Kaloko-Honokohau, Kohala, and Kings View

Day 6 (Wednesday): We explore the road north of Kona to the northiest tip of the island. We stop at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park to check out ancient fish traps and fish ponds and discover a gem of a beach with even more sea turtles as close as a yard or two away. They also boast petroglyphs but they are pretty bush league after those we saw under the volcano.

Most of the land between Kona and Hawi seems to be covered in sharp, craggy a'a lava. There are a few beaches, but it takes time and effort to get to them.

The resort area at Kohala seems to have been forcibly bulldozed and sodded out of the surrounding lava - a strange man-made oasis of golf courses hemmed in on three sides by lava and on the remaining side by the sea. It manages to feel claustrophobic and segregated at the same time. Although the area contained a few of the hotels that we were considering while booking our trip, I am thrilled not to have chosen any of them.

We also visited the most massive of heiaus: Pu'ukohola Heiau - the one Kamehameha I built in order to get the war god Ku on his side so he could kick everyone's ass on Maui and take over. It was properly massive (and worked like a charm, war-wise), but we were not allowed to climb all over it - a trait all of these heiaus have that I just cannot get behind. What's a great big pile of lava rocks if you can't crawl all over it?

Pu'ukohola Heiau - Kamehameha's favorite great big pile of lava rocks

FYI: the best pizza, pretty much of all time, is at Kings View Cafe (named after the statue of King Kamehameha across the street) at pretty much the northiest point in Hawaii.

Happy hour shall be spent in the room tonight. Too tired and dirty to go downstairs. Wine, Olympics, sunset, and snoozing.

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