Maui to Molokai

Flew from Maui to Molokai today. Sad to leave most of the island behind and happy that the cruise ships don't dock at our next port of call.

Interestingly enough the plane and the pilot were the same as last time from Hawaii to Maui. What was different was that we had almost a full plane (8 passengers) and a co-pilot. It took us twice as long to get off the runway but the flight was smooth. I spent the time looking for humpback whales (which we had seen off the coast of Maui but no luck.) This was a short flight with the highlight being the view of the Molokai sea cliffs as we approached the island.

I am told that these are the biggest sea cliffs in the world at over 3,000 feet and I have no reason to disagree. They were amazing. On the way we flew over Kalaupapa which was until the 1960's a restricted lepers colony. No one in or out without permission.

In the 1800's, the King of Hawaii was desperate to stop an outbreak of Hansen's disease (leprosy) and decreed that anyone who had the disease was to be forcefully relocated to the colony. It was located on an isolated peninsula with the sea on three sides and huge cliffs on the other. There are still about 30 patients (as they call themselves) still living on the peninsula even though they are all cured of the disease. It is the only home that they know and they will stay there until they die.

The flight came in at Molokai Intentional Airport with its one runway and open terminal building. Molokai is know as the island that time forgot and it is really true. The residents have made a conscious choice not to be a resort island and it is very apparent that it is not. Personally I am delighted but for those wishing for a resort experience they will be disappointed.

We picked up a rental car and headed for the main town of Kaunakakai. There are only about 6,000 people on the whole island so the shops are a little “dated”. Lets just say that they haven't changed much since before the Great Depression.

This is a town where people are interested in living their lives and they don't really care if you are a tourist or not. Unlike the other islands there is no tourist culture with many of the shops having “out to lunch” signs or just closed until the owner gets back. Since it is almost Christmas there is a small older man dressed in what has to be a very uncomfortable Santa hat outside the Friendly Market Centre. The cashiers inside frequently stop what they are doing to talk to relatives and friends in the other lines. “Happy Holidays” is the catch phrase with not a “Merry Christmas” to be heard.

Later that day we go to the Molokai Hotel to see a Friday tradition. Many of the local elders gather (along with some obvious imports) to play whatever they want at one long table in the dining room on the water. This is the kind of hotel I can remember from the old days along the Florida coast. The tables are only 20 feet from the water across a sandy beach and the ocean and their isn't a condominium tower to be seen. (To be honest I haven't seen anything yet over two stories – maybe they have a bylaw or something)

One of the women at the table gets up, when the mood takes her, and does hula to whatever song is playing. It reminds me of a Prince Edward Island Cieldah that I had once seen. The players couldn't care less about the audience except that they wanted to share their music.

We booked into the Aahi B&B (the hostel being full) and were delighted to find ourselves in a nice tropical guest house with no windows just screens and wooden shutters. We had a little kitchen and a tangerine tree in the front. We went to sleep that night with the beautiful but inescapable sound of a dozen different species of birds and, of course, the local roaming roosters started to crow about 3 am or so.