Hawaii Part 2

 Friday, 13th November – Molokai

Early this morning we set off for the island of Molokai which involved another crossing of a major channel. Time wise it was a lot shorter than the last crossing and certainly not as rough. By breakfast time we had docked at the harbor and after a hearty meal boarded some vehicles for a full day trip on land. Our female driver who was of Hawaiian descent soon had us on our way. She was enthusiastic with her commentary as she proudly pointed out every landmark including the swimming pool where she teaches the younger children to swim.

I think we were heading east from the capital of Kaunakakai to the roads end at Halawa Bay. The houses are few and far between and most are positioned in locations that offer uninterrupted views of the ocean. The road petered out to a narrow one lane road but this did not deter our driver who continued to drive with one hand and swivel her head as she pointed out various landmarks. She nearly lost it a couple of times and would have had trouble stopping because of the pieces of fruit and water bottle rolling on the floor near the brake pedal. I nearly forgot to mention that it was also raining which made conditions slippery. We were all glad when she stopped for a photo opportunity which allowed a couple of other drivers to get in front of her. Nevertheless this is a magnificent stretch of coastline that deserves a visit.

They say that Molokai is the only island that still gives you a sense of what the Aloha spirit was like in Hawaii long ago. No stop lights, no high-rises just a welcome slower pace. This was reinforced when we met with some locals for a “talk story” and a chance to experience their land and traditions. They explained that ‘aloha’ actually means love and not hello or goodbye. Other words such as luau have also been bastardized. After a traditional greeting of touching heads and noses we passed by the pig pen and taro patches before hiking to a towering waterfall in Halawa’s Cathedral valley.

After fording a fast flowing stream we hit the narrow winding trail. It has been raining and the track is quite muddy. It wasn’t long before our shoes were covered in sticky black mud that stuck like glue and made the shoes twice as heavy. We did not get very wet as the canopy of the rain forest kept the rain off us. After about an hour of walking we reached our destination where we could sit on the rocks beneath the waterfall.

Tony, Sue, Alice and I were soon into our togs and enjoyed a swim in the large rock pool at the base of the falls. The water was a good depth, cool and refreshing. I could have stayed in longer but didn’t want to miss out on the lunch that the crew had lugged up for our benefit. On our way back down the track appeared to be even muddier. A few of the passengers took nasty falls and ended up with abrasions but fortunately no sprains. When we reached the stream I took the time to give my sandals a good wash but even then I still could not remove all of the mud. The drive back to the boat was a little more sedate which Tony, Russell, Julie and Sue managed to grab a little shut eye. There is nothing like watching a few oldies with swaying heads and drooling mouths.

There is no dinner on board tonight as we are heading up into the hills to the Molokai Museum for a paina (correct word for luau). It was a great evening as we were entertained by a young hula dancer who was accompanied by two musicians who also put on a Hawaiian style jam session. We ate a lot of very delicious home style dishes that were complemented by a couple of great wines. Back at the ship we had a few more drinks prior to packing our bags for disembarkation in the morning.

Saturday, 14th November – Kepuhi Bay

After a hearty breakfast we were transferred to the Molokai Hotel where we will hang around until we are transferred to the airport. No we are not flying out but it made more sense to pick-up our hire car from here as we are staying on Molokai for another three nights.

Prior to heading for the airport we took a shuttle to the small downtown area so we could wander around the Saturday outdoor market. Kaunakakai is virtually unchanged since the early 1900’s and a leisurely walk down Ala Malama Street afforded us an eclectic collection of charming shops, food markets and empty restaurants. Alice, Sue, Russell and I dropped into the bookstore and Terri the owner took time out to explain the ‘things to do’ in Molokai. She is enthusiastic about her home and was happy to share her favourite locations with us. The market was small but had some good quality organic fruit and vegetables for sale as well as some freshly baked pumpkin bread. After a couple of purchases it was back to the hotel so we could take the midday shuttle to the airport.

After picking up our rental car at the airport we headed out to Mauna Loa Highway and traveled west for about 15 miles to Kepuhi Bay. We have rented a two bedroom apartment through Air B&B for the next three nights. Unfortunately our room was not ready but we were able to leave our bags which gave us some time to pick up some supplies. Sue and Russell are not staying with us but that is another story. We said farewell to them at the airport as they are taking a taxi to the Blue Goose Bed and Breakfast which is located at Maunaloa.

We traveled back past the airport and headed up to the village of Hoolehua. The girls were getting a little hungry and stopped at the Cookhouse for a burger and some fries. The food was good and the girls were happy. With a full stomach we crossed the street to the Kulaapuu Market which is a historic plantation store. This is the spot to stock up on supplies such as beer, steak, local foods like poke and household goods. We attempted to track down Sue and Russell but Maunaloa is like a ghost town as there are quite a few empty houses. Tony thought that their host may have been Anthony Perkins.

Our apartment was ready when we arrived back so we wasted no time in settling in. The balcony is the spot to be as it has an amazing view of the water which is only 100 metres away. The sound of the wind and waves crashing on the rocks coupled with a red sunset was a great finish to a long day.

Sunday, 15th November – A Day of Doing Nothing

We managed to track down Sue and Russell so I picked them up for a day out at our apartment. The surf looked appealing so we all headed down to our local beach for some sunbathing. Some local youngsters had their boogie boards out and were catching some great waves from the near perfect swell. Russell looked resplendent in his speedos but his body surfing technique could have been better. The amount of time he spent plowing the sand did a great job of exfoliating his skin and nether regions. He will probably be still getting sand out of his speedos when he is back in Australia.

The girls prepared a great salad and that went well with the sirloin steak that we cooked up on the barbeque. With the going down of the sun it was time to return Russell and Sue to Bates’ Hotel. I only hope that they will be there in the morning! When I returned there was time for a few beers on the balcony with the giant moths which have been attracted by the lounge light. It is a pity as we need to close the doors so that they are kept at bay.

Monday, 16th November – Kalaupapa Mule Tour

We are up nice and early today as we have an 8:00am appointment with a mule. The back of the car is a little cramped as Sue and Russell have survived the night and the six of us are off on a butt testing descent of the Kalaupapa Trail. The mule skinners selected our mounts for us and I suspect it was based on personality rather than the size of the rider. Alice’s mount was named Poele and I was given a spotted Zebra named Stripes who for some reason was the leader of the pack. The trail descends a 1780 foot cliff to the Kalaupapa settlement. It is approximately 3.2 miles in length and has 26 switchbacks. On the descent we had to lean back in the saddle to avoid falling off.

After our jarring descent we all needed a hand to lift our legs out of the saddle. I suppose that is one of the joys of growing old and living dangerously, gold. The second part of our rare adventure on a rusty yellow school bus was about to begin. This isolated plain sitting below some of the world’s highest sea cliffs on the Makanalua Peninsula is a place of astonishing beauty with a harsh history. Because of its isolation and its natural barriers of sea and cliffs the Kingdom of Hawaii, in 1866 chose this place to ship leprosy victims to. They spent the remainder of their days here as prisoners of the land. Today only seven patients remain on the peninsula and they are free to travel as they please. When the last patient dies or leaves then the land will be turned over to the National Park Service.

Our tour included a visit with two of the patients who run a bookstore and café/bar. Our guide was very passionate about the injustice that the leprosy patients suffered in the early years and the work of Mother Marianne who spent many years on Molokai at the turn of the last century. Her gravestone is well looked after. For a small area there are quite a few churches and as the father was in residence we had a pleasant tour of the Catholic Church. Lunch was taken in a pleasant glade overlooking the sea cliffs in the area of Kalawao. This is where the boys were looked after in the early years. This is also the location of St. Philomena Church and the monument to Saint Damien. He spent seven years ministering to the victims of leprosy, building churches and water reservoirs. In the end the disease claimed his life and he became known as the Martyr of Molokai.

By 2:00pm the time had come to hop on our long eared mounts and face the obstacles, precipices and hazards of this treacherous ascent and endure the vicissitudes of the narrow passage between destination and rim. All of that said it was much easier going up than down. Stripes led the way again and would have been first home if not for the withering burst of speed by Julie’s trusty steed. At $US195 per person it is an expensive day trip however we all agreed that it was a great adventure and that being a Mule Skinner for a day can be removed from the bucket list. We still had some time left for some sightseeing so we headed off to the Kalaupapa Lookout which gives you a panoramic view of the settlement. There are also a number of plaques which tell the story of the Leper Colony. There is also another interesting monolith in this area which is known as Phallic Rock. On close inspection you do not need any imagination on how the name was derived.

Back at our apartment we had a couple of drinks with Sue and Russell before taking them to the airport for a night flight to Honolulu. It was lucky that I was driving at a moderate speed because on the way back there were three deer on the road. That encounter was a nice way to finish what was a big day out.

Tuesday, 17th November – Oahu

Check-out time today is 10:00am so we had a leisurely morning and one last walk along our beach. Our flight to Oahu is not until 1:45pm so to kill time we took a drive to Coffees of Hawaii. Every Tuesday at 10:00am the local musicians who are mostly Ukulele players get together for a music jam.

When we arrived there were about twenty musicians and a large crowd packed onto the reasonably large deck of the coffee shop. The music was certainly entertaining and had a real Hawaiian sound. A couple of our entertainers also doubled as hula dancers. We even saw Ted and his wife Joy who were from British Columbia and traveled on the Un-cruise with us. This was a great way to finish our stay on Molokai. In hindsight it would have been good to spend at least five days here and we would certainly recommend our air B&B accommodation. You can also travel by ferry from Molokai to Maui for a different twist on your holidays.

Our flight on Ohana Air departed on time and took about 25 minutes and was as uneventful as they come. It went up, leveled out for enough time for me to go to the toilet and then came down again! After picking up our luggage we quickly found our ride with Speedi-Shuttle and were soon on our way to the Marriott Beach Club at Ko Olina.

Julie has secured us a luxury stay for the next three nights. The adjoining rooms and the facilities is a big step up from the digs that we usually stay in. The resort has all sorts of activities, a good beach, swimming pools, hot spas, gym and steam room just to mention a few. After settling in we jumped on the free shuttle bus driven by a very happy Earle (I’d be happy to if I got as many tips as him) and headed off to the resort shopping centre. Tony and I recognized the signs that the girls were getting a tad hungry so we immediately headed into a Mexican restaurant where we had an early dinner or was it a late lunch. The food was good, filling and reasonably priced. A quick trip into the ABC market and we had enough beer and food supplies to last us for a couple of days.

Wednesday, 18th November – Malingering at the Marriott

After a leisurely breakfast Tony and I hit the gym to burn off some of the additional calories that we have been piling on. I don’t know if it is all the food or the quantity of beer that we have been quaffing down that has caused our bulging mid-riffs. Anyhow we had a good work out while the girls put in a big session at the aqua zumba class.

We spent the afternoon just lazing around the pool and the hot tubs. Tony felt the need for more exercise so we went for an ocean swim at the front of the resort. He estimated that we must have swum the same distance as the Hawaiian Ironmen which was at least 300 metres. After all that exhausting exercise I decided to take some steam at the health club. After all that heat I was extremely relaxed and felt rejuvenated. Tony had the beers chillin’ and we relaxed while we waited for the girls to return from their sunset walks. If we had more sense we would have wooed them with a chilled wine on the beach as the sun sunk below the horizon. Maybe tomorrow!