After a fun outing in the morning to go swimming, we visited Pu’uhonua O Honaunau. Hearing the stories about this place from Kaden was really fascinating. Pu’uhonua O Honaunau was the place of refuge for people who broke kapu, the system of Hawaiian laws. I think it is interesting that Hawaiians respected the power of this sacred place so much and did not mess with any rule breakers that could make it here. It was also interesting to hear some kapu examples; apparently, women were not allowed to eat bananas!
We attended a presentation, where we learned an acronym to help us remember some key components about this place. It spells out SACRED, as below.
- Shelter and safety
- Ancient people and philosophy
- Ceremony
- Rituals and rites
- Elemental forces
- Divine energy
After this, we had a great day of snorkeling!!!
— HG Kornberg