Week 3 - The Island of Molokai'i

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July 22nd - We move to Molokai'i'

 

We woke up early, finished packing and were out of the condo by 9:00 AM. Dot and I were the first to leave at 10:50. We arrived at the airport around 10:00 AM and took our bags to be checked. Because Island Air is such a small airline, the plane we were on held only 30 passengers. So, knowing that and the weight limitations of 50 lbs per person, I prepared myself to pay extra to get all our stuff over to Molokai. The agent took her time getting everything in order and when she informed me that I would probably have to pay extra for the over weight limit I told her that we were here in the islands for six weeks and that I just couldn't get any lighter and that I would gladly pay whatever it costs to have all my baggage move with me. Well, we weighed each bag carefully and she marked two of them with a bright orange tag labeled “HEAVY” and then smiled and told me that she would not charge me this time. WOW, I thought, yet another blessing from God while on our trip. Believe me, the savings were welcome and growing!  We arrived in Honolulu first as we had to take a hop to bring the price down. Getting to Molokai is not easy. You either commute early morning (6:00 am) or late afternoon (4:30 pm) and if the plane is full, the price really goes up. OR you can “hop” islands which takes much longer. Molokai is only about 7 miles from Maui as the crow flies.  Our “little” hop took us to Oahu and then back to Molokai or about 100 miles round trip. Ah, the cost of saving a few bucks! After about a 15 minute delay, we were on our way to Molokai we arrived safely and into an airport that has one terminal, one baggage claim, and all of it outside! 

 

Our friends Mike & Ruth were scheduled to leave at 3:00 PM from Maui to Hilo, HI on the big island. Tomorrow (Sunday) they would board their plane for Sacramento. I got a call from them that their plane was 3 hours late and that they had just gotten into Hilo at around 7:30. Boy, that couple does not do well with airline schedules. That was their third incident in two weeks! Not sure I want to fly with them . . . (just kidding)!

 

Anyway, we got our car and a few instructions from the owner of the cottage where we were staying and headed for the main town, Kaunakakai. about 6 miles south of the airport. We stopped for groceries and then proceeded about 17 miles east to our destination.  The cottage we rented was great! An ever-present breeze from the east continually blows through the 900 sq. ft. one-bedroom home. We are situated just above the tree line with a view of Maui off our deck. At night you see the entire Kaanapali coastline from Kapalua to Lahaina all lit up. Molokai Condo

 

Tomorrow we ride mules down the side of a cliff . . .

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July 23rd - Two Mules for Dave & Dot

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Well, before I get into today’s post let me ask for prayer for the two of us. It seems we are on an island, in the middle of the Pacific ocean and some potentially bad weather is heading right for us. Hurricane Daniel is chugging it's way toward the Hawaiian Islands. It entered the central Pacific sometime last night and is currently about 800 miles from us with only 75 - 90 mph winds making it a category 1 hurricane. It will be interesting so please pray for us!

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Today we took the Muleman's Mule ride to Kalaupapa, home of the former Leper Colony here on Molokai. Leprosy (actually Hansen's Disease) is no longer a threat having found a cure around 1969. However, due to the disfigurement it causes, many of the people who had the disease choose to stay as it is the only home they have known for many years.

There are currently 34 people left here that had the disease and they are dying off fast now due to old age.  The rest of the approx. 150 total that live in Kalaupapa are workers, and National Park employees. Our mule leader was a person who works for the owners, a husband & wife team, both former lepers. They are in their 70's now and both are medically unable to be out in public. We climbed onto our mules, and headed up the highway a short way

to the trailhead to Kalaupapa. 

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The trail is about 3.3 miles in length and drops nearly 1700 feet to the bottom and a peninsula that Kalaupapa lies on. This trail actually winds itself down the side of a cliff with a series of 26 switchbacks that give one a view that match no other. To our mules it seemed like just another day at work, but to us, well, let’s just say that it was interesting. I got the mule that loves to take the outside track and at times seemed to be hanging over the edge of the cliff when turning the corners. I have to admit it was a little scary but after about the fifth time he did this I finally realized that it's how he negotiates the trail. He never once flinched, or slipped on the rocky trail but just carefully placed one hoof in front of the other and guided us and the other 5 brave souls down the side of the cliff.

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The view from the side of a cliff was breathtaking! A turquoise sea, a bright blue sky, and a town out of the past just sitting on the edge of the ocean as if waiting to say hello. Once down the cliff, we boarded a bus along with a few others who walked down the trail or came from the local airport and began a tour of the town and surrounding grounds. We visited the gravesites of Father Damien and Mother Mary Anne who took his place after Father Damien died. We visited the two churches that were built and saw sites of two hospitals that had been built but were destroyed one by a hurricane, the other by fire. The tour took us to the very edge of the peninsula to the place where the patients were tossed off the boat into the ocean and had to swim to shore and safety. It was here where the village started before being moved to it's current location about a mile south.  Many didn't know how to swim and never made it to shore. Those that did were left there to die from a disease that to this day they do not know how it is transmitted. Not one person who came to work with these people never contracted the disease and all died of other causes.  

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We ate lunch at the former site and then headed to the airport, (yes they have an airport). It is used to fly in supplies, doctors for visits, and visitors. There were several in our group that chose to fly in rather than brave the mule ride. After dropping them off we headed back to the corral and to our waiting mules for the ride out.  It took less time to climb the cliff trail then it did to climb down. We had started our ride at around 8:30 am and were back at the corral around 3:00 pm. We were sore & tired but had had a very enlightened day.

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I totally recommend that you come over to Molokai and take this tour. It is the only one of its kind anywhere. I think it even beats the burro ride into the Grand Canyon because of the history you find here.   returned to our cottage ready for the Jacuzzi and thankful we had made it safely. Now, if the weather would just cooperate . . . Oh, look, it's raining . . .

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July 24th - Ow! Our Achin’ Butts!

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Well, as you may have guessed by my title . . . Tuesday was a day of rest for Dot & I. We slept really good but when we woke up we were sore from the mule ride on Monday. Plus, Hurricane Daniel had finally reached the island but less then a tropical storm and it rained pretty hard most of the day. So today we were secluded in our cottage. We took some time to get caught up on email and such and spent some time doing laundry, but otherwise just took the day off. From everything! So, as the sun set behind us, we got to watch the transformation of the Maui shoreline. At 6 miles away you can hardly make out all the development of Kaanapali, the old town of Lahaina and the harbor. However, as the sky grew darker and darker, one by one the lights came on and a whole different Maui showed up at night. 

 

Now, so as not to waste your time reading this blog, I want to give you something special . . . a look into the Hawaiian language. So, to keep reading, click on the “How To Speak Hawaiian” button below, & learn how to speak the language . . . OR . . . If you just want to just continue our blog, then just keep reading past the button and check out the East side of Molokai!

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July 25th - Things Sure Are Different on the East Side

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Well I think we have recovered from our day of doing absolutely nothing. Just sitting around all day, nothing to do, leg in the air (yes, my ankle still hurts) . . . just the two of us, Hmmm.

K, it wasn't that bad. I actually like hanging out with Dot. She can be quite entertaining at times. After 30 years of marriage you learn how to amuse one another in ways you never thought of 25 years ago. Of course, back then you didn't have time for each other because it was all about raising the kids.

 

Anyway, Dot and I took the short drive to the East side of Molokai. Technically we are staying on the east side but we are at mile marker 17 and it goes all the way to 27. So, we drove the last 10 miles to see what was on the other side, so to speak. The road narrows to a one lane road at about mile marker 21 but there is still plenty of two-way traffic. You really have to be a defensive driver on those last 6 miles. There are dozens of blind corners and barely passable areas along the drive but the beauty of the surrounding countryside and ocean are well worth the time it took to drive . . . well over an hour. I think we averaged 10 mph the entire way.

nyway, once at the end you are in an area known as the Halawa Valley (pronounced Ha-la-va).

 

One of the most beautiful areas in Molokai, Halawa Valley was first settled in the 7th Century by people from the Marqueses Islands.  It remained an active and thriving community until the area was struck by two tsunamis. These huge 45-foot tidal waves hit in 1946 and 1957, destroying the buildings there and covering the valley with plant-killing salt. Today, the valley is inhabited by a few residents but is mainly used for recreational purposes such as hiking and camping in the mountains and swimming, surfing or fishing at Halawa Beach Park. In ancient times, many heiau's (temples) were built in the valley and young men wishing to become kahuna's (title for a priest, expert, teacher, and/or adviser) came from all the islands to learn the powerful and sacred spells. The land and ocean here was also very fertile an other islanders envied the richness of the valley. Many wars were waged protecting this valley.

 

Two large and beautiful waterfalls can be seen flowing down the mountains. The 250-foot Moaula Falls is approximately 2 miles up the valley. Legend states that a giant lizard (mo'o) lives in the deep pool fed by this fall. Before swimming here, drop a ti leaf into the water. If it floats, it is safe to swim. But if it sinks, the mo'o is annoyed and will not welcome you. Hipuapua Falls, a 500-foot cascade fall, is about a mile north of Moaula. Both falls are located on private property and you will need a local guide with a permit to take you to them.

We chose not to hike due to my aching ankle and so we checked out a crumbling building that appeared to have been a temple of some kind. Behind the temple were several monuments marking the grave sites of Hawaiians back to the mid 800's and as recent as 1933. There is also a little one-room church just up the road from here. It seats about 40 and is open to the public 24/7 for prayer. I believe they have services about once a month.

 

On the way out of the valley there is a turn-out where you can stop and take pictures of the valley. We also took a few photos of the coastline which were postcard perfect. I only wish I had a decent camera to take the photos. We will work on that for our next vacation, I guess.

A final note: People on Molokai are really friendly. Every time you pass on the highway they wave. (on other islands you get the “Hang Loose” sign) and all are more than willing to help in any way they can. They also love to talk about Hawaiian. It is something you really don't want to miss if you get the chance.  And, hey, I think my ankle is finally well enough to try a round of golf! Tomorrow we will test it out!

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July 26th - I Think We Are Done Here

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After letting Dot sleep in for the third day in a row (aren't I a good husband?) I decided that I wanted to try my luck at golfing. I haven't played but once this entire trip which was on the big island and of course I blew my ankle out two days later. It was beginning to feel better and so it seemed like a good thing to do. I took Dot with me and let her drive the golf cart. Felt like I had my very own caddy except for the fact that this caddy didn't know anything about golf. We had fun anyway.  It took about an hour to travel the 35 miles to the only 18-hole course on the island. They have a 9-hole but I didn't get the chance to try it. I should have. The course I played was the Kaluakoi Golf Club and although the pictures look awesome, I was severely disappointed in the shape of this course. The greens were about the only part of the course that was in great shape. The rest of it looked like it hadn't been maintained very well. Fairways were indistinguishable from the rough in most areas and many parts of the fairways were dirt with clumps of grass. It looked like it hadn't been watered in a long time. There are a couple of par 3's on the back 9 that were in terrific shape and absolutely beautiful but the par 4's & 5's really needed help. The ground was so dry that if you hit a decent drive your ball would roll an extra 50 yards making it a really great shot. On one particular hole I drove the ball across a canyon, landed in the fairway and it rolled to about 90 yds from the green. The hole was 380 yards long. I have never driven a ball that far!

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(Note:  The course was closed in 2008.)

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Well, my ankle did the best it could under the circumstances. I don't think it is ready for next week and Kauai's famous Princeville courses but I am going to play anyway. I actually shot bogey golf on the back 9 on the Molokai course and I haven't shot in the forties in ages. I guess I am getting better and the lessons I took are paying off. Thanks Jason!

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On the way home we stopped at the Friendly Isle Coffee Co. where if we had gotten there earlier we could have taken a tour of the grounds and seen how coffee is processed from tree to store. They have a fairly large plantation there along with a really nice gift shop, a place where you can taste test the coffee for free and a snack bar where they make coffee drinks for purchase. We bought a couple of “Mocha Mama's” and they were really good.  We also stopped at an old sugar mill but it had already closed for the day. It is open for tours and since sugar was Hawaii’s main export crop back in the early to mid 1900's, it is a good place to get plenty of historical information about the process of making sugar. Oh well, may be next trip. All though, I heard there is a sugar mill on Kauai we can tour also. We will look it up and see if we can fit it into our schedule.

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Our last stop of the day was Purdy's Nut Farm. Purdy is a farmer who helped maintain another family across the street from where he grew up and in return for his generosity, he was given the homestead after the family had passed. On this homestead were 80 macadamia nut trees that had not been taken care of and so Purdy set out pruning and trimming the trees and started producing macadamia nuts. He now owns about 25 acres but when you visit he will greet you in the driveway and take you on a personal tour of his farm, show you how the process is done in getting Mac nuts ready from blossom to eating. He then let's you crack and eat naturally unprocessed nuts (they have only been dried) and boy, they are really quite tasty just by themselves. Purdy sells them that way and also sells the oil, and some honey made from the flowers of the Mac nut tree and a delicious Mac nut honey mustard. Since the nuts he sells are processed naturally, there are no added oils or other additives making them a very nutritional value for your dollar. You can purchase them via mail order.

             

We spent the remainder of the day nursing my sore ankle and preparing to travel to our next destination, the island of Kauai!  And just like that, our adventure is half over.  It has been raining most of the night and looks like it will continue until late in the day. The surfers on the islands are loving it as the surf on the south side of the islands is anywhere from 6 to 10 feet. Kind of like Christmas in July for them since high surf usually only appears in the winter.

Our last day on Molokai, was spent hunkered down in the cottage all day due to the weather. Evidently some remnants of Hurricane Daniel were passing through Molokai and it rained on and off all day with wind gusts to about 30 mph I would guess. Since we can’t go outside today, we might as well pack.  I hate packing!

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We leave very early in the morning (Saturday) and so we spent the day purging some of the stuff we brought, trying to downsize a bit to see if we could maybe get rid of a bag next week. Well, we certainly did loose a couple of pounds (the bags, not us) but nothing I would cheer about. Tomorrow we travel from Molokai to Kauai via Maui (again it was a cost issue) and will be meeting three other couples from our choir for a week on the Garden Isle.  So click on the "Week 4 - Kauai" map at the top of the page to see our next adventure!