Impressions of Kona (from Miriam’s tunnel vision)
In the short 4 days we were with Kristen and family, I had some fascinating images of the area of the immediate environs. For one, anywhere we went, we traveled down steep grades with excellent views, and abounding with wild chickens and roosters. Beaches where we went had beautiful palm trees and rocky shores with occasional coves where body surfers/boogie-boarders (Goose and friends) loved to surf. Most of those coves were defined by boulders above and below the water’s surface.
Like so many places in the states, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute”.
We saw black/gray rock everywhere - walls, pathways, mounds of rocks, huge, protruding boulders - all exclusively lava rock. They look not like they were placed there or flowed down from up high, but almost as if they grew up out of the earth.
As we moved along the windy roads, we could see where folks had carved out their own ‘little piece of heaven’, whatever their economic strata. I loved how most property boundaries were defined not by fences but the lush, dense over growth of shrubbery.
On the last day there we went to the local Art Crawl with family and friends where there were lots of artisans selling their wares.
To cap off the afternoon we went to where the old airport had been turned into a lovely park with plenty of space for impromptu events: skate boarding, walking/running and most anything else for outdoor fun. In our case, we were watching an African dance lesson for all who wished to join in. I was not brave enough, sitting like the old grandma, comfortably ensconced under the shade tree, enjoying the view and gentle breeze coming off the ocean. Check out how vigorous the dance is, especially the position of the legs and the ever-moving arms. For the sake of beginners, this was a slowed down version!
Worn out from the dance, by late afternoon Kristen was ready to head home for making pasta, garlic bread and salad with Jamie for supper, and the last of the packing for us before we headed to Japan the next morning. BUT, not before I received from Kristen a gift, one of the most serene and therapeutic massages with her dear friend and healer, Elaina. A short walk up a path we went, parting palms and flowering shrubs before abruptly coming to her healing haven, completely shielded by Nature and white curtains from the world, lying just beyond the thick jungle of flora. Hang onto this lady’s link in case you ever go to Kona as you would not want to miss this unique opportunity: Kalaoa Body Works: http://massagebook.com/biz/kalaoabodyworks
