Sunday, October 8, 2023

 KONA



Kona, or Kailua-Kona, is a port town and the largest settlement on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii with a population around 12,000. It is West Hawaii's centre of commerce and tourism industries. Tourist attractions include Magic Sands Beach, Mokuaikaua Church, Hulihe'e Palace, and Ahuena Heiau, a restored temple. Just to the south of Kona is Kealakekua Bay where Captain james Cook was killed in 1779. Cook and his compatriots had been welcomed as Gods and for a month exploited the Hawaiians' good will. After one of the crewmen died, exposing the Europeans as mere mortals, relations became strained. Negotiations with King Kalaniopuu collapsed after a lesser Hawaiian Chief was shot and a mob of angry Hawaiians overwhelmed the crew killing  Captain Cook. The English retaliated by firing their cannons killing some 30 Hawaiians.

Kona may be a port town but Coral Princess was much too big to dock there and anchored off shore. Passengers took the ship’s small tenders into shore  for excursions inland or just to visit the town.

There was a Walmart store but it was not hard to resist another visit there. Instead, passengers had been lamenting they had not found an ABC store in previous ports and now their wishes were fulfilled in Kona town. Now, it is not the ABC store you were thinking of, but just another tourist trap with all sorts of things to buy. M was quickly eyeing off some sarongs that she could make up and I gave in and bought a T-shirt. Big spender! The road fronting the port had been closed and temporary stalls of all kinds lined the port front as children swam along a small beachfront. A very pleasant morning.



Farewell Kona Town and the Big Island of Hawaii





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