Photos 4, page 15
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To Liberty International Training
| November 10, 2007 |
| On Friday, November 9, Robin and I headed for the Kona side for a Saturday seminar and training for Liberty International, the Internet telephone company that we've gotten involved with. The people who were going to be there were the founder of the company and the top sales people, a husband and wife team, the head training guy for the were all the people here on the island who had signed up since May when this all started - close to 300 people.were all the people here on the island who had signed up since May when this all started - close to 300 people. |
| On the way over (white line), on a whim, we took a side trip up a steep winding road just to see where it went. We ultimately reached the ubiquitous gate (they're everywhere!) at the top. There we stopped and got out to enjoy the view... I had brought my kayak along because I wanted to get some paddling in while on the leeward side of the island where the kayaking conditions are much better than on our side, the windward side. |
| The seminar was held at the Waikaloa Marriott resort. Robin and I stayed with Brenda, a friend of Robin's, in Kailua-Kona. On the day after the seminar, I went kayaking in Kealakekua Bay (green line). |
| Robin and the founder of Liberty International, Randy Jeffers. That's John Hall on the left, the head training guy, a really nice guy. Robin and I really liked these people. |
| On Sunday, the day after the seminar, we left Brenda's and headed up to Kailua-Kona for a good breakfast. Then we headed down the coast looking for a good place to get my kayak wet. We stopped and checked out Heeia Bay but it didn't grab us. So we headed on down to Kealakekua Bay where we knew there would be good kayaking. |
| While got the kayak ready, Robin jumped in the water and went snorkeling. After I got launched (green line), I searched along the coast looking for Robin so I could give her the car keys. I couldn't find her so I doubled back to the launch place to see if she was there. I didn't see her there and headed out again. I finally found her further out in the bay (the sudden left turn in the green line above the word "Launch". We drifted around a bit and then I headed out for the other side where the monument to Captain Cook is located and where the snorkeling is excellent. On the way over I was "buzzed" by a couple of groups of dolphins, just sliding by quietly. I could hear them blowing as they surfaced. Kool! |
| This is the monument to Captain Cook. The story of his death from Wikipedia: Cook returned to Hawaii in 1779. After sailing around the archipelago for some eight weeks, he made landfall at Kealakekua Bay, on what is now the 'Big Island' of Hawaii. Cook's arrival may have coincided with a season of worship for the Polynesian god Lono, the Makahiki. Indeed the form of Cook's ship, HMS Resolution, or more particularly the mast formation, sails and rigging, resembled certain significant artifacts that formed part of the season of worship. Similarly, Cook's clockwise route around the islands before making landfall resembled the processions that took place in a clockwise direction around the island during the Lono festivals. It has been argued that such coincidences were the reasons for Cook's (and to a limited extent, his crew's) initial deification by some Hawaiians who treated Cook as an incarnation of Lono (as was first suggested by members of Cook's expedition, although the idea that any Hawaiians took Cook to be Lono and the evidence presented in support of it was strongly challenged in 1992). After a month's stay, Cook got under sail again to resume his exploration of the Northern Pacific. However, shortly after leaving the Big Island, the foremast of the Resolution broke and the ships returned to Kealakekua Bay for repairs. It has been hypothesized that the return to the islands by Cook's expedition was not just unexpected by the Hawaiians but unwelcome because the season of Lono had recently ended; in any case, tensions rose and a number of quarrels broke out between the Europeans and Hawaiians. On February 14 at Kealakekua Bay, some Hawaiians took one of Cook's small boats. Normally, as thefts were quite common in Tahiti and the other islands, Cook would have taken hostages until the stolen articles were returned. Indeed, he attempted to take hostage the Chief of Hawaii, Kalaniopu'u. The Hawaiians prevented this, and Cook's men had to retreat to the beach. As Cook turned his back to help launch the boats, he was struck on the head by the villagers and then stabbed to death as he fell on his face in the surf. The Hawaiians dragged his body away. Four of the Marines with Cook were also killed and two wounded in the confrontation. |
| A panoramic view of Kealakekua Bay taken from in front of the Captain Cook Monument |
Kayak Kealakekua Bay
| November 11, 2007 |
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