Chicken Skin

Today I got to see the Hokule'a come home after 3 years and 46,000 miles sailing around the world on the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage. Hokule'a is a voyaging wa'a built in 1975, that proved that Polynesians came to Hawai'i on purpose, it was not an accident as Thor Heyerdahl had said in his book Kon Tiki.

Hokule'a beyond the break, approaching the harbor entrance.

Hokule'a in the harbor entrance.

Hokule'a passing in review.

Hokule'a crew disembarking.

Many other Polynesians were inspired after Hokule'a's successful initial voyage to Tahiti in 1976 using the traditional wayfaring techniques. Preceeding Hokule'a in to the harbor today were 7 other voyaging canoes that were built after Hokule'a. Five of the canoes were from Hawai'i, 1 was from Okeanos Marshall Islands, and 1 was from Tahiti.

Namahoe, from Kaua'i.

Mo'okiha O Pi'ilani, from Maui.

Makali'i, from the Big Island.

Hawai'iloa, whose hulls are made from 2 yellow cedar logs from Alaska.

The Okeanos Marshall Islands canoe.

Hikianalia, Hokule'a's sister wa'a.

I had the good fortune to find a spot on the rocks near the temporary pier set up at Channel Marker 7. Below my seat on the rocks were a couple of rocks exposed by the ebbing tide; I was able to stand on them as the wa'a came in and take some photos. At one point, however, some volunteers came along and asked if we could move temporarily while they moored the Fa'afaite, the wa'a from Tahiti, to one of the trees in the clump we were sitting under. We got a good view of the process.

The men in the water are wearing malo, the traditional Hawaiian loincloth.

As I was taking photos I realized that Leahi was in the background. Here is Leahi watching the return of Hokule'a.

Leahi #30: Watching the return of Hokule'a.

The formal welcome ceremony ended about noon and the ho'olaulea began. There was to be a lot of live music but I left at lunch since Curtis was watching Dad. He had showed up at 6:30 so that I could make it to the shuttle point in time to get to Magic Island before 7 a.m. when the first wa'a was scheduled to arrive. I picked up lunch for us at the homecoming; I went to Hale Kealoha for chicken luau, to Ahi Assassins for Hawaiian style ahi poke, and to L & L Barbecue for laulau, kalua pig, and lomi salmon.  

It was soooo good, I didn't have time to take a photo before it was nearly gone!

I am writing this as I watch Ho'i Mai 'O Hokule'a, the special 4-hour TV news coverage of the homecoming of the Hokule'a. The view of the Hokule'a coming in, the disembarking of the crew, the kali'i (spear throwing) rite, the awa ceremony, and the formal welcoming by dignitaries are much better than what I could see in person. But there is not the same chicken skin feeling as there was being there in person as the Hokule'a came in.

Happy Birthday to Dan!