The Adventures of Sunsette -- Texas Travels, Part II— Apr. 12

[Alliecat]

"Hey everybody!
"Thanks for following our adventures!  We enjoy sharing them with you.  WOW, we stumped davidd on a Hawaiian thing!! Mum couldn't find those flowers either. (It's a tree; they were falling from way above the halas, if that helps.) Probably asking on some Hawaii facebook site would find an answer, but we haven't, yet.  Mum did confirm those are honu shell plates though.  A little sad, cos we wonder where and how it died...
Canada's been pretty welcoming to little plastic immigrants, but we're sorry we can't answer for any other kinds... "


"We do know what these are, however...  'Ohelo is one of the first things to grow on lava, and tradition says if you're going to eat the berries you should offer some to Pele first.  This one was we-sized, and Mum really wanted to take our picture with it, but it was just SO cold and windy at the sacred crater on Mauna Loa."



"We're not sure if this 'meaning of aloha' is traditional or something that's been developed more recently for tourists.  Nice though."



"'Uncle Robert's night market' way down by Kalapana is a real Hawaiian-kingdom local favourite sort of place.  Live music, people come out of the crowd to hula... big crowd, tons of food and other market vendors."



"It downpoured on Valentine's Day.  Even the rain seems lusher here.  And within an hour or so of a downpour it can be hot and sunny again."



"After the rain, the stream that was nearly empty when we arrived, was a rushing torrent.  The retreat centre runs on hydro power, so they were happy.  Sometimes they even have to leave lights on to burn off some of the battery power.  Or something..."



"The caretaker said this little standing rock has withstood hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods, for many years!"



"We were very careful not to be the ones to tip it."



"On a last beautiful morning after the rain, we had to say goodbye to the magic garden.  Mum put the remains of our lei into the stream.  It carries your wish to return, down to the sea."









"The road down from the retreat center."



"Remember the photo of us by the secret pool below the little waterfall?  That pool is right in the middle of this photo, at the top of these falls.  Mum took a similar photo all those years ago, never knowing she would wind up back here."



"...and with a whoosh, we are on our way.  Farewell Big Island...  Farewell Mauna Kea ... perhaps we'll reach your summit next time...?"



"Hello Honolulu!!"

"...stay tuned..."