A Place of Refuge

The City of Refuge or Puuhonua o Honaunau on the Big Island of Hawaii is an ancient place.  It provided safety and forgiveness if one had broken any law.  Carved wooden Hawaiian Gods or Ki'i watch over the bones of chiefs buried here. I have heard that any rock taken off the islands could bring bad luck and a special address exists to return rocks if one finds themselves affected. Such superstitions abound on Hawaii and it is best not to challenge the Gods of any culture you may not fully understand. The nature spirits are felt strongly on the islands, especially in places off the beaten track.

City of Refuge by Susan Waterman



 See more images from Hawaii here.