Written By Will
Aloha and happy Halloween!!. The week began with an early morning as the students headed off to Kahalu’u for another lesson with Kona Town Adventures. The waves were a bit tame today, but this allowed most of the students to try and catch waves and ride on their own. Everybody was able to catch their own waves, stand up and consequently fall face first into the beautiful waters below their boars. The late morning into early afternoon was met with lots of naps and downtime as the students prepared for their night time snorkel with manta rays!! The students, joined by Emma and Captain Nick from Big Island Dive Company, plunged into the bright blue waters lit up by LEDs and flashlights, and were awestruck as 10 foot rays danced in the waters around them. As we got back to the hostel, all the students quickly put on our cozy PJs and settled in for a showing of the Halloween classic, Scary Movie 5. The night ended with the students cuddled in their beds and hitting the sack. I’d call that a pretty successful Halloween!
Tuesday the group got to sleep in a little later than normal with our daily stretch circle starting at 9 am. It was a beautifully clear day so we decided to hit the beach. We ended up at the Kahalu’u Beach Park, coincidentally the same beach where we surfed the day before. After the students spent some time splashing in the water, Forrest gave a lesson on climate change and how to manage our carbon footprints. Once the lesson concluded, Alexa, Forrest, And I headed off to pick up groceries for the upcoming week at Miloli’i while the rest of the group ate lunch at the beach and headed back to the hostel to gather their things for tomorrow’s day of travel.
Wednesday was the group’s travel day. We were out of the hostel by 10am and headed to Target to get some final supplies for our next two weeks of camping. We had extra time in the afternoon before driving to the fishing village so we were able to go on a coffee tasting tour at the Hala Tree coffee plantation. After the tour the group headed to a local farmers market where we sampled foods from local vendors and bought gifts and mercy from the local artisans. The group then set off to Miloli’i where we met Ka’imi, our host and guide for the upcoming adventure. We set up camp on the beautiful oceanfront campsite we get to call home for the next week and a half.
On Thursday some students spent their morning swimming in the crystal clear waters the new campsite’s beaches had to offer, while others enjoyed sitting and reading or watching the waves crash on the black sand of those same beaches. The late morning into early afternoon we met with Ka’imi and a few of the local kids to talk about the history of Miloli’i. We took a short walk to a beautiful black sand beach not far from the village. The students, along with 3 of the local kids, spent time playing in the water and even rolling around in the sand, covering themselves from head to toe in it. In the Afternoon we met one of the Aunties of the village, Auntie Lydia. We learned traditional weaving techniques and were able to make our own bracelets, some looking better than others. After the full day of activities the group finished with a delicious pesto pasta and chicken dinner and retreated back to our tents full and happy.
Like Thursday, we had the morning off on Friday. Alexa and State headed into town to get any additional supplies we missed or forgot on our previous trips to the store while the rest of us relaxed and swam back at the camp. After some fun in the sun everyone gathered around to play a fun game of charades followed by banana grams to pass the time. In the afternoon the group met with another Auntie of the village, Auntie Momi, who taught the group about natural medicines. The students were able to make a lotion out of a mixture of coconut oil, turmeric, noni leaves, mamaki leaves, clary sage essential oils, and the final secret ingredient, love. Love was the most important ingredient as stated by Auntie Momi herself. The mixture has many amazing uses, such as moisturizing, which most of the students quickly put to use as they covered themselves literally from the tops of their heads to the bottoms of their feet in it. As night fell the students ended the day playing card games and laughing around the table before heading to bed and getting ready for tomorrow’s big day.
We had the “day off” of Saturday so the group headed on a short 4 mile hike to a beautiful green sand beach. The hike left us mesmerized by the beauty of the Hawaiian landscape and the power of the ocean as massive waves crashed against the cliffs we were walking along. The path led us to a cove sheltered from the wind and waves. Some students took this time to nap while others enjoyed dipping their feet in the water. After the hike the group felt we deserved a chill afternoon so we headed into the town of Punalu’u for some snacks from the town back shop which is famous for their lilikoi and bismark(Chocolate with vanilla filling) flavored donuts. Each student was able to try both as well as a few other flavors the shop had on display. In the afternoon we went to Punalu’u beach which offered incredibly soft black sand, which the students used to make sand castles and forts, while also taking the time to cool off in the water. There was a pizza truck on the beach where the students grabbed a couple of pies to-go, and brought them to the southernmost point in the United States where we watched the sunset paint the sky in colors words cannot begin to describe. Talk about a day off.
And so begins the final day of our busy week. The morning was spent at Two Step Beach, said to be one of the best snorkeling spots on the island, and it did not disappoint. The students were greeted by schools of fish and even a pod of dolphins!! The coral covered the ground and sparkled in the sunlight. After an hour or so, which still didn’t feel like enough, was spent in the waters, the students moved on to a Starbucks to get in touch with family and friends and recap the week while enjoying some coffee and pastries.
This marks the end of week and Alexa along with myself will honor the tradition of passing the torch of leadership to Ukiah and Adi tonight during our weekly ceremony. Mahalo for tuning in and see y’all next week!!
