The Cetacean Messages

Chapter Two

Total Recall

In 1981 Napoopoo is a quiet, time forgotten place nestled in the southeast corner of Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. The tiny hamlet was once a thriving village, home to ancient Hawaiian rulers and the center of activity on the Kona Coast.

Kealakekua Bay was also the landing place of Captain James Cook who is credited with "discovering" the islands, although I think the Polynesians beat him to it by about a thousand years. He was also killed there — a 27 foot tall obelisk marks the spot on the other side of the bay.

There are no hotels or condos. Only a quaint scattering of homes, most of them Hawaiian rustic and a few that are semi-palatial. The population of about 75 is mainly local Hawaiian mixed with a sprinkling of eccentric "haoles" — Caucasians, as they are referred to by the U.S. bureau of whoever keeps track of that stuff. In Hawaii, haole is the Mexican equivalent to gringo.

Generally, the residents of Napoopoo seem to prefer living away from the hustle and bustle of activities normally associated with tourist traps and hotel complexes. Napoopoo village certainly qualifies as away from those monuments to tourism normally associated with the resort developments that are so stereotypical of the Hawaii you see in the brochures and TV commercials. Mostly, it is just quiet and picturesque; the perfect place for artists and fishermen. There are no services of any kind and only a small local lei stand where visitors who wander off the beaten path can buy flowers from a local lady we call "Nana" — Hawaiian for grandmother — who has been there so long she and her flower stand have become a permanent fixture.

The bumpy paved road is narrow...

Coming Soon!

Look for the rest of this book in January 2025 on Amazon

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