Tuesday - Some Culture

Tuesday – up again – pig out breakfast. Then onto the bus to go to the nearby community hall to meet with the ‘Kapuna’ (the elders/grandparents) who will pass their knowledge down.

This involved a number of different activities such as learning some hula dancing (‘learning all the moves for ‘?????”), some playing of the ukele, weaving of bracelets from dried leaves, and making flower (name) to wear. The Kapuna played some music for us. Then we had to give back with a line dance played to Cadillac Ranch. The students hauled some of the Kapuna up to teach them to line dance too.

Then the Kapuna did some more impromptu dancing for us. The highlight was when the 3 elder Kapuna men did a hula for us – this was only 80 and above – the oldest fellow who was still dancing was 101!!!! We can only hope that we could be in half as good a shape as him if we make it that far.

We shared another bento lunch with the Kapuna and we hopped the bus again and off to the Tsumami museum in Hilo. We learned about tsunami’s and how the Hilo bay really focuses them. The town was essentially wiped out a couple of times in a big way. In 1946 and particularly in 1964 with the big Alaskan subduction zone quake. Since the disastrous 2004 tsumami there has been a lot more warning systems put in place but if a local earthquake happens there still is very little time. We know that Seattle and Vancouver are likely due for a very big one (the last one being in the year 1700 based on historical records of tsumami’s in Japan.

Then a real treat – we learned some Hawaiin canoeing (called Wa'a kaukahi). We helped the U of Hilo team put the wa'a kaukahi into Hilo bay then we took them for a spin. The paddles are called wa’a and they are much like our paddles but they are bent. We learned how to paddle togther being led by the front person. We woud paddle about 10 strokes then the leader would yell some chants then we would switch.

Back to the Hotel for some swimming and then a bit of rest. We ate at the hotel and this was followed by more hula learning. We learned two more dances called the ‘Back the the Little Grass Shack’ and then a more ancient hula.

Off to bed to get ready for our last day at Hilo.