Getting ready to go

BJ and I are heading for Florida, the sunshine state. We are packing and putting our things in order to start the trip. Hope all the children and grandchildren will follow along on this blog to learn about our adventures.

Saints, nuts, and boats

We made the greuling 4.5 minute flight from Molokai's main airport down to the their tiny airport on the Kalaupapa penninsula. Everyone else rode mules down so BJ said we were the jet setters. Kalaupapa is the place where the Catholic priest Father Damien de Veuster originally of Belgium worked with the people of Hawaii to better the conditions for people with leperosy. We learned that only a few former patients are still alive, and when they die the National Park Service will take over the penninsula. We got to see the church where they will bury Father Damien's ankle when they officially declare him a saint in about a week. The patients have been allowed to leave since 1969 but many decided to stay where they are cared for with food and an allowance.

We also visited the Purdy Macadamia Nut Farm and bought some. BJ loves them raw, I like mine roasted. The Macadamia Nut tree is originally from Queensland Australia. You can havest and eat the nuts at any stage of developement. But mostly they just rake up whatever falls on the ground. Nuts develope and can be harvested all year around.

This Saturday is the big canoe race from Molokai to Oahu. We went down a dirt road to get to Hale Lono Harbor where they are getting the canoes ready for the race. BJ didn't like the dirt road but we suvived.

In the evening we went to the 3 mile long beach with beautiful sand, Popohaku, and had it all to ourselves for a while. This morning we went to beaches north and south of that and viisted a restored sugar mill, smallest on the Hawaiian islands. Our hostess says today is the hottest day all year so far.

Slow down, its Molokai

This the most rural of Hawaiian Islands, at least the most rural of those that tourists are allowed to visit, and the local rush hour is three or four cars at the stop signs in the middle of town. The trade winds blow to cool us off in the afternoon and pile up gorgeous clouds over mountaintops of Molokai, Lanai, and Maui which we can see in the distance. Our room in near the top of the mountain on Molokai. We have gotten to look down on Kaluapapa the penninsula where the leper colony was from the lookout only about a mile from where we live. It turns out that Father Damien is being turned into an official Cathoic saint in about a week and a half. BJ has lots of great pictures. This morning we went to Halawa Valley, a VERY tropical (muggy) lush green valley with a huge waterfall. The natives are trying to rebuild a taro plantation there. Then we just relaxed in the evening either at the public library or on the beach. We've driven from the west and the Hawaiian Islands biggest beach, to the other end of the island at Halawa Valley, a total of 30 or so miles, and might have passed maybe ten cars coming the other direction. As we came in from the airport the driver asked if we had come to Molokai to relax. That sounded like a good enough reason to visit to me. So we are learning from the local T-shirt, slow down, its Molokai.