Twilight at the Pavilion

Twilight is a popular time at the pavilion for celebrations. Even though there is no sunset visible because we are hidden in the forest, the changing light from daylight to starlight evokes romance.

As darkness fills in the forest, the pavilion glows softly golden in the flickering candlelight, with a minimum of reflected light from the celebratory tiny lights wound with crystal beads along a roof beam.

Full Moon Over the Volcano

Full moon in June over the Volcano ay Kilauea, and early on in the evening the moonlight illuminated the plume at Halema'uma'u from the side. A few clouds lingered on the horizon, and as twilight grew into darkness, the stars began to emerge.

The full moon in the pictures looked like a single headlight beam. Looking toward the plume, the double illumination from the lava lake below and moon above made for some spectacular viewing. There were plenty of onlookers.

This view is a drive of six or seven minutes from our treehouse location, into the park and down to Jaggar Museum. On a full moon night, you don't need a flashlight to light the path.

Kalapana talk story

A few days ago, lava spilling out of Pu'u O'o once again flowed over the roadway at Kalapana. A stream of visitors arrived via tour caddies and in their cars, many taking precious hours from their cruise stop-over hoping for a sight of glowing hot lava spilling on asphalt, overtaking the traces of human occupation. The visitor viewing platform was closed off, and as close as anyone was allowed was too far to even recognize the lava in view was still hotter than the inside of a pizza oven. So the crowds ebbed and flowed like disappointed waves on the shore. They had to be aboard their ship before nightfall or be left behind. Best lava viewing is in the darkness of dawn or dusk, when the lava glows orange red; the frantic fiery foaming bloodstream of the earth herself.

It is not such a romance for the people of Kalapana. Once not too long ago, Kalapana was a sweet village on a remote Puna shore. In 1990, the lava flowed inexorably over houses and streets, over Walter's Kalapana Store and Drive In, over the black sand beach. The slow moving pahoehoe lava would take days and weeks in its inexorable path to the sea. There are still houses in Kalapana that survived, resting in serene green foliage. There are new houses erected on the black lava. There is a new black sand beach, with a red cinder path crossing it down to the ocean. The beach and path are planted with coconut palms laying human claim again to the ocean front. The ocean laps in wild splendor at the black black sand, tossing up lava rocks rolled and swirled from the churning lava entering the ocean just down the coastline, there, where the plumes of steam rise like clouds off the ocean edge.

And now here comes the lava flow again, edging toward yet another house in Kalapana.

This lava tiki stands along the roadway guarding a house in Kalapana. Tikis and ti leaves are protection here on the Big Island. When you live with a jealous goddess you become respectful and find ways to show your respect. This imposing tiki is carved from lava. The watchful eyes are much more prominent than the devouring mouth, forever in a clench that is unlikely to yaw open and munch up the land over which it watches.

Aloha from the land of Pele, Ka wahine 'ai honua, the woman who devours the land.

Alternative Wedding Venues

When we created Rainforest Weddings, our goal was to offer an alternative to the expense of a production wedding that is ultimately romantic and yet not costly nor stressful. Many couples who come to Hawaii to get married are looking for a beach wedding. We can do those too.

The Big Island has more miles of coastline than any of the other Hawaiian islands, and the beaches come in a fabulous array. This is a photo of a black sand beach on a blue sky day, and as you can see, there is no one around. The stack of rocks is part of a heiau wall. Hawaiians built heiaus for spiritual reasons, many as hula platforms, before western influences came into the islands. Today, hula halaus use this heiau from time to time, and much of the time, it sits in solitude overlooking the ocean. The way into this beach is a short rocky road, accessible by four wheel drive, or on foot.

South of here is the green sand beach. That beach is off the main road by about fifteen miles of paved road, then a couple of miles of dirt road. Some use four wheel drive, others walk. Once at the beach, there is a hike down that must be made on foot. It is a special place. If you choose it for a wedding, you will have many onlookers. A white dress might not make it down the footpath without some Hawaiian volcanic soil attaching itself along the way.

There are some white sand beaches accessible only by four wheel drive where if you should choose a weekday in the spring for your wedding, you just might have the place all to yourself.

The Sacred Pu

The blowing of the sacred Pu or triton shell announces the start of a Hawaiian ceremony, such as a wedding, or seasonal celebration. The deep sound is reminiscent of a ship's horn, and can be heard throughout the forest, across land or water.

Some Hawaiian ceremonies use a conch shell rather than a triton, but it was the triton shell that was found in these waters, and used from ancient times forward.

Here the triton shell is being blown by Robert near the start of the path up to the rainforest wedding pavilion. The tone is clear and pure, and will definitely inform your being from the inside out that something special is going on. The lei po'o or head lei he is wearing is traditional, made from the native plants that grow in this forest.

The direction in which the shell is blown is meaningful, as is the number of times it is blown. Our celebrations are derived from Hawaiian culture and honor Hawaiian culture, and are adapted to western culture and custom.

Finding the Perfect Shirt for Kane Rainforest Celebration

Tommy Bahama has aloha shirts. Hilo Hattie has aloha shirts. Walmart and Long's Drugs have aloha shirts. Aloha Friday means aloha shirts, and that means the aloha shirt has a spot in a great many closets.

But what if you want to find something vintage, a shirt that recalls the days when you visited Hawai'i via steamship. If you want to stop in Honolulu, there is the venerable Bailey's, a shop you can spend the kind of time in you'd usually set aside for a bookstore with comfy sofas. But if you prefer to line up your wardrobe from the comfort of your computer seat, there is the Hana Shirt Company.

Their on-line selection of shirts is ultimately gratifying. You can be a facebook fan and be treated to tiki talk and the appreciation of their friends. You can browse their shirts endlessly, and will surely see classics that appeal.

A Kitchen in a Treehouse??!!!

As we planned the treehouse, we knew there had to be a place to prepare food. As wonderful as it is to eat out, it can be equally delicious to relax in your own private little space, especially when that place is so different than anything you are accustomed to.

Since the space was so limited, we opted to scale everything down. The stove: a two burner propane cooktop. The sink: slightly larger than a wet bar. The refrigerator: for now, it is electric, but will likely be changed to propane as well since we are off grid. Being off grid is a constant challenge. The refrigerator is a major energy eater. We began with the pots on a shelf, but moved them to a tree branch pot hanger. The microwave was an afterthought, as the farmer's market here has vendors with wonderful pre-made meals.

We added the backsplash, using glass tiles, some of which are fused glass from an artist in Benicia California, where we once lived.

All the dishes and cups and glasses, the eating utensils, and the drinking water are all there under the counter top. The tray on top of the microwave holds coffee and tea, sugar, salt, honey and snacks. When it is finished, there will be a hanging tiered fruit and vegetable basket over on the right. Even the garbage and recycling fits below the counter.

If we were truly dedicated to living easily and frugally, we would give up the refrigerator altogether, and along with it, ice on demand. Instead, there would be a built-in food cooler, where air would circulate through from outside, and fruits, vegetable, eggs, cheese, and cultured milk products would stay edible for days at a time. For now, we are dedicated to the comfort of our guests, so the refrigerator stays. For now!