Kaho’olawe; also known as Kohemalamalama’okanaloa, is translated as “the holy genitals of the Ocean God Kanaloa” and is the only island throughout Polynesia to be named after a God. The following are my accounts of this sacred island, which only allows twelve private accesses per year.
I have been paddling outrigger canoes with the Hawaiian canoe club on Maui for the past four years and every year has been a life changing experience. Paddling an outrigger canoe is a spiritual, as well a physical sport. Our ancestors paddled and voyaged across the Pacific on these vessels to find their home here in Hawai’i. Without the canoe, there would be no Hawaiians.
In addition to competing in weekly regattas, our canoe club also takes paddlers on many cultural excursions to connect with our roots. We learn many oli (chants) and protocol in order to immerse ourselves in the Hawaiian way of life.
The excursion most paddlers take to heart is Kaho’olawe. The island was formerly used as target practice for the United States military from the late 60’s up until 1990, with countless other countries invited to test their arsenal as well. In 1976, a group calling themselves the Protect Kaho’olawe Ohana (PKO) filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the Navy’s use of Kaho’olawe for military training. On March 18, 1981, the entire island was added to the National Register of Historic Places and in 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered an end to live-fire training on the island.
The land was riddled with bullets and shrapnel. Unexploded ordinance scattered the land which was claimed, at the time, to never be habitable again.
After years of constant effort, this sacred island is being revived, thanks to groups such as the PKO and the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) by clearing ordinance, replanting vegetation and removing invasive goats.
My morning started off on Maui at Makena beach, a typical spot of departure. The sun had yet to appear in the morning sky and the cool ocean breeze gently kissed our cheeks. A pule (Hawaiian prayer) was said and the canoes were launched. The crystal clear ocean below glistened like a sapphire blanket in the rising sun as our paddles thrust into the sea. Our destination drew closer, Kaho’olawe was within our grasp.
We were welcomed by the beach stones beneath our feet. An oli was chanted asking for permission to enter. We were received. The day was young yet the sun was blazing while thorns littered the ground. For some, it would seem like a barren wasteland, but for us, it was a journey into the past.
Camp was set up, yet there was much work to be done, gathering wood and weeding. Strenuous labor, indeed, but the land needed tending to.
Dawn, and all were awoken by the sound of the pu (conch shell) blown like a horn. Today the group would encircle the entire island on canoe. We launched with the sun just barely in sight. The water raged with the fury of Kanaloa himself. Wave after wave was driven into the canoes, but our will power was stronger. It seemed as though the hands of Kanaloa lifted the front of the hull, as it continually rose above the water’s surface before crashing back down. It was the biggest thrill of my life.
Exhausted and feeling near death, our ka’apuni (to encircle) was complete. The next morning was another early quest through Kaho’olawe’s crimson terrain. An all day hike up the mountain awaited our wake from slumber. The trek was an amazing experience. Although the sun was relentless, the ocean breeze spared us mercy as we trailed toward the sky. We stopped when we reached the peak, and were asked to remove our shoes in order to connect with our roots and ancestors through the earth. We gazed upon the surrounding islands and could feel the mana (spiritual energy) coming from the landscape. An unbelievable occurrence, we left the mountain enlightened.
The island of Kaho’olawe gives off an energy of sort. It is alive, even breathing. It speaks, but only to those who open their ears to hear it’s voice. And by hearing that voice, those who travel deep enough understand why they will always return to keep that voice alive. We came to the island a team of paddlers who sought out the adventure of a lifetime, and we left as a family who discovered the legend in disguise.
Daniel Kamakanaola Ho of Kahului, Hawaii won Honorable Mention for this essay.
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Cute. Made me hungry. Have you gone back since?
WOW ITS REAL BEAUTIFUL..
Much better place in Palawan… like El Nido and Club Noah in taytay
Congratulations on your son's upcoming graduation!
For all the information you'll need to plan a houseswap, please search the familytravelforum.com site for "house swapping" or "home exchanges" and you'll find some recommended services that specialize in this.
Let us know how it goes! thanks
Angela, you can read more about the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative at this link:
http://www.familytravelforum.com/how/vacation_deals/227-News-Families-Have-Cheaper-WHTI-Options-for-Kids-Land-and-Sea-Borders.html
According to the WHTI website, you are required to obtain parents' permission, and we quote from them:
Groups of Children:
Beginning June 1, 2009, U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 19 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory and traveling with a school group, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team, may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
The group should be prepared to present a letter on organizational letterhead with the following information:
* The name of the group and supervising adult,
* A list of the children on the trip, and the primary address, phone number, date of birth, place of birth, and name of at least one parent or legal guardian for each child,
* A written and signed statement of the supervising adult certifying that he or she has obtained parental or legal guardian consent for each participating child.
Thank you for your post. We are looking for a family vacation in France for my son's senior graduation and this sounds just perfect! I've never thought about house swapping or how that is done. Could you please give me more information on how one would go about doing that. I am very interested. I'm glad your family had so much fun.
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This sounds great! I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans.
Wow, I didn’t know that the disabled were shunned in Jamaica. This was informative and heartwarming!
“I was served a sublime slice of humble pie.” I liked that a lot. You have a bunch of great one-liners in here. Really well written!
Backpacking’ll do it. Great title!
I highly recommend another excelent option to do bike tours in buenos Aires, Buenos Aires City Tours on Bike | Urban Biking.
Thank you very much,
Regards,
Guille
Nepal is good destination for adventure lover. We can announce proudly we have more then 13 highest mountain among the world. Nepal is not famous just for mountain it is famous other adventure activities too. Like river, natural beauty and different culture, society, and many religion too. Nepal have very good destination for trekking, hiking, peak climbing, paragliding, bungee jumping, and other more we offer all above activities at suitable price for you .we would like to be your family member, and Thing positive be positive Nepal will be your's Home and I will be your family member if you choose me .hope see you at my place with your sweat smile.
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Really a fabulous article……………
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I like the bit about the B- movie vampire. Interesting!
Wow. I can’t imagine doing anything like this! Have you climbed more since?
Funny. Cool story!
good afternoon
wowww beautiful… nice place
thanks for sharing this camp, i think i should visit it with my family.
good read, thanks for this article
We have eaten at the restaurant and had drinks at the bar at this Ritz. Both times we left saying they need better customer service. Not up to Ritz standards in our opinion
Would visiting this resort cost me a lot?
Hi, we have been in Athens last summer with our 2 children. It was great!if you are traveling to Athens, there are many attractions for families e.g> Copa copana Park, Allou fun park,Hellenic Cosmos, the cultural center which is a child-oriented museum with exhibition halls, its really great! and many other things for family, try this> http://www.facebook.com/cityofathens?ref=ts,
our senior group from penn estates would like info on a day trip to your facility as we have in the past. please forward info price etc for us to plan and open dates
We love KBH. We have returned many times and are always treated great and have a wonderful time. Price is great too.
This is definitely the wave of the future and will be a demand for traveling business people. I think it has a great design and works well for its intended purpose.
This is devastating. Well-written and insightful, though. Nicely done.
Wow, amazing. It’s interesting that this stuck out in your mind so well even after travelling to so many different locations. Well done!
This IS really good. You have a very captivating writing style; it brought be in at the very beginning. The rose thing was amazing. Well done!
what a joyful clever piece
i can see myself there
i think i dream when i see this beach
but i live in egypt
i love it so much. it's my dream. but now i dont have any money:-(
Please confirm my reservation for Aug 23 in the name of Hansford and Bortels. My question is: is the dining casual as in shorts and sandals? Thank you, and again please confirm my reservation.
Thanks yahoo.
Sounds like fantastic, chaotic fun! Take us along next time!
Hilarious review. I'm not sure I would go but your honest review makes it almost tempting.
This place sounds just great. We had a similarly cultural and fun weekend at Kutscher's in the Catskills and perhaps some of their guests go to the Doral Arrowwood on alternate weekends!
Thanks for sharing what sounds like a great cheap family vacation.
i hope travel to uroup but i am poor i dont have more money ,
Nice article…I appreciate the effort for posting this…
In my experience, babies usually like the sound and smell of someone they miss, and may stop crying.
maybe your partner can make a tape/phone message of their voice, and leave behind some clothes, like pajamas, that they might feed the baby in. Having that to offer the baby might comfort her.
Another option is giving baby something warm and moving, like the feeling of being rocked in someone's arms. our son loved being wrapped in a blanket and held on top of the clothes dryer (turned on low), which moved a bit, made some sounds, and seemed to help him stop crying.
Otherwise, just wait. It is sure to pass.
wah it is v amazing and wonderful resort
Nepal is a very popular destination for trekking and expedition. The range of treks in Nepal varies from a short gentle hike through terraced foothills to lengthy expeditions to Mount Everest’s summit. Depending on your level of fitness, stamina or experience, you’ll find an adventure of your lifetime. The Himalayan regions of Nepal contain some of the best places in the world to go trekking. You can choose from treks like Everest base camp, Annapurna or Langtang to less popular trekking options including Mustang or Kanchenjunga Base Camp.Trekking is the gift of Nepal to the world in adventure tourism. To be one with Nature, to regenerate one's own confidence, to relive oneself, to appreciate Nepal's exquisiteness, to interact with its generous and responsive peoples are some of the places of interest of trekking in Nepal. Trekking is one long-lasting activities that draws reiterate visitors to the country. Consequently, Nepal is the definitive objective for the trekking supporter. for more information log on to nepal travel information website: http://www.nepalvisitors.com
no!!! the best beach in world is boracay!!!! ^_______________-
thanks n v informative
i'like porto saint georgo in italy why not in your list?
Funny. I enjoyed the bit about Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, etc.
This gave a wonderful picture of Dublin in my mind. I went to Ireland eight years ago; his brought me back.
I am also curious: what writing program were you on?