Hawaii
November 5-28, 2011
November 6 - 'Iao Valley - The 'Iao Needle
Wahipana o nā Ali'i (Sacred Place of the Chiefs). As one of Maui's most important political centers, many battles took place here. Wailuku translates as the "waters of destruction" referring to its history of battles and floods. 'Iao is so sacred that the remains of the highest chiefs were entrusted to secret hiding places in the valley. Kaka'e, ruler of Maui in the late 1400s to 1500s, is believed to have designated this valley an ali'i burial area. The presence of Pihanakalani, a large heiau (temple) near the shore and along 'Iao Stream, denotes the religious significance of 'Iao.
Battle of Kepaniwai: Uniting the Islands - In the late 1780s, Kamehameha I from the island of Hawai'i began waging battles to unite all the islands under his rule. In 1790, he landed along Kahului Bay with a large fleet of canoes. This battle for Maui is said to be one of the most bitter ever fought on Hawaiian soil. There were so many slain from both armies that their bodies clogged the stream. Thus the battle was named Kepaniwai or "damming of the waters". With Kamehameha's defeat of the forces on Maui and O'ahu and an agreement with Kaua'i, he became the first mo'i (king) of the Hawaiian Islands.
We arrive at the 'Iao Valley State Park.
We are greeted by what we presume are feral chickens.
Sam is excited to find a coconut.
She's not sure what this fruit is, but there are lots of them here!
In the trees and rotting on the ground... we ended up asking someone what these were and it turns out they are guavas!
A quick geocache find before exploring the park.
Besides the beautiful scenery, this park has a lot of history.
Christopher finds an interesting fern with polkadots all over it.
We'd gotten a book out of the library on the best hikes in Hawaii and this was listed as one of them
so we were surprised that it was all a paved pathway rather than a trail.
Nestled at the bottom of the valley is a māla - a garden with plants used by the Hawaiians.
The requisite photo of the 'Iao Needle for the earthcache.
The path took us up 133 steps to a lookout with a great view of 'Iao Valley.
A little shelter at the lookout... it rains a lot here!
Looking out over the 'Iao Valley.
Kūka'emoku, the peak commonly referred to as 'Iao Needle.
Ka wai ola o Kāne (The Living Waters of Kāne) - 'Iao means "cloud supreme", the bank of clouds that often sits over the valley. These clouds bring the frequent rains that feed the streams. It is these waters that carved this spectacular landscape over the past 1.5 million years. The Hawaiian god Kāne is the procreator and the provider of the life giving elements. He is the patron of wai (fresh water) and often associated with clouds, rain, streams, and springs.
Sam finds another interesting nut along with a flower.
Christmas berry (schinus terebinthifolius). This tree, aka Brazilian pepper, was introduced to Hawaii in 1911 as an ornamental and is now very invasive. In the fall, they become laden with clusters of small, red berries. A light amber honey is made from its wilelaiki blossom, which has a slightly spicy flavour.
Not quite a monkey puzzle tree, but very pretty nonetheless.
Among the maze of paths we came across a boulder that was a place for religious offerings -
rocks wrapped in ti leaves (leaves of the ti plant are often used for spiritual protection).
On the boulder was one of Hawaii's most famous petroglyphs - "Rainbow Man". There are several interpretations of this petroglyph. One suggests it is the birth of someone very important. Another suggests that the arc above the figure shows that he radiates wisdom or power and "shoulders" responsibility.
We explained the spiritual nature of this site to the kids and they too wanted to respectfully leave an offering.
It looks so peaceful... it's hard to imagine the stream clogged with dead bodies from the famous battle of the 'Iao Valley.
The pile of ti leaves looks to be another offering site. For an interesting read on the ti plant and it's uses in Hawaiian culture see www.primitiveways.com/ki.html
Beautiful flowering plants along the path.
Christopher and Sam hiding in the bushes.
We stopped for a little break next to the stream.
The giant tree had interesting flowers.
Another beautiful tree along the banks of the stream.
Some locals ignore the warning signs to take a dip in the stream.
More flowering trees and what looks like a coffee tree to the left.
Christopher, our own little tree hugger.
Samantha drops her flower from the bridge into the stream.
A visit to the botanical garden.
Kalo (taro) was the staple crop and fields of kalo once covered the floor of'Iao Valley.
Volunteers in the garden tending to the taro plants. The organization, Na Kanaka Maoli O Hawai'i Nei, Has volunteered to adopt the Botanical Garden as part of a 5-year agreement with the State Parks Division. Their project includes the removal of all alien vegetation, replaced with native and Polynesian-introduced plants.
A thousand years ago, Hawaiians gathered at 'Iao Valley to celebrate and honor the bounty of Lono, god of agriculture, during the annual makahiki festival.
A rock used by the Hawaiians to play a game similar to checkers. Note the little indentations where rocks would be placed as game pieces.
Mai'a (banana)
A view of the garden with the 'Iao needle in the background.
An interesting tree with long pods all over it.
A sign designating a kukui tree. Later on in the trip the kids got to make little toy spinning tops from kukui nuts. Kukui nuts are also popular in lei making.
On our way back we check on the taro that has been harvested from the garden.
The taro is pounded into a paste called poi which is a starchy staple of the Hawaiian diet.
The taro being loaded into the back of a pickup truck. Note the licence plate: "Kingdom of Hawai'i - Sovereign Nation of God".
[ Driving to the 'Iao Valley | The 'Iao Needle | 'Iao Valley Nature Trail | 'Iao Valley Garden | 'Iao Valley to Haleakela ]
[ november 6 intro page | main hawaii page ]