HI Geocachers: Laka's Uluhe Ferns Traditional Cache
Cubbybear1963: aloha and mahalo
HI Geocachers: Laka's Uluhe Ferns
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The Uluhe (false staghorn) fern can be found all over the east (wetter) side of the Big Island. The ferns grow well from sea level on up to 5,500 ft, but the most spectacular Uluhe ferns are found in Volcano and on the Saddle Road.
Laka is most well known as the goddess of the hula and the forest. Even today, in very traditional hula halaus, an altar or offering is prepared in honor of Laka with a very specific succession of plants. In some traditions of Hawaii the hula was brought to the islands by a brother and sister, both named Laka. Although prayers are addressed to Laka in many hula performances, few, if any, hulas are ever dedicated to her. Because of many stories connecting Laka to impregnation and fruitfulness, Beckwith calls her "the goddess of love." The name laka means "gentle, docile, attracted to, to attract," and there are old chants asking Laka to attract not only love, but wealth. Of very different origin, she was nevertheless incorporated into the Pele religion. Due to her associations with the forest she represents the element of plants.
In Hawai the uluhe fern was used to make a medicinal tea. The Hawaiians would soak the fern in water and drink the liquid as a cure for constipation. Uluhe is also used in the making of haku leis worn by the hula dancers is honor of Laka.
The Uluhe begins growth as a shoot that comes straight out of the ground - with the fern tightly coiled at the shoots end. The shoot is about the thickness of a drinking straw. As the shoot grows the end uncoils and the fern leaves begin to appear. As the leaves mature they split into two sets of leaves, and from those another shoot can appear that will make another two sets of leaves. This can continue as the plant grows becoming almost vine like.
As the Uluhe matures it continues to grow upwards, grabbing onto just about any plant life it can. Since each shoot puts out two sets of leaves, and the leaves can put out further shoots, the fern grows quite dense and can choke out the plants it is growing on. Luckily the fern has a fairly short lifespan and as a mature plant will die almost completely back while new shoots appear from the ground.
This cache is located just pass the 9 mile marker on the Puna side of the Saddle road. A small gravel pull off will provide ample parking as you make your search. Here among the uluhe and ohia, one can almost feel Laka's present, as she watches over the forest. The beauty and peace surround you as you will become one with her forest.
Please search with pono and malama the 'aina. CITO when possible, and replace the cache as you found it. Please NO SPOILERS, so all can enjoy the hunt....aloha and happy caching!
Mahalo to Setoshi...FTF!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
V zbunyn ab xn yruhn v xr xr'rxruv 'vn r xn hn...Fyrrcvat va gur Hyhur
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