Aloha! As a child I always wished for my mother to take me to where she was born. Strung like a forming bracelet of islands deep in the Pacific blue, Hawaii sits over a volcanic hotspot in the Earth's surface. Flying to New Zealand with Hawaiian Airlines would allow me to have a 23-hour stopovers in both Maui and Honolulu, therefore giving me a small taste of Hawaii (and adding another US state to my travel collection). Arriving yesterday, the bus was late (or on Hawaii time) and then I dropped my bag with Blake, my CouchSurfing host so I could get to Lahaina for the sunset. Blake is from Tennessee and his wife is from Switzerland, although she's currently in Europe with their young daughter. Unfortunately I was given instructions for the wrong bus, and nobody picked me up when I attempted to hitchhike, so I missed my only opportunity to photograph a colourful Maui sunset. Blake would give me a lift to Kihei (Key-Hay). Hawaiian BBQ was on my radar and I was drooling by the time it got to my table. BBQ beef with rice and chips was delicious. Whilst I missed the sunset, I did manage to catch the sky whilst there was still some colour.
A customer at my work years ago described Hawaii as "California on an island" and I'll admit walking back to Blake's home from the bus stop felt like walking through some of the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley. With my flight to Oahu not until 2 PM, I woke up early so I could have a brief taste of Lahaina. The buses, although they only run once per hour, offer a very scenic ride along the coast.
Hawaii is the only US state that produces coffee, bananas, pineapples, cacao, coconuts, and macadamia nuts. It is also one of the few states to host every branch of the military. For most Americans, a trip to Hawaii is the only time they'll ever fly over water. For me, Hawaii is a place I'd always wanted to go but would decide to go elsewhere, perceiving Hawaii as "too easy." There is no inter-island ferry network in Hawaii, so unless you have your own boat, you have to fly between the islands. The world's smallest tray table is on planes that do these 40-minute hops. Upon landing I wanted to get to the USS Arizona Memorial, so I figured out the bus quickly and got there. I had to pay to check in my bags, but then I was saddened to find out I had to get a (free) ticket in advance for the boat ride to the memorial. 1,177 Navy sailors lost their lives when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. 7 December, 1941 is, in the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, "a date which will live in infamy." Oil still leaks from the ship's hull after many decades, and it could leak for another 500 years.
Finding CouchSurfing hosts in Hawaii proved to be tricky but whilst I was at the Arizona, I got a call from a guy named Steve offering me a bed on his boat. Although I had to wait a bit, he picked me up and then took myself and another CSer up to Tantalus Lookout for a commanding view of Honolulu. Diamond Head sits like a giant seal resting beside the city.
A few people have already asked me what my thoughts are on Hawaii, so let's start with the good stuff. Ease of travel makes Hawaii an excellent starter trip for those wishing to be travellers. English is the official language and there is a well developed infrastructure. Hawaii is a bit pricey but there's a lot that costs nothing: bird-watching, hiking, snorkelling (with your own equipment), going to the beach, and swimming all cost nothing. Just about everything found on the mainland can be found in Hawaii, so you need not worry about not getting your Starbucks fix. However, if I'm after a true island experience I vastly prefer Fiji or French Polynesia. It's extremely hard to judge a place when I've only spent a couple of days.
Steve would give me a lift to the airport this morning and I made sure to check in early because I wanted to catch up with a major blast from the past, and that's my friend, Terrell. He and I hadn't seen each other in nearly 25 years but we caught up this morning at Big Kahuna but without the K-Earth 101 (in reference to an LA-based radio station).
It's amazing how you can be out of touch with someone for so many years and then pick up a conversation almost precisely where we left off. After pizza and coffee, Terrell and I would part ways at the airport. Hawaii is spectacular! I'll be coming again for more than just a sampler.
