This is a spot near Kapalua on Maui. There is a great big sign asking people to stay out of and off of this "maze" as it is used by the Hawaiians in cultural practices. There is a scared burial ground near this spot that thankfully most people just walk by because it isn't obvious unless you know it is there.
Unfortunately for the Hawaiians, a lot of the tourists don't seem to care about the culture or protocols and they walk over, through and on this without any respect what so ever.
I had to stand and wait for 30 minutes for people to get out of this so I could take some photos. Parents were letting their little kids kick over the rocks and throw them to different places and when you explain to them that this is a Hawaiian cultural site and they should not be in it, much less letting their kids tear it apart, they just shrug their shoulders and keep doing what they are doing.
This probably isn't very nice of me but... I was hoping Madame Pele would send down a bolt of lightning or drop a hot rock on some of these people!
From the internet:
Pele the Fire Goddess – Pronounced peh-leh or pel-lÉ™ – is one of the most well known and revered in Hawaiian mythology. As a sign of respect you may hear her referred to as Madame Pele or Tutu Pele.
She is a goddess of fire, lightning, dance, wind, volcanoes and violence.
Her poetic name is Ka wahine `ai honua or the woman who devours the land. She is both a creator and destroyer. She throws molten fountains into the air and governs the great flows of lava. With her power over the volcanoes, she created the Hawaiian Islands and to this day, she has been known to reveal herself throughout the beautiful islands she crafted herself.
Great photo Ron! I'd say it was definitely worth the wait on your part!
ReplyDeleteSad about the disrespect... I wonder if "Pele's curse" also includes disturbing rocks.
Sounds like there needs to be a group of volunteers to watch the Heiau same idea as they do with the Monk Seals.