Here are some photos of the kids preparing the Food for the Imu the day before Makahiki. They harvested the taro leaves the prior Tuesday and they are using the smaller younger taro leaves on the inside that you eat (like spinach) and the larger thicker leaves on the outside. I personally like the pork versions with a little fat chunk and butterfish inside.
While the Kumu (teacher) was showing us how to prepare the Imu a laser rainbow formed over his head. Super sharp with double rainbow band you can’t see the second band very well in the photo though.
Basically dig a 4’-5’ diameter hole in the ground a foot or two deep. Put kiawe wood in and start fire. Then pile porous lava rock on top while the fire is hot to get the rocks red, then white hot. Once fire burns down, cover the hot stones with the banana tree trunk stalks, then with banana leaves. Then lay the food on top in aluminum containers and aluminum foil on top. Then cover those with more banana leaves and stalks layers. Then burlap cloth to cover the whole pit, followed by plastic cover in case it rains, then cover the whole thing again with earth to insulate and keep the heat in for 10+ hours. Okay! That’s it. Now go make your own.

Here are some highlights for the Makahiki Festival that the school just did last Thursday. It’s one of the many but biggest festivals of the year. So they say, since we’ve only been here for a couple months now.
The kids played many games including arm wrestling and Sawyer demonstrated several of the games to the audience before they began. That was his favorite part.

Maya performed some hula and also recited her portion of the event history with her classmates.
In the days up to the ceremony they went to uncle George’s farm and helped harvest the taro plants to make in the imu (fire pit oven). They pounded poi, and made laulau and cooked wild venison that was prepared for the festival.

I got to help out with preparing the Imu fire pit along with other things. Was nice to see how much all the parents and families were involved.

Edward

The pictures at the end are from a farm in what they call upcountry Kula here in Maui that sells local honey. They have a 2 acre farm where they have 9 full time staff to take care of the small crops.
We also took a drive the weekend before, up Olinda road near where we live to see how high up the mountain we could go. There were many farms that had little self serve bins in front that you take avocados or whatever they have and just leave your money in a slot.
Haleakala mountain on Maui is enormous. We have barely explored the little corner we are on. Whenever you look at it, the lower plains roll right into the clouds to the top of the mountain.
Also some photos of sawyer jumping at twin falls again. And our house with a half circle rainbow right over the whole house.