Day 3, Part 1: Petroglyphs
This morning we packed up and left our Airbnb (with some banana bread made by the owner) and went to a park for a hike through the lava field with a retired geologist named Mark who volunteers there. One thing I’ve learned (or rather, something that’s been reinforced) on this trip is just how much you can learn from the locals. Although Mark wasn’t born on the Islands, he has a wealth of information regarding the geological makeup and history of Hawai’i. He told us all about the lava foundations, native plants, and petroglyphs (pictorial carvings in the lava rock used for communication by the Hawaiians before written language), including one of a game board (picture below). He showed us a petroglyph depicting a woman giving birth with two depressions cut into the stone next to it. Mark explained that this was a sacred site where new parents would place their newborn’s piko (umbilical cord) in the depressions in order to receive blessings for a long and prosperous life for their child. He also took us to the site where we saw green sea turtles swimming in pools and sunning on the rocks. So cool!!
We also stopped at Waipio Lookout to see Akaka Falls on our way to Hilo, which our tour guide from Mauna Kea suggested.
The day isn’t over yet, so there’s more to come later!
