Just
got back from a four-day trip to the most beautiful of the Hawaiian
islands. About four years ago, we'd gone, and the people were super
friendly—the most friendly group of locals I'd ever met and Molokai
really lived up to its Friendly Isle nickname. Not as much this
time, though the island itself was perhaps even more warm and
inviting.
For
the first time ever as a parent, I went without an itinerary. I'm a
detailed planner so each day is usually laid out on paper with nearly
every waking hour accounted for—the where's, when's, and what's to
hit, drives to take, things to see and do, etc. But I wanted to take
it easy this go around with no stress, no rush, no set schedules, and
so settled for skeletal plans for each day. Can't get lost on
Molokai. Just go with the flow and enjoy, was the plan. Perhaps
by my being more open than usual, God blessed our Molokai trip with
wonderful surprises:
Day
one: We rented a fishing rod and reel and purchased a seven-foot
bamboo pole and went fishing on the state's longest wharf. Last time
round there were plenty of small fish, but none bit. This time the
fish were plentiful and biting—mostly manini and everyone (except
me) caught two or three. Time went by, fun and exciting, and we had
nice chats with friendly locals and tourists. Then Jaren said, “I
see an eel!” pointing below his feet at a huge head of an emerging
moray that was attracted by stray pieces of bait shrimp submerged
near the entrance to its lair. “Do you want to catch it?” I
asked. “Yes!” he said.
I'd
brought along heavy tackle (20 lb. test line and large sturdy hooks)
and had him fetch a thick piece of drift wood nearby—something easy
to hold onto while tugging out the muscular eel that can wedge tight
in crevices.
With
the hook baited and line secured to the middle of an eighteen inch
long stick, he lowered the bait to the hole's opening while crouched
on the rock above.
Almost
immediately, out came the eel, jaws agape, which seized the bait, and
retracted back quick as a turtle's head into its shell.
“Hold
tight!” I said.
Jaren
fought the tug with steady pressure and out popped the hook, sans eel
and bait.
“I
felt him! I had him!” he cried.
Because
there was nary a fight, I knew the eel had taken only the bait, and
not the hook.
I
let Braden try next.
This
time the puhi (eel) did not emerge. There were numerous crevices
nearby, so Braden laid the bait down near one further out. He got a
hit!
“Hold
tight!” I shouted.
He
giggled as with one hand he fought the tug and tried to get a better
footing on the downward sloping, uneven rocks.
Splash!
His foot lost hold and his left side slipped down. He caught his
balance but the line went slack. Deanne fussed over scrapes on his
shin, foot, and hand while he said, “I'm fine,” with
don't-baby-me impatience.
Jaren
and the others later tried, each getting two strikes each—one
resulting in a bent hook (that eel was tough!) When they ran out of
bait shrimp, they used as bait the manini they'd caught. And Jaren
discovered two smaller zebra eels in holes nearby. The kids were all
so excited that we had to pull them away for lunch with promises that
we could return to try again later.
Day
two: After spending time at Mauna Loa Kite Factory gift shop where I
finally solved a pyramid puzzle after ten minutes (that “Duh!”
people can solve in three—so said the label) and shopping for
knick-knacks, we followed the public access road to Kepuhi Beach and
had lunch while watching the surfers on the consistently excellent
waves. There was a bluff at the beach's far end with a trail that
led toward its wind swept and grassy point. Nearer, pebbles framed
the sandy shore where a monk seal basked on its belly.
We'd
seen a seal during our prior Molokai trip at Dixie Maru beach, so
this was nothing new, but nice nonetheless. We later took a a wide
berth around it (as required by law) and made for the bluff which
gave a beautiful vantage toward the sandy coast to the south.
Northward were worn lava rock shores with a tide pool table and in
the distance, a steep, high outcropping—remnants of an ancient lava
flow terminus. Most striking of all, mid-distance was a sandy cove
set back from the rough Kaiwi channel waters' incessant pounding
surf—sheltered at its highest reaches by stands of
drought-resistant Keawe—green, rough, and airy. The weather was
hot, dry, breezy, and clear. I explained to the kids that this is as
beautiful a beach as any on Earth. People spend thousands of dollars
to travel to Greece to see a beach that is no more beautiful than
this. And what makes it so special is its isolation. There's no
paved road here. You have to walk or catch a boat. I'm glad. Too
many people will spoil it. (I later researched this hidden gem and
learned its Pohakumauliuli Beach name.)
We
spent a few hours on the sand, exploring, and hanging wih the locals.
And was I ever glad I'd brought my DSLR camera instead of relying
solely on Braden's point-and-shoot.
Day
three: After visiting a couple of old churches (Father Damien's
Saint Joseph and Our Mother of Seven Sorrows) and taking peeks
inside, we dropped by Murphy's Beach. A friendly, well behaved dog
paid us a visit, which the kids loved since we have no pets. After
lunch, Jaren in mask and snorkel, and supervising Braden, went to the
far end of the beach where it was safest while I stood and watched
from a distance. A high school-looking Caucasian girl told me that
straight out from where we were were lots of fish by the rocks
protruding above the surface—about twenty-five yards out. Her
mother with her was friendly, too, and the dog that had visited us
now lounged at home beside them.
When
the boys got back soon because of “nothing to see”—I told
Braden, who looked bored, to go talk to the two who'd talked to me.
“They're friendly. Ask them, What's the dog's name?”
He
hesitated, but went. And stayed talking with them (mostly listening)
for the next twenty minutes. Pene, who'd been playing in the sand,
joined him after awhile. They discovered the dog didn't belong to
them. This socializing with strangers was big for Braden who's chronically shy.
Then
at Halawa Beach—another of the most beautiful beaches in the world,
we had both sides all to ourselves. The right side, just off
the parking lot at the foot of the steep nearside pali (cliffs) had
huge natural boulder breakers worn smooth by the surf and a sandy
crescent shore that waves pounded incessant. It was raw, wild,
natural, and peaceful.
To
its left, a shallow stream fed from a ribbon falls about a mile
up-valley. Across was the second beach lined with coconut trees and
salt-resistant thick-leaved foliage. We forded the knee-deep stream
and hung out at the flour-soft gray sand beach (all to ourselves)
where I lay back, hat over face, to relax, praise God, and enjoy
it—the warmth, beauty, isolation, wonderful weather, restored
health, natural quiet, kids playing. I had felt apprehensive about
going this far, but it had gone very well.
Jaren
picked up various pieces of driftwood to thump a hole in the sand,
then tried to knock a fresh coconut down out of a tree (futile). Braded,
to my surprise, was able to husk a dried coconut by pounding its end
with a stick and peeling. We later brought it back to Oahu to
consume and its liquid and flesh were tasty and fresh. He even
succeeded, again to my surprise, in knocking down a fresh green
coconut using Jaren's long drift wood on his first try.
On
our way back to our car, there was a mermaid-like lady lounging in
the stream upon a low wall of slippery rocks. She looked so content,
legs dangling beneath the surface, dark workout suit wet like a
seal's coat. She later stripped to a bikini, submerged to her neck,
and paddled about, reminding me of an otter.
Day
four: With not much planned except a Macadamia Nut Farm tour after
lunch (Braden's idea), we followed a sign to a store with furniture
and knick-knacks. Outside, a friendly dog greeted us. The store
owner explained that it was Angel the school dog. While browsing the
interesting merchandise, Jaren asked if we could give money to a cat
sanctuary advertised on a donation box. I suggested maybe we could
visit it? The owner said it was across the gravel parking lot and
that the owner was in the back and could give us a tour.
We
looked from outside the chain link fence into the enclosure that
housed over a score of beautiful, healthy, and clean cats of multiple
varieties, sizes, and colors walking freely among low wooden box-like
apartment shelters, the entire area covered by a low wire mesh
ceiling. We asked to enter and were ushering in and told that the
cats were previously owned, none were former strays, and thus, very
friendly. One named Bat Man was blind, but friendly (until he got
tired, in which case he batted a claw at you), and one named Mr.
Black jumped into our laps and couldn't get enough thouch and
affection. He reminded me of my two childhood cats that like him,
were black except for a single spot of white. His and Inky's were on
their throats, Tomo's was on his thigh. We all loved the cats and
Jaren requested to stay another hour as he tantalized his favorites
with a chase toy. We left a small donation but felt bad about its
minuteness when the owner mentioned veterinary bills were their
number one cost. His example was Mr. Black's who had cost $2,500 to
chaperone to Maui, pay for surgery and several night's observation at
the clinic, and chaperone back. When I was kid my parents made clear
that pets were pets and not humans and we weren't rich enough to pay
for exorbitant pet bills. I explained this to our kids and that
every family is different; I was happy that they saved Mr. Black, but
that we would not have likely paid such big bills for a pet—not
when college bills, retirement, and other expenses were looming so
near and large.
It'd
been a wonderful experience to go traveling sans schedule. Deanne
appreciated not having to rush to prepare our lunches each morning
before departure and that we could sleep in, relax, or do nothing.
The kids were even super-excited to visit the rather small public
library. Just
our sort of vacation—slow, casual, and easy. We even returned to
Honolulu better refreshed than when we'd left!