At six o’clock AM San Diego time on the 15th, Marty and I were awake and having coffee. By 6:30AM we were on our way to the airport, and I was off on another adventure – to Molokai, via Maui. The trip was smooth and sunny. I watched EAT, PRAY, LOVE on the plane, and was very glad that I had read the book before I saw the movie. The movie was good, but as usual, the book was better. It fleshed out the characters and events more than the film could do.

Getting to the plane to Maui, a woman was waiting for me with a wheelchair, with a seat so narrow, I thought I would probably be stuck there for the rest of my life! My backpack was very heavy, and when she picked it up to put it on my lap, she said, ‘Auntie, how did they let you put this on the plane? It weighs more than you do!’ – I took it as a compliment! But she got me to the next plane along with two others in wheel chairs, with no problems.

The plane from Honolulu to Maui was only about 45 minutes if that, and I had a very pleasant seatmate, and we talked for the entire time. She was an Army wife, her husband was coming over the next day, and they were going to spend some time together at a time-share they owned, before he was to be deployed to Afghanistan.
From the plane, we walked together to the baggage pickup, where Rachel stood waiting for me. Rachel has become a good friend to Kat and to me. She has moved to Maui from New York City. I met her last year on Molokai where she was part of the Habitat build at Christmas time. She was a welcome sight!

From the airport, we drove to Brett and Cheyenne’s apartment. Brett and Cheyenne are from Alaska, were on the last Molokai Christmas build with Kat, and also were on the Egypt building in October. They have moved to Maui, and Brett goes back to Alaska in February, where he does construction work, for six months, and then returns here.

After seeing them, and watching the sun go down into the ocean, Rachel and I drove to Lahaina, where I was staying, first going to a great restaurant Rachel knew about called Mala. Fresh food, well prepared. We shared an appetizer and an entrée. Then she brought me to the Pioneer Inn, now a Best Western, right on the water. It was magnificent. An old well kept inn, built in the early 1900’s, by a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who was sent here chasing a suspect, and not finding him, stayed. Eventually he built the Pioneer Inn, the first inn in all of Hawaii, along with the Pioneer Saloon, and the Pioneer Theatre. Here he stayed until his death. One of his sons bought out his siblings, and maintained the enterprise and then it was sold. The last owners have had it since the 1990’s. One of the first owner’s sons became a drunk, and sat under the famous banyan tree next to the inn. He even had his own mail delivered there, and the mailbox is still standing.

Yesterday, I took a tour of the Hana region, on the Hana road. At 7AM I was picked up. Lyn was our tour guide and driver. She was native Hawaiian and really knew her history, so it was a joy to listen to her stories and the facts she gave. There were only twelve of us, five from Chicago, a couple from Washington state, a couple from Australia, a couple from the Philippines, and me. We all got along very well, which was nice. The Chicagoans were celebrating their dad’s 85th birthday, with his wife, two daughters, one of whom was married and her spouse with her.

There were plenty of photo opts and Lyn was willing to stop anywhere anyone wanted to stop. The whole day was 10 hours of sightseeing. We saw and visited several state parks and National parks, black sand beaches, saw beautiful waterfalls, lava holes, rainforest plants, poinsettia trees!, cacti, palms of all kinds, mahogany trees, huge bamboo forests, etc. We were driving right along the coast going up to Hana Town, and coming down on the other side of it. In fact we went in a huge circle, always in view of water.

Here in Maui, water is a big issue. When the corporations came in – pineapple plantations, etc. – the Chinese, who were brought in almost like slaves, built canals. Because of their knowledge of gun powder, they blasted out the canals, which redirected the water from the rivers and streams coming down the mountains, leaving the native Hawaiians with very little water for their agriculture and animals and personal use. However, Lyn related, they knew where the water was, because they could see it in the ocean. Lyn pointed out where the water was light blue, which was fresh water, which is lighter than salt water. So along our drive, we saw water stations where well had been drilled to bring up the fresh water for the families of the area. Where there were once plentiful streams and rivers, most are empty of water except when there is heavy rain. In the canal areas, there is water to be seen, however.

The Haleakala Volcano last erupted 200 years ago, and one half of the mountain was blown away, creating a divide in the mountains that can be very clearly seen. After that time, very little rain came into that particular area, and when we drove along it, it began getting less and less green, and then brown and arid with lava rock jutting out and thrown every where. There were small volcano-like mountains near the shore, which Lyn called boundary volcanoes, I believe. That is something I need to look up.

When the Polynesians came to these islands (which are not islands, but mountains, and THE highest in the world, by the way, some over 17,000 feet from sea floor to tip) they were barren. The first people brought with them what they would be needing, young pigs, chickens, dogs. Seeds of the plants they ate, etc. They were fishers of the sea and that food source was plentiful. Many of the actual native plants are still used for medicinal purposes, even in the local hospitals. All the rest of the plants; trees, animals, flowers and fruits; were introduced by others. Whales were never caught. They used the cocui (sp) nut, from the cocui tree, now the state tree. The cocui nut has all kinds of uses, including medicinal. It secretes an oil which was used for light.

We saw the prison which was built to film PAPPILON. It is now a state park, and the building are used for recreational purposes. Lyn pointed out where parts of JURASSIC PARK were filmed, as well as where scenes were taken for one of the many films about Viet Nam. Charles Lindbergh was buried on Maui, and we passed his grave site. George Harrison lived here for a long time, as did many others, including Jim Nabors, who had a huge macadamia nut farm, and who sold it last year, when his doctors told him he had to be nearer them. So he is now on Oahu, and has another macadamia nut farm there. Kris Kristofferson has a large organic farm here also.

Whaling ships from Boston came to Lahaina for provisions and R & R. The local clergyman went to the native Hawaiians and asked them if they could make an alcoholic beverage, as the seamen were getting rowdy and their liquor supply was rapidly being depleted. The Hawaiians very capably made liquor, which satisfied the thirst of the seamen. However the same clergyman declared all women off limits to the seamen. So, when they left, they poured one of their water barrels which had been infested with mosquito larvae, into the clergyman’s water supply, and that is how the mosquito came to Maui.

The Hana Inn was originally the winter quarters for one of the major league baseball teams. When the team was sold, the buildings were sold to a man who made the inn from the buildings. It is a long arduous trek even then, for people to get to the inn, so he advertised that there were seven sacred pools. As Lyn said, soon people began to wonder why only seven, when there are around 37 fresh water pools in the area, and also why were they sacred. At one time it cost $50 a night to stay. Now it is $400-500 a night. As Lyn repeated several times, Hana Town consists of two churches, two restaurants, two gift shops, two gas stations, and one corporation (the Inn.)

At one point going up, Lyn pointed out a small island just off the coast, one top of which were about six or seven coconut trees. She said that an uncle (older men are called uncle and older women auntie) had placed them there, and that for a long time he or his sons and grandsons would go out and harvest them. There was a natural land bridge to access it. Since the last big storm occurred, that land bridge was so eroded that it fell into the sea, and now the island can only be accessed by boat.

Lyn also pointed out a lava outcropping, like an arm into the ocean, which occurred when the volcano last erupted. People took earth out in baskets, and put it on the rock, and now there are plants and trees that can be seen. It has now been determined that Haleakala Volcano is one of those volcanos that will erupt every two hundred years or so. Last week Rachel said there was an earthquake here, 4.5 on the Richter scale, so there is definite activity happening.

When I got back to my hotel, I was exhausted. I went into the Pioneer Restaurant and had a spinach salad and a marguerita, and went upstairs, and literally collapsed. I had asked to be awakened at 6 AM, and I set my alarm to wake me at 6 AM also. The call came, my alarm went off, I shut my eyes just for a minute, and woke up at 9:30AM, missing the ferry to Molokai. So I went into the restaurant, had a good breakfast, got my things packed up, and checked out about noon. The Inn let me store my bags safely, until I need them, and I just went out to their patio and here I am, writing and reading, and relaxing. I have a ticket for the evening ferry, and have alerted those on Molokai as to my plans, apologizing profusely, of course.

The Saloon here has a wonderful African Grey Parrot, named J.T., and does he talk! And he will answer you also. By five in the afternoon, he is covered up, and goes to sleep.

Lahaina is very touristy. This is where the cruise ships anchor off the shore, and tenders bring the folks in. I am enjoying just the quiet and the peace of this wonderful patio.

Life is good.

Adieu, Adios, Mahalo,
I love you all,
Sally