Off to Court

Actually, off to Maui, Hawaii and the old Court House in Lahaina. The old Court House was built in 1859 with blocks of coral and lava taken from Kamehameha the Third's palace. Probably a good thing it is old. I am sure someone would scream about using blocks of coral in construction these days. Until I read this, I never really considered that blocks of coral were possible.

I suspect this was a very busy building in its heyday. Lahaina was the whaling capital of the mid-Pacific. I can't imagine whalers being absolutely well behaved, mild mannered after spending weeks on a ship. I sure they whooped it up and landed in jail regularly.

Out front is a Banyan tree which was planted in 1873. It is huge and the night spot for hundreds if not thousands of Myna birds. According to the guide books it is 60 feet and covers two thirds of an acre. It definitely shows one of the things Banyans do. When mature, a leader is put down from the branches forming a new trunk with roots.