Aloha!

Lou and I arrived home Tuesday morning March 4^th to be greeted to a 70 degree temperature swing. BRRR!

We spent our first eight days in Hawai’i on the Island of Moloka'i. Moloka'i is a very interesting island and not a tourist hotspot.

Molika'i is often called the “friendly Island” because the Aloha spirit flourishes there. What is the Aloha Spirit? According to Hawaiian Law, the Aloha Spirit embodies traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii.

• Aloha is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation.
• Aloha means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return.
• Aloha is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence.
• Aloha means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.

We found the Aloha Spirit alive and thriving among the people of Moloka'i who consider Moloka'i the “real” Hawai’i and it is more reminiscent of the ways of old Hawai’i. It has breathtaking natural beauty, rain forests, and the tallest sea cliffs in the world - dropping 3,000 feet to the sea, deserted beaches and desert. The island almost seems lost in time. Life is rural on Molokai, and there are no stop lights, no traffic, no smog, and no hurry. Moloka'i time is when ever you get there.

It is where you can find longest white sand beach in Hawai'i and it will probably have only your foot prints on it. The island is approximately 38 miles long and 10 miles wide, with just over 88 miles of unspoiled coastline and is the fifth largest island of Hawai’i.

The city of Kaunakakai (pronounced cow-na-cockeye) is the hub of the island and the harbor. Ferry boats and other sailing vessels arrive and depart daily from this harbor. The main street of Kaunakakai covers about 4 square blocks and includes two gas stations, two grocery markets, a natural foods market, several cafes and a dozen or so shops. Saturday mornings is the farmer and artisan market. Most shops are closed on Sundays.

It is estimated that over 2,500 of Moloka'i's 6,500 inhabitants have more than 50% Hawaiian blood. Except for Niihau (a small island near Kauai – only accessible by the Hawaiian peoples), it is the only island where Hawaiians are the majority. The island is the legendary birthplace of hula.

We then spent February on the Big Island (Hawai’i) at Volcano Cottage, just a few miles from Volcanoes National Park. We were at 4,000 feet in elevation, which gave us temps in the 60’s during the day and upper 40’s at night. Once the sun goes down, it gets downright chilly.

Our first ten days on the Big Island were met by torrential rains. Hilo was flooded, roads were closed, and businesses were closed (unable to get to them because of flooding). Hilo received 24 inches of rain within a 24 hour period! The town of Volcano Village received about 8-9 inches of rain during that same rain storm. The rain was a tropical rain and the temperatures were mild. All we needed were light rain jackets and we didn't let the rain slow our enjoyment of the area. Lou loves it here, rain, sun, stars. Oh the stars, There is no light at night on the mountain with a purpose. The Observatories 30 miles away are protected from light and that means the streets where we were are dark and you could see the sky unfiltered by light. Oh my, the stars!

We let no moss grow beneath our feet, putting on 4,000 plus miles and enjoying the diversity of the island. We saw humpback whales on several occasions along the coastline, indulged in fresh fruits and vegetables, and ate at a 50’s Fountain café. The owner gave us a “pin-point deed” and welcomed us as Minnesotans heartily. He loves Austin and Spam. Memorabilia adorned his café of Elvis, street rods, and spam.

We went to the summit of Mauna Kea at 13,888 feet and oh what a site. It may have been one of the high points of our trip no pun intended. The last five miles of road were gravel road and if you do go it might be best to use a high clearance vehicle. The last quarter mile gets rough but is certainly passable. Don't believe the signs about four wheel drives. They are trying talk you into paying $175.00 a person to ride in a van to the top. It is not necessary. We also went to within four miles of the top of Mauna Loa to the observatories there at 11,310 feet. They aren't optical anymore but are used to test for global warming. The road is being redone and the first five miles is brand new black top and the remaining twelve miles is paved road but also older road. This one scared the heck out of us. Not the road but the signs leading into it. The signs made a person think that the road could only be traversed by large four wheel drive vehicles. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It is fully paved the whole length and once you pass the signs and the convenient turn around you hit the new road and the rougher but still paved road. A small passenger sedan can make this trip without a pause. A person traveling Hawai'i must remember that tourism is their life blood and you are constantly being sold a bill of goods. Let the buyer beware!

In Hawaiian mythology, Pele, pronounced /pele/, (peh-leh, not pay-lay) is the goddess of fire, lightning, dance, soccer, volcanoes and violence. She is a daughter of Haumea and Kane Milohai, and her home is believed to be the fire pit Halema'uma'u at Kilauea crater on Mauna Loa, earth's largest mountain; but her domain encompasses all volcanic activity on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

There are several traditional legends associated with Pele in Hawaiian mythology.

The last two weeks of our stay we encountered VOG and Madame Pele became agitated once again, spewing lava down the mountain side towards the sea, through Royal Gardens Subdivision, and the remaining two homes left from the last flow. Vog is volcanic smog formed when sulfur dioxide and other pollutants emitted by an erupting volcano mix with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight. The term is most often applied to the island of Hawai'i, where the Kilauea volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. Kilauea emits an estimate of 2,500 tons of vog every day. Usually the Vog is dispersed out to sea by the trade winds. This time, the trade winds were no where to be found, and the Vog settled and drifted over the Hawaiian island chain and the humidity rose to 100% without rain.

I hope that you enjoyed learning about Moloka'i – which is one of those places that most people never get to and the Island of Hawai'i that Lou loves so dearly. Actually, it is my favorite too.

                                                                                                                            Peggy