Hawaii Day Five - A Mishap in the Place of Refuge

Eden wanted to take us snorkeling with the dolphins at the Place of Refuge, or Pu'uhonua O Honaunau in Hawaiian. This meant we had to get there as early as possible since the dolphins are most active in the early morning hours.

When we got there, sadly, there were no dolphins hanging around. They come and go as they please, so it's really just by chance that they'll happen to be in one place at a certain time. Mom and Eden went snorkeling anyways though because apparently Place of Refuge has some of the best snorkeling on the big island.

I particularly enjoyed the Place of Refuge because I didn't have to get wet to enjoy its beauty. There were lots of shady trees and rocks to walk on and there were tide pools that you could look into and find little critters. I wore my New Rocks and didn't regret it one bit. Boots are best for any and every occasion in my mind.

Mom checking out the tide pools.

A view of some of the little tide pools from above.

I found an eel who poked his head out long enough for me to zoom in and get a decent photo. 

Can you find the little striped fish in this photo? They blend right into the rocks.

New Rocks at the beach. Winning.

Mom and Eden jumping in to snorkel.

Eden making fun of me for not snorkeling that day I think. ;-P

Mom and Eden out in the water checking out the fishies.

Mom's a pro at floating.

The shady, dry view I had of the Place of Refuge. Perfect spot on a picnic bench to read and do puzzles while everyone else went swimming. I could've stayed there all day. The weather was perfect.

Right next to the Place of Refuge is a national park with tiki statues. I think it might actually be considered the Place of Refuge too, although I'm not 100% sure of that.

Mom was attempting to park the car and somehow backed up into a very low, hidden lava boulder while going under five MPH. The tire got pushed forward so it rubbed on the car (some sort of bar that the wheel is attached to underneath the car got bent), so even though it was just a little bump, the car was no longer drivable! What an ordeal. We had to call AAA to come tow the car and then find a way to get another rental car in the mean time. While waiting for the tow truck, Mom and I walked around the park and looked at all the tiki statues and scenery. Eden ended up driving us around in her pickup truck before she headed off to work. Mom sat in the truck bed because it's legal in Hawaii and Eden's truck only has two seats in the front.

Triangle huts

A lone tiki god statue.

Beautiful view from the park.

Look at all the tiki statues!

Check out all the lava rock. I love this kind of beach because it actually makes sense to wear close-toed shoes, which I feel most at home in of course.

This guy was cutting down coconuts. It's dangerous to walk under the trees if the coconuts aren't harvested - more people are killed annually by falling coconuts than by sharks!

These little green geckos are everywhere! They're so cute. 

Mom's view from the back of Eden's pickup as the tow truck takes away our broken car. Good thing Mom's insured!

 After the ordeal of breaking the rental car, we headed back to Eden's house because there's a really nice beach that's a two minute walk away. But first, Eden fed a crazy-looking wild duck.

Our friend the ugly duck.

The duck wanted that fancy organic popcorn.

The beach by Eden's was grassy and shady, so of course, I enjoyed it. This is my kinda beach.

Gorgeous view of the beach by Eden's house.

Another little green gecko. 

It was a rough day and Eden had work at 4 p.m., so Mom and I were stuck at the hotel without a car for the remainder of the day. Not to worry - the pool was great!

Stay tuned for more Hawaii posts. Still to come - Mom and I take a Kona coffee farm tour and visit Eden at work.

Until next time!