Monday, November 5, 2012

Kona Town


At this time I'm sitting on the deck at Bongo Bens, on the bay in Kona Town – eating a quesadilla, sipping a Margarita, watching the cloudless sky over the blue Pacific, and writing these thoughts down for my next blog post.  I wonder if this is how Earnest Hemingway felt  as he sat in a Paris café writing the greatest literature in the world – I suppose not.

As you’ve seen in the previous post, sunsets are beautiful along the Kona coast.  I have to wonder how the Hawaiians felt as they saw the sun setting on the horizon all those hundreds of years ago at this very spot. Of course they weren’t watching the cruise ships anchored in the bay, or sipping a Margarita and listening to the gentle, melodic music of the islands. So they probably felt somewhat different, but nevertheless saw something in those sunsets that contributed to the understanding of their world.

Today, as I was walking into Kona Town, I was called “Auntie”.  You remember - that term of endearment and respect  the young use to address the old here in the islands.  Well, I was a bit taken back by it, as I hadn’t thought of myself in that way, and the guy was a surfer dude with long kind of blonde and graying hair, somewhat younger than me (but no youth), so I was amused and tried to act gracefully.  I’m still amused (chuckle).  A new label for my aging self -  I better eat some more papayas.

What they call Kailua Kona or the Kailua Village is the historic part of Kona on the bay.  Although a charming village where the weather and water are considered the best, and the cruise ships dock once or twice a week, it does seem a bit worn so to say, evidently the big money is moving to the expensive resorts along the coast to the north.  

I’ve rented a really nice place along the coast to the south so that should tell you something.  North or South it doesn’t matter - the weather here is really unbelievable.  You are NEVER (never ever) cold or chilly.  The gardens are impeccable, bananas are growing at my door (this is amazing to me).  The parasailors float  in the sky overhead every 5 minutes all day and the dolphins are playing just off shore. Hey - it's paradise! 
I’ve taken to feeding the birds on the lanai with bread crumbs (which is completely against the rules in the condominium complex) but it is fun to watch them.  

The main visitor is the Yellow Billed Cardinal, an introduced species from South America and member of the Tanager family that is mainly found along the Kona Coast.  
Another species, also introduced from the South America, and also a member of the Tanager family, is the Saffron Finch – a pretty little bird, and quite abundant all over the islands.  




My last visitor is the Zebra Dove, native of Thailand, were they are considered good luck and kept as pets for their sweet “coo”.   These opportunistic rascals enjoy life everwhere from the luxurious gardens in the resorts to the street-side cafes in Kona Town.


Apparently the island is full of charming little birds that have no business being here and are unfortunately rapidly replacing the native Hawaiian species.


Aloha  a hui hou kakoui
 (Farewell until we meet again!)   

Evelyn

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