Puuhonau o Honaunau National Historical Park

One of the most sacred, if not the most sacred, sites in Hawaii is the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.

This is where our journey takes us today.

First, we drive to Captain Cook, a town south of Kona. The town was named after James Cook, the explorer who was killed here by locals in 1779. Mr. Cook and his crew had pushed the hospitality of the Hawaiians to the limit and received their punishment for it.

A small monument stands on a small island, which can only be reached by boat.

We're not in the mood for boating today, so we head to the national park.

We make a stop at the lovely little Painted Church.

This church is made entirely of wood and beautifully painted on the inside. It dates back to 1842 and is set in a beautiful lush landscape.  

On our way, we also stop at one of the countless macadamia farms on Big Island.

The owner and her dogs give us a little tour and we learn how difficult it is to harvest the nuts.

The nuts are harvested when they fall from the tree. This is done by hand. The rocky ground does not allow for machine harvesting.

The shells are removed and used as feed for goats. The nuts are dried for about 12 hours and then flavoured with various aromas. Every macadamia farmer has his own bee colony for pollination. Of course, we also get a taste and a few bags of these delicious nuts find their way into our luggage for the journey home.

The area around Captain Cook is a huge garden. Lush vegetation, farmers selling their fruits and vegetables everywhere. It's beautiful here.

Can there be an even more dreamlike landscape?

When we arrive at the Honaunau Historical State Park, we all agree, yes, there can be. Wow, what a sight, a true dream setting for one of the holiest sites in Hawaii.

This place used to be the royal courts and served as a sanctuary for lawbreakers.

The kapus (laws) were of utmost importance in Hawaiian culture in earlier times. Breaking the laws resulted in the death penalty.

The only way for a lawbreaker to survive was to escape the pursuers and take refuge in a puuhonau (sacred place of refuge). Upon arrival, a ceremony of absolution was held and the lawbreaker could return to society.

At various points, one can learn about life in those times in this temple and its grounds. To be honest, I am so overwhelmed by this dreamlike setting that I have little interest in studying the descriptions.

This facility is absolutely fantastic. Right by the sea, with white sand and coconut trees. In between, there are also pieces of cooled lava rock and houses from that time. Turtles sunbathe on the beach. Simply beautiful. A place where you can forget about time.

The entrance to the park costs $5 per car and the ticket is valid for seven days. I think it's a must-visit on Big Island.

Maybe visiting the temple will also earn us brownie points with the lava god? We'll see.