Woman's Quest Relaxation Retreat.... yoga, staying at a Hale Kai (surreal eco-yoga retreat center ), playing in water at Hookena Bay, Dolphin and Whale watching, hiking at Volcano National Park......what could be better? Getting to hang out with 11 other incredible women, a fun roommate, exercise classes daily and HEALTHY, local, delicious meals.
Hale Kai
Hale Kai is the home of Deb and David on the island of Hawaii -about an hour from Kona. When they built this yoga retreat center, they were inspired by Bali. There are numerous cottages connected by winding paths. There is an outdoor shower!! Deb and David were our host and cook...and the food was the best. The photo above is a photo of the sun setting from the Lanai.
This was our beach while staying at Hale Kai. It was a five minute walk over a lava beach.
Path to my room at Hale Kai.
Deb and David, owner, hosts, cooks of Hale Kai.
The road off of 11 to Hale Kai was 2 miles. I liked to get up and jog before breakfast. The last day I made it all the way to the top!! Some of the land overlooking the ocean was the home to cows!
Qui Jong on the lava beach
Yoga space where we did Yoga, Belly Dancing, Foundations and Hula Dancing.
This gorgeous guy is called Jacksons Chameleon.
Another sunset at Hale Kai
Dolphins
Underwater camera- but still, you see the highlight of the week. DOLPHINS!
Colleen Cannon, our fearless leader and a former professional triathlete, started spending part of every year in Hawaii around 30 years ago, and she needed to train. One day she was swimming across a bay and some dolphins swam around her. She didn't pay too much attention ( she needed to get her workout in), but one day her yellow swim cap fell off. One of the dolphins swam past her with the cap on its flipper. It was the beginning of a special relationship. Colleen has visited the dolphins every year since then, and they seem to know her. She brought a yellow leaf to symbolize her swimming cap and the dolphins had so much fun playing with it. We kept our snorkel faces in the water and watched as the dolphin played and swam around us. Magic!
Kealakekua Bay*Captain Cook Monument *SHARKS
This photo was taken after we paddled across Kealakekua Bay (Pathway of the Gods)to see the Captain Cook Monument. Colleen and Vicky swam, Brian and I paddled on paddle boards, everyone else paddled in kayaks. At the Captain Cook Monument we snorkeled. Colleen and Vicky left to swim back and a tour boat told them they were pulling all their swimmers because they had seen tiger sharks in the area. They offered safe haven to our swimmers But Colleen wanted to swim back tell us about the sharks. How to get through a shark area with two swimmers? Colleen hitched a ride on my paddle board and Vicky on Brian's. Happily we never saw the sharks- just had an exciting return trip across Kealakekua Bay.
This photo of me resting on the board was taken before I heard about sharks in the area.
Triumphant crew from Kealakekua Bay adventure-
With my roomie Catherine from Pennsylvania. A girlie girl who hunts and fly fishes.....
Miranda's Coffee Farm
We visited Miranda's Farms Coffee Farm. Berta, an up and coming coffee grower was so generous with her coffee and her time. She MADE us lunch - tamales, oranges and THE BEST banana bread ever. She gave us a tour including her varied coffee plants,"ice cream fruit" AND a lava tube that is on her farm.
I am in front of the Lava Tube in the photo below....
Volcano National Park
At Volcano National Park we hiked to the Lava Tube, went through it and did some chanting, ate our picnic dinner, and gave our message/ offering to Pele. Above Catherine and I are ready for anything. Below is a photo of the lava crater we walked across. In my imagination it was like the moon.
Other Outings
We visited Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park and Honaunau Bay aka Two Step. Honaunau Bay was just mentioned in the news because they fined 13 people there $5000 each for chasing Dolphins. There was a high surf warning so we were not able to snorkel- but we walked around the historical park and did a hike along the coast. We were joined by some goats...
We had lunch one day at the Coffee Shack...home of the Lilicoi cheesecake and the incredible view!
The creed
Hale Kai PUNA and HULA Miranda coffee, tamales and banana bread Ice cream fruit Checko kiss Coffee Shak Brian and Vicky Christina and belly dancing Tiger sharks.. OMG Outdoor showers Lilicoi cheesecake Can’t wait to take a shower with myself Powerful waves! Dolphins on the first day, plus the boat trip and the whales breaching The lanai Foundation class Deborah, David, Megan and Lauren Angel readings with Susan Bird tree Tide pool Star fruit Hookena Beach and all the pink buoys Volcano… PELE Kayaking Kelekakua Bay (Pathway of the Gods) ho’oponopono Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park