One morning we trekked up the mountain-side to this historical land-mark.
This place totally brought tears to my eyes and heaviness to my heart. The pictures do not do justice to the scale of these ruins. To think that thousands of people spent their life hauling these heavy rocks up the mountain to build this temple...out of fear. They felt they must make sacrifice to their gods or suffer punishment. This place was at one time a HUGE temple. Countless Hawaiians and Westerners were murdered here as sacrificial offerings. The reality of it just touched my heart--such a lost people.
On a lighter note, we found an amazing beach where Humpbacks were breaching...again...and again...and again. It was AMAZING.
Alek and Walt and I chatted with a young couple who had a 1 year-old baby girl. She was adorable and I wish so much I would have taken a picture of her and Alek playing together in this sandy little tide pool (above.)
We saw whales several days...they were doing their thing in the distance beyond Shark's Cove the days we hung out there, too. Here's my mom and Keiki standing on the little bluff above the Cove. The whales were beyond the rock barrier.
And speaking of Shark's Cove, here's another miscellaneous shot of Keiki and Walt playing there in the water on a different day. Those two had a pretty special bond. I'm pretty sure "Uncle Walt" turned to mush every time Keiki reached his pudgy arms up to be held by him...
We met SO MANY neat people on this trip! I love that about traveling with a baby. Babies are the best "ice-breakers" in the world, aren't they? Here's my keiki playing with 2 year-old Mark from Pennsylvania:
Betty volunteers on Turtle Beach as a naturalist/educator. She had to work one afternoon so Mom and I went down the road to Shark's Cove for the day. Betty called us, totally excited because there was a "baby" turtle there along with two snuggling adults. Here are the snugglers:
...and the baby..... Awwwww!
In addition to being a honu naturalist, Betty is an amazing jewelry artist. She makes jewelry from her beach-combing finds. She totally spoiled my mom and I and made us each two sea glass/silver pendants:
Gorgeous, huh? (Shameless plug...)
One more amazing sunset shot. Our friends live one block from the beach, so Mom and I ran down to catch some pictures over the water one night:
Funny how when you reach a vacation destination, it feels like you have all the time in the world spread out before you...and then you blink....and it's time to go home again. I totally loved every moment of this trip, but I was excited to get home to my guys, too.
On the day before we left, Walt and Betty told us we were free to go...but the baby would have to stay with them!
Sorry, Guys. The baby goes with the mama! Aren't they just the cutest couple? Such gracious, kind hosts and friends.
Somewhere over the rainbow...we headed home to Alaska...
With one quick lay-over in Seattle:
My happy, traveling baby! I am SO thankful that on every flight, God placed very kind, children-loving people in our seat row with us. We met 1. a teen-aged boy who was overly generous with sharing his picnic pack with us 2. A very kind Japanese? man who as far as I know didn't speak English but made many kind gestures toward Keiki (pictured below), and 3. a 40-something father of 2 boys from Anchorage.
So that's it for Hawaii photos, folks....that is, until next year. HA HA.
2 comments:
Glad it was a wonderful trip! Now it's back to Alaska wintertime, what a drag!!
You captured our story beautifully. Maybe someone will love it enough to send us back! (?)
Stranger things have happened. To think... more shaved ice and Ted's pie not to mention unbelievable beaches and sunshine.
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