Hawaiian music icons come to the Big Island

Now that March is almost over and Spring is upon us, the theater season on the island is almost over. However, if you are on the Big Island on May 10 you will have the opportunity to enjoy Hawaiian music at its best. On that date the Kahilu Theater in Waimea will host The Brothers Cazimero, two musicians who have captivated audiences for a very long time. 

We first encountered their music in the early 1980’s when we first heard a song by them while sitting in a restaurant in Waikiki. It was unlike any the Hawaiian music which was being played at that time. Their music was distinct and very original. We soon went to see their show at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and have been fans ever since. We are proud to say we have every CD they have put out. They are so unique to Hawaiian music that they have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a venue that does not usually cater to Hawaiian music. The brothers, Robert and Roland, not only bring their music to the theater but Robert has a hula halau which performs along with them.

The Brothers Cazimero has been a fixture at Kahilu Theater every Spring. This year we have the privilege of being co-sponsors of their appearance.  From what we have been told they will not be returning to the Kahilu Theater next year, so this may be your last chance to experience the wonderful performance of this extremely talented duo on the Big Island.

Historical eruptions on the west side

Most people know about the ongoing eruption at Kilauea, but they don’t realize that Mauna Loa and Hualalai have been quite active. We recently attended a talk by USGS personnel regarding eruptions on the west side of the Big Island that have crossed the road going around the island. Since there is only one road and it is close to the shoreline, volcanic activity that crosses the road  essentially isolates vast portions of the island.

If we ignore the approximately 1801 eruption of Hualalai, all eruptions of which there is a written record have originated on Mauna Loa. That is to be expected since Mauna Loa is second only to Kilauea in frequency of eruptions. As can be seen from the USGS map we are talking about a significant stretch of coastline from South Point to Kiholo Bay on the northern edge of the North Kona District.

If we arrange these eruptions in chronological order we have 1859, 1868, 1887, 1907, 1919, 1926, and 1950.  There were, of course other eruptions but they did not cross the road or went to the eastern side of the island. In order to come from Mauna Loa and cross the road the eruptions have to be quite voluminous and travel rather rapidly. The most voluminous was the 1859 eruption which came from high on Mauna Loa and traveled a distance of about 30 miles to Kiholo Bay in 8 days.

If we consider the time between these eruptions which crossed the road, we come up with 9, 19, 20, 12, 7, and 24 years, which averages out to a significant west side eruption about every 15 years.  There has not been a significant west side eruption since 1950, a period of 64 years. Statistically we are overdue for an eruption on the west side. So the question becomes, not whether there will be a significant eruption on the west side, but when it will occur. Our neighbors know that when they see me hop into the truck and head upslope, it is time for them to go in the opposite direction for the flow is coming.

No green flash?

When sunset arrives on the Kona Coast of the Big Island you will see cars pull off the highway to watch for the green flash. You will find that most of the people who pull off are locals who have been observing this phenomenon for years. We saw our first Kona green flash in 1979 and have been pulling over to look at it ever since. 

Most people have no idea, or a wrong idea, about the green flash. It is a phenomenon that occurs just as the sun sets below the horizon. We see it often at the ocean horizon, but we have also seen it over at Kilauea volcano as the sun set behind the sharp edge of Mauna Loa. Just as the sun is disappearing below the horizon, its rays are passing through the thickest part of the atmosphere and are split into its components, just like in a prism. Most of the components are absorbed by the atmosphere, but the green is predominant. Thus, at the instant the sun disappears it will turn green, not a flash that lights up the entire sky, but an unmistakable green color directly at the point where the sun disappears below the horizon. So pull to the side of the road at the appropriate time and, if the horizon is cloud-free, you will get to see the green flash.

However, most often the horizon is not cloud-free, especially with the current volcanic activity which produces a haze at the horizon. Does that mean that the Kona sunset is not worth looking at? Actually, that volcanic haze and the proper cloud formations can produce sunsets which are truly spectacular and worthy of photographs. Below are a couple of reasons to pull over and enjoy the end of the daylight.

In lieu of fine dining

With all the restaurants we have reviewed, we are often asked if all we do is go out for fine dining. We really don’t go out that often because Betty is a great cook. However, there are some nights when she just doesn’t feel up to putting a meal on the table. That is when we usually take a short drive over to Big Island Pizza. They are located in the Koloko Industrial District at 73-5618 Maiau Street, just mauka of Costco.

If you would like something before your meal, they do serve wine and beer. We usually start with a salad which they make from fresh local produce. Or favorites are the Caesar salad and the spinach salad. They are delicious and large enough to share.

Of course, next to come is the pizza all of which are hand tossed and baked in a brick oven. They make their own dough several times a day, so it is really fresh. It is always tossed to just the right thickness so it is the best crust we have had. All of their toppings are fresh and they cure their own meats. We have our favorites, but the great thing about Big Island Pizza is that you can design your own if you don’t want a combination that is on the menu. As much as we like pizza and their marinara sauce, the tomato sauce doesn’t really agree with us. So we have one with no tomato sauce, using olive oil instead. If you haven’t tried that, you really should if you have a problem with tomato sauce. 

Put all of this together and you have a chance to have a pizza unlike any other you can find on the island. If you tire of fancy restaurants or decide at the last minute not to cook, don’t call the delivery companies. Take a drive to Big Island Pizza for a truly delightful meal.

North to Hawi

As we mentioned in our book, if you take a day trip to tour Kohala a great lunchtime stop is the Bamboo Restaurant in the town of Hawi. That is not to say you shouldn’t go there for dinner. Even though it is an hour or more drive from our house we will go there when our favorite slack key guitarist and Grammy winner and his hula-dancing wife, John and Hope Keawe are playing there. It is always well worth the trip. The building is unique with a long history and the food is ʻono (delicious).

                                 

We still remember the first time we had lunch at the Bamboo almost 20 years ago. We had been on a hike with the Kona Hiking Club down into Pololū Valley and the whole group - tired and sweaty - stopped there for lunch. The owner, Joan, put us in the back - away from the other patrons - where we proceeded to have a great lunch with a couple of drinks. Ever since that day we have been going back. When we were running tours it was always a lunch stop for our Kohala tour group.

The most difficult part of dining there is deciding what to order. Of course we start, as always, with a single malt, but their specialties are lilikoʻi margaritas and lilikoʻi martinis. Lilikoʻi is passion fruit and is delicious in a drink, even lilikoʻi iced tea.

Appetizers are very tempting. We usually go with the chicken sate pot stickers. They are lovingly made by Aunty Mary, who used to wait tables there at lunch. She is now retired but still makes the pot stickers. They are truly unique. The kalua pork quesadilla and the coconut prawns are also excellent.

For an entrée there are available choices from the land or the sea. Either the baby back ribs in a pineapple barbecue sauce or the Kohala cordon and kalua, which is a chicken breasts wrapped around kalua pork and Swiss cheese and finished with a lilikoʻi mustard glaze, is an excellent choice. The fish is fresh and well prepared. You could also choose local favorites such as kalua pork and cabbage.

The desserts are their own special slants on some traditional offerings, such as white chocolate passion fruit cheesecake or Kohala lime pie. They are a perfect ending to a perfect meal. If you choose February or March 15 or 28, you can enjoy John and Hope Keawe as well as the meal.

Check their website at: http://www.bamboorestaurant.info/.