 |
| Island of Lana'i in background |
And sometimes a forced slowdown is what it takes to see things along the roadway that you might have missed had you been traveling the speed limit. Such was the case of the graveyard.
Bordered by the highway, Wahikili State Wayside Park and the Hyatt Regency Maui, this resting place was pretty much barren ground, some gravestones hidden by overgrowth. Water jugs and wilted leis indicated some tending. By whom? And when?
A sign to the side of the five-acre site identifies it as Hanaka o’ o’ Cemetery, where immigrant plantation workers are buried. On our walk into Lahaina one day we stopped to visit this somewhat forgotten- and forlorn-looking place.
Those laid to rest here, according to the small information sign, hailed from China, Japan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Korea, Spain, and Philippines.
 |
| Sugar Cane field in Maui |
In 1862 Pioneer Mill Company opened and at its peak produced 45,000 tons of sugar.
In 1910 there were 1,600 laborers, most of them contract workers at the mill.
I’d like to tell you more about the people buried here or the cemetery, but two subsequent Internet searches have turned up little more than a few photos on Flickr.
Are you drawn to cemeteries when you travel? If so, where were they and what was your reaction to the experience? Many of you out there travel to Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach regularly. Have you ever visited this cemetery?
As always, thanks for the time you spend with us ~ it is nice to have you along on our journeys. Keep your bags packed . . .we’ll be heading to Greece soon!
Linking up:
Travel Photo Discovery – Monday
