Beginning on November 1, 2024, which is the date of my mother’s first letter from her Hawaii trip 84 years ago, I am serializing day by day, the book,
Cecilia
King’s Extraordinary Senior Trip, which you can obtain from Amazon in either Kindle or paperback.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming nine-months in Hawaii 1940-41. You can order the entire book from Amazon in either paperback or Kindle format,
click
here.

Kilauea Military Camp, Sunday, May 18, 1941

Sunday –

The days have passed so quickly I can hardly remember all we’ve done. Have played bridge once or twice — & about given my game up as hopeless – went to a movie Friday night – one afternoon
Bunt & I hiked two miles up to the “Volcano House” – the walk up was glorious – past heavy ferned earthquake cracks and steam cracks – the yellow sulphur banks – and forests of fern, wild roses, wild cannas, and the weird Ohui tree with its fuzzy red “lehua”
blossoms. At the V. House – an old frame building with atmosphere of the gay nineties, and furnishings as antiquated – we looks at curio, photos, portraits – bought a few picture cards of interesting things we’d seen – and some chocolate, then trudges back
to camp in a pour of rain.

Sat. morning after an early breakfast we (21 of the camp people) piled in cars & started on a around the island trip – with orders for the five cars to stay in convoy as only one driver knew
the way & sights. Madam Pele must have blessed us because we four were fortunate in getting the front car. Our driver (Sgt. Blare – known as Kemo) has been here three years, & know all the interesting places, legends, besides being most amusing himself. Had
a perfectly delightful morning – saw a beach of black sparkling sand, at an Haw. Fishing village – little outriggers sheltered by palm leaf lean-tos on the water edge. And had the most intriguing conversation about ”Kahunas” which is the spell put on a chosen
one to die – Army doctors here have said time & time again the natives came to him saying, “I have a Kahuna on me and will die,” after which he examines them thoroughly finding nothing physically wrong. Several days later the native is dead & the post mortem
exam can find nothing. It’s a queer thing – these foolish legends and beliefs of the south sea natives, yet we all learn to respect and even revere them.

Out on a desert like beach is a tiny village, in between two lava flows – just above the village the flow has forked & left it untouched but flowed to the sea on both sides. When the village
natives saw the molten flow coming into their village they quickly threw sacrifices into the pit of eruption and soothed the ire of Pele who changed the course of the flow. One more bit of this – and then on with the trip – a few years ago in the last eruption
the hot lava was pouring down the hillside toward Hilo & would soon have covered the city – but Army bombers flown by 14 men bombed the lava tube and stopped the flow. A kahuna was put on them by the natives, and coincidence or not, two years later every one
was dead.^[1]

All morning our rive was through & across the lava flows – only one stop later at “Stutterin Sams,” a little country store where we got cokes & potato chips. Being the leader & a little ahead
of the other cars we stopped once to pick thimble berries, huge & red, from the “jungle” at the roadside. Fields of sisal plants used for rope by Filipinos.

We had lunch on a lovely bay beach at the “City of Refuge” – summer camping grounds of the Haw. Royalty – a perfect park of tall palms, sands, black rocks and the clearest, bluest water of paradise.
The afternoon ride took us to another painted Catholic church, the inner pillars were palm trunks with Haw. Inscriptions – and among the murals was the Handwriting on the Wall – and the handwriting in the native Haw. Language. Also Bibles, prayer books in
the same print.

Long “clotheslines” in native yards, strung with fish (small multicolored ones) hung out to dry for food – the tin roofed houses in the “coffee belt” a peak roof over a flat one – the first
on rollers to be rolled back do the sun can dry the coffee beans places on the lower roof –many glistening green coffee trees with brilliant red berries.

Finally in the heat of midafternoon (for the lower altitude was quite warm) we reached our haven – Kona Inn^[2], 
and fell into the cool open lounge & lanai facing the green lawn leading to the sea and rocky surf. The four of us had a sweet suite of rooms – and did a quick nap, and good bath feel good before dressing for dinner. After dinner was a pageant of Haw. Singing,
dancing, etc. on the lighted lawn – excellent! Then to bed and sleep with the sound of the breakers just outside our windows.

Steak breakfast was announced for the next morning — & we hit the dining room as late as possible to eat & be ready to “recaravan” by 8:30 – to find the entire hotel staff and gests most upset
because the electricity was off & positively nothing but cereal & fruit for the “steak” breakfast. Just as we started out – being the last ones – finally got some toast & honey & a sack of fruit which the very distressed little headwaiter gave us. The Kona
Inn is quite a luxurious place and very expensive (rooms are from $8.50 up – but we escaped with $5.00 by Army discounts).

The next day’s trip was simply magnificent, through rolling hills, fir forests, and the gigantic parker ranch – the entire side of the island is a cliff, heavily greened with trees, moss, with
hundreds of waterfalls coming out of the mountainside into the ocean. The steep &
treacherous cane railways, deep glades —- a stop on one little town for malted milks & we all invaded a fascinating little Japanese shop whose owner “no spike English.” The rest of the morning & rive into Hilo was made quite amusing by our driver’s recital
of Hawaiian songs & chants. Lunch in Hilo at the very lovely hotel there (much like Kona only
more attractive) – then so back to camp.

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