would be. He uses this to work with gravity and build down ward instead of up like most hale builders would have theorized. Some early construction onlookers would ask why there are two roofs. But the outward scaffold, "Olokea". Would be taken down and dismantled after hale completion.

He has lost about three Hale to arson in his carear. Some others to fire. In Hawaii there are actually certifications for Hale building as well as Hale builders themselves. Permitting is very important for most areas, if you planned on having one built. Hale anywhere near to a hundred feet from a modern structure need a fire sprinkler system installed.

Some of my Hawea Heiau Complex ohana were present and Kaleo Paik actually introduced me very briefly with Kumu Francis Palani Sineci. In fact they seamed to know each other very well.

Here are the supporting poles they had already prepared for the workshop they had planned on the following Saturday, and the sample tripod that his group were constructing live while he was talking. After it was completed they tested it by having five men stand on it.

On that following Saturday I felt compelled to see if the hale was still there. Luckily it was! As a storm quickly formed over Kalihi Valley I took it unto myself to take cover under the Hale. It was a euphoric experience and it did very well to protect me from the weather.

I was told that the hale may be preserved and taken to the Kapalama Campus up the hill at Kamehameha School!