lucky enough to see some of the magic of the Big Island. The
petroglyphs truly take you back in time.
I would just like to remind any letterboxers who seek this one to be
very respectful of the petroglyphs and any rock piles you find. Be
sure you have the correct "rock pile" before you look for the
box...rock piles and rocks wrapped in ti leaves are often offerings
to Hawaiian gods.
Aloha,
Carrie
--- In letterbox-usa@y..., teri kahan
>
> Thank you for posting these clues to the
> "Puako Petroglyph" letterbox. (can I send along a photo as well?)
> ___________________________________________________________
>
> On the Big Island of Hawaii you will find this magical place of
sacredness.
>
> Locate the Holoholokai Beach Park, open each day from 6:30am -
6:30pm. The
> road to this park connects to the road at the Orchid at Mauna Lani.
This
> coast is steeped with history and it is here that you will find the
Puako
> Petroglyph trail. It is .7 miles of mystical trails within the
archway of
> Kiawi trees. You must pay attention at all times as the trail hosts
both
> sand and lava. At the end of the trail is one of the largest
collections of
> Hawaiian Petroglyshs ever exposed. Find the bench at the field and
walk 21
> steps straight back into the forest. This will lead you up a little
hill to
> an out-cropping of boulders. Buried in a small collection of rocks
at the
> inside base of the boulders is the letterbox. Enjoy the spirit of
place and
> plan for a picnic at the glorious beach park!
>
> Planted on a beautiful day in August of 2001, by T and Sky.
> _____________________________________________________________
> Petroglyphs
> Ancient Hawaiian Rock Art
>
> Want to get a true picture of the history of Hawai'i? You can learn
a lot
> from Hawaiian petroglyphs - ancient rock carvings that tell stories
about
> early life on the islands.
>
> The Hawaiian petroglyphs is a great mystery of the Pacific. No one
knows who
> made them or why the artists etched the linear and triangular
figures into
> the pahoehoe lava. These
> graphic carvings, more than 3,000 of them, were probably made as
part of
> ritual or prayer and speak of spiritual phenomena - mana
>
> The petroglyphs of Hawai'i are much more than captivating designs.
To the
> ancient Polynesians they had meaning and significance, including a
spiritual
> component. Hawaiian petroglyphs deserve to be protected and
preserved as
> nonrenewable assets and as gift left behind by the ancient
Hawaiians who
> carved their prayers and offerings into the hard lava of these
Pacific
> islands.
>
> Upon approaching a petroglyphs field, a wonderful cast of
characters leap to
> life. There are dancers, paddlers, fishermen, and family groups.
Turtle,
> dog, ship and horse symbols are also depicted, as well as fish
hooks,
> spears, poi pounders and canoes. There are 135 different
petroglyphs sites
> on six inhabited islands, but most of them are found on the Big
Island of
> Hawai'i.