Valley of the Kings

The path led upward, onward through the deep, heavily wooded valley of Afareaitu, the House of the Kings. Honu (turtle) faces carved in the volcanic rocks guarded along the way, warning that this was a place only for the ali’i (royalty). A nasty fall challenged our determination to see these sacred grounds, but we carefully continued on. 

We paid our respects to the face of the ali’i carved in stone at the base of the waterfall, then sat with our feet in the cool water of the pool below the fall and admired the serenity of the scene. A sacred eel with piercing blue eyes swam sedately by, pausing to look directly at us both with reassurance that we were welcome, and the assurance of a safe return home. 

#afareaitu #sacredeel # waterfall