Hawaiian coconut. Locally sourced and lightly processed.
Archive | 2013
The Upside of (Travel) Planning
I love it when a plan comes together.
It is the most alluring advice that never seems to work for us. We’re a bit skeptical it works for anyone in any real sense. But we recently discovered an entirely new way in which the seemingly world-wise travel advice to eschew planning in favor of “just going with the flow” fails us.
Limited Edition, Green Sand Beach
It is a long, hot, dusty walk. But considering that it leads to one of only four green sand beaches in the entire world, it’s tough to complain.
The others, we’re told, are Talofofo Beach in Guam, Cormorant in the Galapagos Islands, and Hornindalsvatnet in Norway. Now that we know of them, they’re definitely on our “to-do” list. But having just visited Papakolea Beach on the southern shore of Hawaii’s Big Island, we’re happy to report we’ve now visited twenty-five percent of the globe’s green sand beaches.
Hawaii’s Painted Church
(click to enlarge)
Tucked deep within the jungles of Kona, Hawaii, this simple wooden chapel is hard to find and even easier to overlook. There is nothing about its exterior that commands attention, except maybe for the stunning views of Kealakekua Bay that are seen from just about everywhere in the area. To understand why travelers go out of their way to get here, you have to step inside.
Once you do, the reason the officially titled St. Benedict’s is more commonly known as “The Painted Church” becomes clear. Colorful murals, depicting both biblical scenes and architectural elements mimicking grander cathedrals, canvas the interior of this humble church from floor to ceiling.
St Benedict’s Painted Church, Kona, Hawaii
It is said that the self-taught artist and priest John Berchmans painted the murals with ordinary house paint to help teach biblical stories to his illiterate congregation. Translated bibles and Hawaiian newspapers, however, predated Berchman’s arrival on the island by 70-odd years, indicating the paintings were done at least as much for their aesthetics as for their utility. And if beauty was reason enough for him to spend years painting it, it’s more than enough reason for us to go out of our way a bit to see it.
Meet Tim
I’m no Jacques Cousteau, but for a brief while I felt as if I might have been. Gliding by just a few feet below me was a several-hundred-pound manta ray, his winged silhouette illuminated by bright lights shining down from the water’s surface.
Tim is one of numerous manta rays that come to feed in a cove off Hawaii’s Kona coast, one of the few places where you’re almost guaranteed a sighting. The ocean dwellers—whose wing spans generally range from three to twelve feet—know that a buffet awaits them there each evening. The lights in the water attract plankton, which in turn make a tasty meal for the manta rays—and great spying ground for snorkelers and divers.
Meet Brian and Shannon
Fulltime wanderers since 2010, Brian & Shannon are traveling the world on a quest to see everything there is to see . . . at least once.
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