What a Weekend!

Saturday morning I outvoted sleep and got up early to have a Malama 'Aina experience in Kahana Valley. We were given permission to visit an indigenous site and were taught a little about how the native Hawaiians lived and the significance of the land. We got to see a 'fish pond' in the ocean which is basically a traditional fish farm, and we got to see how the taro patches (often representative of Hawaiian ancestors) are grown and cared for. While at the beach we had the opportunity to do a bit of a clean up on a section that looked generally very clean, but upon closer inspection was absolutely littered with tiny plastic fragments which were very tedious and consuming to collect. Although unable to leave the beach clean, we made a little impact that hopefully will have wider ramifications.

Inland, 'toward the mountain', we had lunch with the locals. There was a taro kind of gravy called Poi, taro leaves with coconut sauce and chicken or onion, roasted taro, rice, pineapple and bananas. There was also shredded roast chicken and pork for the omnivores. Everything except the fresh fruit had been cooked overnight in the ground ovens which I can't remember the name of...

It was a great experience and one that not many foreigners get to experience.

Saturday night was a local exploration with some of the fellows of downtown Honolulu and Kapi'olani Park - where Ziggy Marley was playing at the Fish Bowl. It was so nice to be down at the beach for sunset and then cruise on back to the park with thousands of other locals, laying on the soccer fields, to listen to some quality reggae. We also got to know each other a little better and share our stories a little more, which I was grateful for - we are such a large and interesting group so these opportunities are a wonderful experience.

Sunday morning was a Diamond Head climb. This crater was formed by an eruption about 150,000 years ago and is just about circular. It was a really enjoyable climb and from the top lookout spot we could look out on O'ahu island with 360 degree views. It was really incredible.

Post Diamond Head and lunch a few of us headed down to the beach. We went to a quieter beach near Waikiki where a lot of the locals go. It was a bit cleaner and intimate, and the perfect cleansing opportunity after such a big week. Towards the evening we tried to hang out with the other fellows at Duke's bar over live music but we were so exhausted proved difficult to maintain conversation so I was amongst a few people that headed back home destined for an incredible sleep and slight sleep in.
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