During the time of the ancient Hawaiian Kings, many laws were established to keep order in the islands. For example, people were not allowed to get close to the Hawaiian royalty nor to even look at or walk upon the same trails as the royals. Men and women were not allowed to eat together and to do so was a violation of law. Many of the island’s sacred areas were also considered “kapu” or forbidden for the common villager.  The penalty for breaking any of these laws was usually death not only for the person breaking the law but sometimes even for their whole family if the violation were very severe. Since it was thought that the gods retaliated against lawbreakers by sending tidal waves, molten hot lava flows, droughts or earthquakes, it was important that community members handle lawbreakers in a swift and decisive way. There was only one way out of this mess for the violator and that was to quickly get to the area’s Pu’uhonua or Place of Refuge. If the lawbreaker managed to get to one of these designated places, he could ask that special rituals be performed by the priests who resided there. When this was done, the violation that had been committed would be forgiven. After the lawbreaker received absolution, s/he was free to return home as if nothing had ever happened.  The Pu’uhonuao o Honaunau refuge site was just such a place of refuge on the Island of Hawaii. This historic site was named a national park by Congress in 1961. Today you can visit the grounds and walk around the peaceful complex. At this park, you will find many examples of early Hawaiian houses, temples, word carvings and petroglyphs. Sometimes native Hawaiians are even on hand to demonstrate Hawaiian crafts and answer questions about life in the ancient Hawaiian culture. The great stone wall facing the sea was built in the 1500’s and separated the Pu’uhonua from the Ali’i’s palace grounds. The bay is a common sunning place for green sea turtles so be sure to check out the shallow rocky area while you are there. Outside of the sanctuary grounds, you can access the beach if you want to swim or snorkel in this area. To get to the park, drive south on Hawaii State Route 11 to state route 160. Follow this road to the end where you will see signs for the park.