Happy Molokai Thanksgiving
So, my latest island adventure took me to the Hawaiian Island of Molokai with my friends Lisa, Rodney, and Jen to visit Rodney's parents and sister who now reside there.
Molokai reminds me of up-north Wisconsin, but add a dash of tropical paradise. Everyone knows everyone else (and their business) and waves (well, actually, gives shakas) as you pass!
As I was running down the street one morning a car passed and asked, "Hey sista, what family you stay wit?" Like I said, everyone knows everyone else and they knew I didn't belong (not that my blonde hair and blue eyes didn't give me away or anything)
We had so many wonderful adventures during our long weekend and yet had a lot of down time to breath, stretch, eat (LOTS), and relax from the stress of everyday life - yes, Hawaii does have stress! HA!
First of all, let me say, it is not easy to get to Molokai...the major airlines don't fly there and most of the inner island carries don't either. This means you are forced to take the 8-10 seater charter prop planes back and forth...this can be exciting and a bit scary as well. Oh, and you don't leave from the main airport...you leave from a random little one with plastic lawn chairs in the waiting area! HA!
On the way there the skies were blue and I got to ride co-pilot! How cool is that?!?
I had the best view in the plane (well, besides the pilot I hope!) and was like a giddy little kid combined with a Japanese tourist. Laughing and in awe of everything and snapping pictures constantly! HA! Here are some of the shots I got...
On Thanksgiving Day we played softball in the park, went to the beach, cracked open a coconut ourselves and drank the fresh milk from it and ate the fruit inside, and then went back to the house and stuffed ourselves full of a homemade Thanksgiving dinner...with some Hawaiian flare!
On the way back to the house Jen, Lisa, and I stopped at Father Damien's church. He was a priest who came to the leper colony in the late 1800's to serve those who were more or less banished to the secluded compound called Kalaupapa on Molokai. The site was chosen because it is a peninsula with high sea cliffs that seclude the area, and the disease, from others. About 42 leprosy survivors still live in the town and visitors are only permitted by invitation or select tour groups. A couple of days later we went to the overlook point read about the life of those sent to the colony. Without knowing the story you would think it was just a normal small town with its own little airport, stores, churches, etc.
While we were at the lookout point we also walked to the phallic stone. Hawaiian legend states that this rock makes women fertile (due to its shape!). Women who wish to become pregnant leave offerings at the stone and some have even been known to sleep on it. Personally, I stayed as far away as possible!!!
As one can imagine nightlife on Molokai can leave a bit to be desired, but we made the best of it singing karoke at the house, doing yoga at sunset in the Kings coconut grove
hitting up the breadshop (where you walk down this alley, knock on a piece of plywood that says "knock here," give your order to the person who then shuts the door, and in a couple of minutes comes back with your warm sweet bread filled with your choice of strawberry, blueberry, cream cheese, cinnamon, and/or butter! It is amazing!!! Not only did we go twice while there, but I brought some home to share with my friends on Oahu!)
going out to one of the two bars on our side of the island
and then....getting pulled over by the police! That's right...leave it to me, the non-drinker to get pulled over.
I guess the government has bestowed a grant to the police force of Molokai to set up road blocks on the weekend in order to cut down on drunk drivers. Well, I pulled over at the road block and when they asked for my license I realized that all I had was my state ID! They asked for my name, SS #, birthdate, and state I had a valid drivers license in and looked it up in their computers, but I didn't come up in the system (I still don't know exactly why this is) Anyway, long story short, we were 3 blocks from the house, but they made us sit there while they called the chief to see what to do, told me I should be getting a ticket, etc. After chatting with us for awhile and me offering them a piece offering of bread (which they begrudgingly rejected) they let us go!
While the nights may leave a bit to be desired, the days are filled with adventure...Lisa, Rodney, Jen, and I woke up and went kayaking in the bay, caught a couple of waves, and saw some cute turtles and a baby shark!
Another day we went hiking into the rainforest. We had to go-off roading to get up there and that in and of itself was an adventure. The path was VERY wet and rocky. It was actually the same trail the ancient Hawaiians used to log timber for their canoes. On the way up the path there is a place where they dug out the exact size of the hull of one of their ships so they knew how much wood would fit into it and thus how much to carry down the mountain!
We stopped about half way up to check out the scenery...it took my breath away! All the deep blues and greens, the fresh warm air...
The path in the rainforest was a bit tricky to navigate at times because it was so slippery, but we managed.
When we got to the top of the mountain (well, as far up as we could go) the view was shielded by a white blanket of clouds that enveloped us. It was incredible...I knew there was a steep ledge and other huge mountain tops in front of me, but looked as if I was staring at a slowly moving white plaster wall. It was quite a strange sensation and the pictures don't do it justice!
Amazingly enough I did miss a few of the sights on Molokai, but I can't complain...it just gives me reason to go back again someday...right?!?
Molokai reminds me of up-north Wisconsin, but add a dash of tropical paradise. Everyone knows everyone else (and their business) and waves (well, actually, gives shakas) as you pass!
As I was running down the street one morning a car passed and asked, "Hey sista, what family you stay wit?" Like I said, everyone knows everyone else and they knew I didn't belong (not that my blonde hair and blue eyes didn't give me away or anything)
We had so many wonderful adventures during our long weekend and yet had a lot of down time to breath, stretch, eat (LOTS), and relax from the stress of everyday life - yes, Hawaii does have stress! HA!
First of all, let me say, it is not easy to get to Molokai...the major airlines don't fly there and most of the inner island carries don't either. This means you are forced to take the 8-10 seater charter prop planes back and forth...this can be exciting and a bit scary as well. Oh, and you don't leave from the main airport...you leave from a random little one with plastic lawn chairs in the waiting area! HA!
On the way there the skies were blue and I got to ride co-pilot! How cool is that?!?
I had the best view in the plane (well, besides the pilot I hope!) and was like a giddy little kid combined with a Japanese tourist. Laughing and in awe of everything and snapping pictures constantly! HA! Here are some of the shots I got...
On Thanksgiving Day we played softball in the park, went to the beach, cracked open a coconut ourselves and drank the fresh milk from it and ate the fruit inside, and then went back to the house and stuffed ourselves full of a homemade Thanksgiving dinner...with some Hawaiian flare!
On the way back to the house Jen, Lisa, and I stopped at Father Damien's church. He was a priest who came to the leper colony in the late 1800's to serve those who were more or less banished to the secluded compound called Kalaupapa on Molokai. The site was chosen because it is a peninsula with high sea cliffs that seclude the area, and the disease, from others. About 42 leprosy survivors still live in the town and visitors are only permitted by invitation or select tour groups. A couple of days later we went to the overlook point read about the life of those sent to the colony. Without knowing the story you would think it was just a normal small town with its own little airport, stores, churches, etc.
While we were at the lookout point we also walked to the phallic stone. Hawaiian legend states that this rock makes women fertile (due to its shape!). Women who wish to become pregnant leave offerings at the stone and some have even been known to sleep on it. Personally, I stayed as far away as possible!!!
As one can imagine nightlife on Molokai can leave a bit to be desired, but we made the best of it singing karoke at the house, doing yoga at sunset in the Kings coconut grove
hitting up the breadshop (where you walk down this alley, knock on a piece of plywood that says "knock here," give your order to the person who then shuts the door, and in a couple of minutes comes back with your warm sweet bread filled with your choice of strawberry, blueberry, cream cheese, cinnamon, and/or butter! It is amazing!!! Not only did we go twice while there, but I brought some home to share with my friends on Oahu!)
going out to one of the two bars on our side of the island
and then....getting pulled over by the police! That's right...leave it to me, the non-drinker to get pulled over.
I guess the government has bestowed a grant to the police force of Molokai to set up road blocks on the weekend in order to cut down on drunk drivers. Well, I pulled over at the road block and when they asked for my license I realized that all I had was my state ID! They asked for my name, SS #, birthdate, and state I had a valid drivers license in and looked it up in their computers, but I didn't come up in the system (I still don't know exactly why this is) Anyway, long story short, we were 3 blocks from the house, but they made us sit there while they called the chief to see what to do, told me I should be getting a ticket, etc. After chatting with us for awhile and me offering them a piece offering of bread (which they begrudgingly rejected) they let us go!
While the nights may leave a bit to be desired, the days are filled with adventure...Lisa, Rodney, Jen, and I woke up and went kayaking in the bay, caught a couple of waves, and saw some cute turtles and a baby shark!
Another day we went hiking into the rainforest. We had to go-off roading to get up there and that in and of itself was an adventure. The path was VERY wet and rocky. It was actually the same trail the ancient Hawaiians used to log timber for their canoes. On the way up the path there is a place where they dug out the exact size of the hull of one of their ships so they knew how much wood would fit into it and thus how much to carry down the mountain!
We stopped about half way up to check out the scenery...it took my breath away! All the deep blues and greens, the fresh warm air...
The path in the rainforest was a bit tricky to navigate at times because it was so slippery, but we managed.
When we got to the top of the mountain (well, as far up as we could go) the view was shielded by a white blanket of clouds that enveloped us. It was incredible...I knew there was a steep ledge and other huge mountain tops in front of me, but looked as if I was staring at a slowly moving white plaster wall. It was quite a strange sensation and the pictures don't do it justice!
Amazingly enough I did miss a few of the sights on Molokai, but I can't complain...it just gives me reason to go back again someday...right?!?
posted by Tracy @ 11:19 PM
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