Now, on June 9th (our 5th full day in Hawaii), we got up and drove south of Kona to visit the Place of Refuge (AKA Pu'uhonua o Honaunau).
You see, back in ancient times, men and women were not allowed to eat together. Likewise, commoners weren't allowed to get close to a chief, nor were their shadows allowed to fall across them, etc. Those who broke these (and other) laws were clubbed or speared to death, strangled, or burned. If the person who broke the law could manage to get away from his pursuer, the only way to escape his wrath was to reach the Place of Refuge. If the lawbreaker could make it there, he could perform certain rituals and all was forgiven. There were many interesting statues scattered about the grounds.
The girls tried to figure out how to play some sort of ancient game, but to no avail.
Here's Brittany sitting beside the massive stone wall that separates the royal grounds from the Place of Refuge. It was constructed around 1550. The wall is up to 10' high and is 17 ' thick.
After we left the Place of Refuge, we decided to stop by the Kona Coffee Museum...even though I'm not a coffee drinker. Abby and I sampled some of their hot tea and Chris and Brittany, of course, sampled their coffee. I, without knowing what it was, sampled a Wassabi macadamia nut. I think I had steam coming out my ears! It was beyond HOT!
From there, we stopped to see the Painted Church, which dates back to the 1800's. There are beautifully painted frescos on the walls inside.
Outside of the church was a brightly colored gecko waiting for us.
We made an attempt to visit Captain Cook's Monument, but it was way across the bay and you could access it only by boat. Still, it was a picturesque stopping point.
Chris taking in the beautiful scenery.
This one speaks for itself.
Now, no way was I going to end our day of adventure without sampling some Donkey Balls...yes, you heard me! My, oh, my...were they ever DE-LISH! They're various nuts that are covered by layer upon layer of milk or dark chocolate. They were definitely worth every calorie and fat gram!
When we made it back to our hotel, Chris and Brittany went for a run and Abby and I decided to get in a little pool time.
I could never get enough of those gorgeous Hawaiian sunsets...just icing on the cake!
Next time, I'll share with you my up close and personal encounter with a creature I adore! See ya soon!
