Sunday February 1st 2009

For our last day we planned a trip to the War Memorials at Pearl Harbour. We got up early again and checked out but left our bags at the hotel.

Andrew and Claire grabbed a coffee on the way to the Hilton and Jim and I met them there to catch the bus out to Pearl Harbour. You are not allowed to take any bags around the memorials so we went to hand them in and then bought tickets for the battleship Missouri and the Bowfin submarine. We decided to go to the Arizona first because although it is free it is first come first served and if we waited until we had seen the other two things we might not have got in. It was a good decision because in our bus on the way back to Honolulu we talked to an American couple who missed the Arizona because the last bus goes back at 2.45 and they did not have enough time to wait in line.

It is quite something to see the Arizona in the water a few feet below the memorial and to see all the names of the men who died. Apparently even some of the men who died afterwards have been cremated and laid to rest under water with their comrades.

The battleship Missouri was very interesting. You can walk on several of the decks and even see where the peace accord was signed. The guns are huge! There were much better conditions on here than on the Bowfin submarine which was obviously very cramped. They must have size restrictions because Jim had a lot of trouble getting through the doorways and he could not possibly have done it in a hurry.

When we got back to Honolulu we went to have a drink at the Hilton. This was easier said than done because it was Super Bowl Sunday and the bar was full of fans glued to the big screen TV. We found a table behind the TV screen which was empty and enjoyed our drinks as well as watching the reaction of the fans to the game which seemed to be very exciting right to the very last minute. After our drinks we went down to Waikiki beach for our last view of beach and ocean before heading back to catch a taxi to the airport. Our plane left a little late at 10.05pm but it was an uneventful flight home. We said goodbye to Andrew and Claire in Vancouver airport and headed for our flight to Edmonton. While we waited in the boarding lounge I watched the news item about Groundhog Day and Whiarton Willy predicted 6 more weeks of winter - oh no! But Helen picked us up on a balmy day in Edmonton - it was above zero - so perhaps he was wrong!

So that is the end of our trip to Molokai except for the mosquito bites I brought back with my souvenirs from the PCC.

Saturday 31st January 2009

Our plane was leaving Molokai at 9am so we were up early and out of the condo by 7.45 for the 15 minute drive to the airport. Again the flight was over in no time but we messed around getting a shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn when it really would have been much better to just take a taxi. We had booked a shuttle to the Polynesian Cultural Centre at noon and we needed to get there in time!

It was of course too early to check in to the Hotel so we got them to keep our bags and (fortunately) still had time to go and get brunch. Then we walked over to the Hilton Hawaiian Hotel to catch the bus to the PCC. While we were waiting we booked a 9am bus to go to Pearl Harbour tomorrow morning.

We had not paid for a guide because we had been before but we changed our minds when we got there and paid the little bi t extra and it was well worth it because he knew when shows would start and timed our arrivals just right. The first thing we watched was the canoe pageant and I took some videos. I have uploaded the New Zealand dancers which is the best one I have. Helen is not quite as good as this but almost! If I get a copy of the Tahitian dancers from Claire I will add that later.

After the luau buffet we went to the theatre for the show and as the sun went down the mosquitoes came out. Wearing shorts no longer seemed like a good idea! The show was amazing - I especially love the Tahitian dancers and the last act which is the fire dancers. Its understandable that when we were going to do a show in a school a couple of years ago the principal would not let the fire dancer perform even though the Polynesians all insisted it was quite safe. The children were all sitting on the gymnasium floor in a circle quite close around us - just where they would catch a dropped flaming torch!

Friday January 30th 2009

Today was our last day on Molokai and so we were very glad to find it was warm and sunny when we woke up. We packed a lunch and went to Murphy's Beach at the other end of the island. Claire and I finally got in some snorkelling but the water was pretty shallow and we only saw a few fish. Still we had a great sunbathing day at the beach at last!

A dog came along and adopted Jim. We thought he belonged to a couple who were walking down the beach but they told us he was not with them. He made himself comfortable in the sand beside Jim where he could scare the life out of him barking at every truck that went by. Good thing there is not a lot of traffic on Molokai! I would post a picture but Claire is the only one who took a photo of him and I did not download it before she went home - maybe I can add it later.

In the evening we packed and cleaned since we were having to leave early in the morning.

Thursday January 29th 2009

Heavy rain woke us in the night and we were afraid this would be another quiet day but by breakfast time the sun was out and getting hotter all the time. We had another visit from the wild turkeys and I tried to take some video of one of them.

In the afternoon we went down to the pool and enjoyed some quiet time with our books and I finished reading Twilight!

Claire won the game of Blackeye today with a perfect run.

Wednesday January 28th 2009

Yesterday was so wet that we stayed in all day but the one bright spot was that Man U beat West Brom 5 to 0 and the guys were able to watch it live on the computer.

It was still raining when we got up but by late morning it had eased off enough for Jim and I to take a run into Kaunakakai for supplies - the man at the Molokai Wine and Spirits store greets us like old friends now. He has a very funny cartoon on the shelf which Claire took a photo of. I will see if I can get it onto this blog.

In the afternoon Claire and I took a walk down to the local beach and were amazed to see surfers out there.

Claire finished reading Twilight and so now I have taken up the challenge of reading it in 24 hours too.

Tuesday January 27th 2009

Today it rained, and rained and rained.

Monday January 26th 2009

Kalaupapa and the Phallic Rock was our destination this morning - revisited by Jim and me but an interesting sight for Claire and Andrew. On the way back through Kualapuu we decided to visit the Purdy Macadamia Nut Farm but unfortunately it was closed.

We drove into Kaunakakai instead, parked opposite the gas station and walked out to the end of the wharf. There were lots of little black crabs darting about on the rocks and some colourful fish in the murky water. The area that was sectioned off for swimming warned of hazardous sea creatures amongst other off-putting warnings so we were not tempted to swim.

In Kaunakakai we had lunch in Paddler's restaurant where Claire got a Mai Tai, Jim had a Pina Colada and I had a Lava Flow. Andrew was not as adventurous and he had a beer. In the town we tried unsuccessfully to buy a computer cable that would allow us to view the DVDs Jim had brought with him by playing them through the laptop. We bought the next best thing which was a little DVD player so after dinner we were finally able to watch Slumdog Millionaire which we all enjoyed.

Sunday January 25th 2009

Jim and I went to the 11am Mass in Maunaloa which is a bit closer than Kaunakakai. Again we were lei'd as first timers but this time there were several other couples too. The priest, originally from Ireland, was visiting from the eastern US but I do not think he got a lei. The music was provided by a lady singing with guitar and harmonica accompaniment - very Hawaiian!

The rest of the day was a day of rest. We sat on the lanai and read our books. Andrew finished his John Grisham and started Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Even though he pronounced it a teenage girl's fantasy book he could not put it down and he read it in under two days!

A walk to the pool was the most activity we had all day.

Saturday January 24th 2009

The Manchester United fans watched the game live on the computer thanks to someone who downloads it for all to see. Fortunately United won and so we were able to enjoy the rest of the day. Claire and Andrew went off to explore Kaunakakai on their own and buy some supplies for dinner. Jim and I made use of the time reading and suntanning on the lanai. In the afternoon we decided to go to Dixie Maru beach for a swim but the door of the condo locked behind us so we had to get someone from the office to come and open it. While waiting for Jim to go to the office Andrew and Claire attempted some gymnastics to see if it was possible to climb up to the lanai to get in. This only resulted in him splitting his swimming trunks so then we had to go into Maunaloa where we were lucky to find one pair that was his size!

We spent about an hour at Dixie Maru and I got my first ocean swim of the holiday - after a week! When we used to go to Abersoch years ago Mum and I went swimming every day and I like to carry on the tradition. When we got back to the condo we went down to the pool to use the hot tub and got talking to a man from Comox. Jim had gone to check out the tennis courts and the man asked me if we played tennis. I foolishly told him that we had met playing tennis and he said we should have a game because they had brought their tennis racquets with them. Anyone who brings their tennis racquet with them is going to be too good to play with us - we haven't played since we got married!

Dinner was barbecued steaks, peppers and zucchini with parmesan garlic mashed potatoes - Claire and Andrew can cook every night from now on! After dinner we played three games of Blackeye with Jim the overall winner.

Friday January 23rd 2009

Today Andrew discovered that an unheated pool is not warm at 8am even in this climate. Keen to swim we decided to drive along the south coast to Murphy's Beach at the 20 mile marker which we had discovered earlier in the week. As we set out we were listening to the local radio and heard a warning several times about bad weather that had caused all the local schools to be closed and suggesting we should all take cover and keep safe! This sounded like deja vu because the day we arrived in Honolulu a week ago, a weather warning had caused closure of all the schools and some government businesses. The storm had not turned out as bad as expected although I think we had met it half way through our flight when we went through about an hour of turbulence that was making the plane bounce and creak alarmingly. We decided to take a run into Maunaloa and consult some locals before going anywhere. The man in the kite shop said the weather was going to be fine and he did not know why a warning would be broadcast so we set off watching the sky as we went.

Murphy's is indeed a lovely beach, great for snorkelling and there was nobody else there but that might have been because a fresh wind and cloudy weather were making it almost as cold as the pool so still no swimming today. Instead we drove up over the end of the island to Halawa beach. Here we parked the car and walked down the trail to the beach to eat our packed lunch. There are lots of photo opportunities at this end of the island - beautiful views, winding roads and lush vegetation.

On the way home Claire and Andrew were introduced to Dave's Hawaiian Ice Cream in Kaunakakai. Andrew was looking for a special brand of coffee so we went to the Coffees of Hawaii store in Kualapuu but it was a bit disappointing. They only sold their own brand and it contained only 10% Hawaiian coffee!

Thursday January 22nd 2009

Claire and Andrew arrived starving because they had not been able to get dinner when they arrived at their hotel in Honolulu last night so we took them straight to the Bakery in Kaunakakai for breakfast. We had a browse in the Wine and Spirits Store and got some supplies and then headed back to let them settle in at the condo. After lazing around on the lanai for a couple of hours with a drink and our books we went down to check out the pool.

The Cookhouse in Kualapuu was our destination for dinner tonight. Andrew and I ordered the prime rib, Claire had mahi mahi and Jim had crab stuffed shrimp. My prime rib must have been two inches thick - it was a gigantic wedge of meat. Needless to say I did not finish it. There was live music supplied by a man with a ukulele and his buddy with an improvised double bass. The wine supplied by ourselves got mixed reviews - the rose was quite nice but the $4.99 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon got a thumbs down from our experts. A huge black cloud that came up around sunset had us all a little worried but it passed over without any ill effect.

We retired early - it had been a long day and there is a time difference to get used to.

Wednesday January 21st 2009

A trip to the Kalaupapa Lookout was on the agenda today. On the way down to the highway we saw some deer running across the road. The only wildlife we have seen so far, apart from the birds that is, was a mongoose at the side of the road. On the road over the NE corner of the island we did see road signs warning of Ne'ne crossing and it would have been quite something to see this endangered goose in the wild but we were out of luck.

We stopped at Kualapu'u Cookhouse to see if we needed to book in order to eat there and were told to just come early (they are open from 5pm to 8pm) bring our own wine and stay as long as we want.

There were only a couple of cars and a minibus in the parking lot at the end of the road. Most of the visitors were just leaving so we walked to the trail head with a couple of ladies. These are the highest sea cliffs in the world at 2000 ft and so the view of the peninsula is pretty spectacular. There were some plaques pointing out what we could see from the lookout and giving some information about Fr Damien, the Belgian priest who came to help the people who had been exiled here because they had leprosy.

Back at the car park there was a trail heading through the forest to the Phallic Rock, where fertility rites took place in ancient times. It is a sacred place and very peaceful in the ironwood forest.




On our way home we stopped in Kaunakakai for some supplies and to explore a little more. I took a picture of the Public Library and we visited a gift shop. On the way out we noticed a Restaurant and Bar which has live music on Wednesdays and Fridays so we will definitely have to check that out - I hope it is Hawaiian music.

After lunch we drove a little way down the road to Papohaku Beach and walked along the beach to find a shady spot to sit and watch the wild water. Its great to watch but unfortunately unsafe for swimming.

Tuesday January 20th 2009

Today we decided to visit Maunaloa which is an old plantation town a few minutes drive past our turn off the highway. We found a General Store which sold basic food goods which included fresh meat, fruit and vegetables so it was a good find. I also managed to post a birthday card at the Post Office. There did not seem to be much else apart from the Gallery and Kite Shop which we will save for when Claire and Andrew are here. The Molokai Lodge is now closed along with the cinemas which it also owned. There was a little Catholic Church, St Vincent Ferrer, which claims to have Mass at 11am on Sundays and a school but that was it. The closure of the Lodge must have put a lot of people out of work here.

After lunch on the lanai we had a lazy afternoon and evening watching some of the Obama inauguration on TV. I thought the Hawaiians might have made more of it - maybe they did on the other islands but it was just another day here on sleepy Molokai.

Monday January 19th 2009

Today we decided to visit the eastern end of the island so after lunching on a grilled cheese sandwich in the bakery in Kaunakakai and exploring some of the shops there, we headed out along the highway heading east. We passed several beaches along the way where the water was very shallow because of the fishponds created in ancient times to fatten up fish in an enclosed area. The water was still murky so we pressed on to around the mile 20 marker where there were some nice sandy beaches with clearer water and a few people snorkelling. The road carried on, cutting inland and turning into a very narrow winding road over the top and down to the other side of the island. There was nothing to see there and the road turned into a dirt track suitable only for 4WD vehicles and so we turned around and headed home.

When we got back to Kaunakakai we stopped for some Hawaiian ice cream and explored some of the back streets to see what other shops we could find. The answer is "not many"!

A cold beer on the lanai was a good way to spend the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday January 18th 2009

Today we went to explore the local beaches. We walked through the Kaluakoi Villas and down to the beach by the golf course. The surf was really rough and there were a lot of rocks on the beach so it was not good for swimming or even paddling. We sat and watched the waves for a while and then wandered back through the depressing Kaluakoi Villas that seem to have been left to rot for several months. When the owners of the Molokai Ranch closed down operations in March 2008 they also abandoned this condo rental resort and golf course so it is in a sorry state now. The locals campaigned against a large development proposed by the Singapore owners of the Ranch and they responded by closing the Ranch, the Lodge, the Maunaloa gas station and cinemas and throwing a lot of people onto welfare. It is tough to decide whether this opposition to development was the right thing to do - Molokai is very poor and rustic and there is a lot of unemployment.

In the afternoon we had to return to the airport to swap our rental car because the car we had booked was not available on our arrival yesterday. We missed our turn and ended up to the north of the airport driving along a road called Farrington Ave. This was an amazing coincidence since I had received an email that morning telling me that the parish priest in Dumfries, Fr Michael Farrington, had just passed away. I spoke with him in September last year when I was there to help Ray celebrate his 60th birthday. He was the older brother of a friend of mine at the Hollies Convent in Manchester - small world!

Later we drove down the coast from our condo to visit some other beaches and see if we could find one which would be good for swimming. Dixie Maru beach, named for a boat that was shipwrecked there, looked like the best bet and we will definitely return another day although the water seemed a little murky.

Saturday January 17th 2009

The alarm went off at 6am so we could get back to the airport for our 8.20am flight to Molokai. The plane was a Dash 8 with only 40 to 50 seats and it was open seating - like getting on a bus. The steward told us what we could see looking out the window (white caps, clouds etc) and then came around offering coffee. I preferred not to use the powdered creamer so when he came round again to collect the garbage I had only had a few sips of the hot coffee and had to throw it away in his plastic garbage bag! Memo to self: don't accept the coffee on a 20 minute flight!

The airport in Molokai is very small with a long table in the open air instead of a baggage carousel. We soon found our luggage, picked up our rental car and headed into the main town of Kaunakakai to get some food and wine to take to the condo. Although it is the main town on Molokai with the only 2 gas stations on the island it is just one main street and looks like an old west town. We got what we needed and then had a walk round exploring the Saturday market and checking out the other stores. We saw St Sophia's Catholic church and noted that there was a Mass at 6pm on Saturday or 9am on Sunday.

It took us about 30 minutes to drive out to the condo on the NW corner of the island and meet Cathy who let us in and made us welcome. The office did not open until later so we settled in with a drink on the lanai and later we went to the office to register and get the code that would let us into the pool area where we spent the afternoon. In the hot tub I met Carol who was escaping from Alaska with her youngest daughter while her husband stayed home with the school age kids - great plan!

We headed back to Kaunakakai for the 6pm Mass where we were made very welcome. A lady on the steps outside asked if this was our first visit to the church and greeted us with a shell lei and a kiss. She asked us to sign the guest register and then just before the Mass started she asked us to stand up so the congregation could greet us. We recognized the priest because he had been in the boarding lounge in Honolulu waiting for the same plane as us.

On the way back to the Ke Nani Kai condos we marvelled at the cat's eyes illuminating the road - a brilliant invention that cannot be used on our roads in Alberta because the snow plows would rip them up.

On the way to Molokai

Friday January 16th 2009
We were wondering if the weather in Vancouver would spoil our holiday like it did at Christmas but apart from a problem with fog which meant we had to go into a holding pattern for a short time it was not a factor. In the Vancouver Airport I saw some crazy flip flops which I resisted at first but while sharing a Cinnabon with Jim I decided that I was on holiday and should spoil myself so I went back and bought the ones with blue bubbles on with crabs and a whale diving into the bubbles - don't they sound amazing? Once on the plane to Honolulu we discovered that Air Canada no longer serves hot food and we did not want to pay their prices for food and wine so we were glad we had the Cinnabon in Vancouver. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Honolulu because we arrived too late to take a flight to Molokai. We stayed at the same hotel two years ago when we were on our way to Kauai. We had dinner in a restaurant just round the corner which is open 24 hours and then collapsed into bed - it had been a long day!