Oh, How Things Change

I did it. I signed myself up for another service trip with the Hawaii Service Trip Program. This time, I was going to Kalaupapa...during winter break, right after new years. I didn't know much about this place, but after spending a week there, I fell in love with it...as I did on my last trip to Maui. I wrote a little something about it and plan to submit it in the Honolulu Advertiser's Hawaii's Best Places Contest:


Kalaupapa is Aloha

Secluded and protected
On the north shore
Of Moloka'i
By the blue Pacific
And steep sea cliffs
Reaching heights of 2,000ft.
Lies a flat leaf peninsula
Kalaupapa

Methods of getting there
Include a mule ride
Flying in
Or driving north on Hwy 470
Towards Pala'au State Park
Then hiking down Kalaupapa Trail
It’s about 3 miles long
With 26 switchbacks

However,
Before you do anything
You must obtain a permit
To enter Kalaupapa peninsula
Unless you’re sponsored
By a resident, or the NPS
Permits are available through
The Molokai Mule Ride or
Damien Tours

But once you’re there
It’s as if you’ve taken
A step back in time
To a place of serenity
And beauty

Kalaupapa
And its residents
Once endured
A time of fear and uncertainty
Without a cure
For Hansen’s disease
A time when family members
Were torn apart
Because loved ones were stricken
And sent to isolation

Kalaupapa served
As a second home
A Hansen’s disease settlement
That became a community
And to many, a place of rest

I was fortunate
To have spent some time there
As a volunteer
In partnership with
The National Park Service
And being sponsored
By a resident
A hānai uncle
That has since passed

Kalaupapa
Has so much to give
So much to tell
So much to share

Kalaupapa is rich
With aesthetic beauty
With natural and cultural history
It’s rich with character
And aloha


So, yeah, it was a special place to spend a week. January 3rd-10th, to be exact. Our trip leaders were John and his girlfriend Adaline. The crew members included Waimea , Natalie, David, Kanani, Debbie, Sherine, Nicole, Lori, Nina, and of course myself. We met up at the Aloha Island Air terminal and arrived at "top side" Ho'olehua Airport, Molokai and got into a van. We drove over to the Kalaupapa mule trail and met Jeff Trainer, Kalaupapa National Park's Plant Specialist. We then hiked down 26 switchbacks and arrived at the Kalaupapa Settlement. Our lodging was a Quonset hut dormitory. After taking inventory of supplies we picked up two more crew members, Mike and Ian who took the easy way down.

The next day, we worked at Kauhako Crater clearing brush for a trail and then clearing brush from a fence line that runs along the crater rim. That night, we met our diner guest Uncle Naia and his dog Zorro. Uncle Naia was a resident there and he shared with us stories of his life in Kalaupapa and living with Hansen's Disease. He loved card games and playing checkers - and was very good at it too.

The following days involved hiking along the rocky coastline to Waikolu Valley and eradicating cockle burr seeds and seedlings, we continued to clear the fence line on Kauhako Crater rim, removed Beach Heliotrope along the coastline, and removed Bull Thistle from an open field.

Overall, it was a good week. During our day off, we received a tour of Kalaupapa from Dean Alexander, Kalaupapa NP's Superintendent. We checked out a heiau at Kalawao, saw the "Rock Doctor" petroglyph, went down a lava tube called Old Woman's Cave, which opened up at a cliff overlooking the ocean, and then climbed up the 198 steps of the largest lighthouse in the Pacific and saw a 360 degree view of Kalaupapa.

Other highlights of the trip included:

• Watching John swim around in the stream looking for the car keys, thinking they fell in when he took a dip, but later finding them sitting in the ignition of the van
• Picking through the sand for Niihau shells
• Going deer "hunting" by driving around town with a diving light and finding a herd of a thousand and then scaring them with the van
• Star gazing at the lighthouse and at the airport - lying down in the middle of the runway
• Picking kamani seeds in the Kalawao Forest with ancient Hawaiian settlement sites

Congressional Art Competition

Ever since I could remember, I loved arts and crafts. My favorite toys were pens, pencils, crayons, drawing and construction paper, coloring books, scissors and glue. I'd spend hours drawing, coloring, cutting, and/or pasting. It was a hobby of mine that I truly enjoyed. My mom would buy me coloring books and I used to love to color in them. I wasn't much for abstract, so naturally, I'd color the sky blue, grass green, sun yellow, and so on. And I always tried my hardest on coloring in the line. After a while, coloring books weren't for me to color in, but for me to copy the image by drawing them freehand. And I loved Disney's animated movies so I had The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Bambi, The Lion King, Aladdin, etc.

At King Intermediate School, I was in the then called "G/T - Gifted and Talented" art class. From my view, my classmates were far better than me.

During high school, I took a mechanical drawing class my freshman year. As a sophomore, I took basic art. The following year, I had yearbook. And my senior year, I enrolled in architectural drafting, yearbook and because my teacher, Ms. Harrington, thought I did well in her basic art class, she got me in the advanced drawing and painting class.

In Ms. Harrington's art class, we did a pointillism painting using a picture clipping from a magazine or catalog. I love horses, so I had a photo of a horse derby. For my first try at pointillism, it came out okay. During my senior year on my winter break, I had time so I tried pointillism again. This time, it was of a horse, mainly the head and front legs, jumping over a hurdle in an equestrian event.

Each year, congress holds a national art competition. In Hawaii, each island pics about 5 finalists to compete for the state finalist. My horse painting from my basic art class was submitted for the competition. It won the Council Award and became an Oahu Finalist along with 3 of my classmates from Castle High School and a student from Nanakuli High School.

The state finalist would be chosen at an award ceremony held at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului, Maui. For that, we received a free roundtrip flight to attend the award ceremony on Maui. Unfortunately we didn't win and get to go on to compete for the national award in Washington D.C., but a student from the Big Island did. That was fine with me, afterall, we did make it up to the summit of Haleakala and got a group shot.

Life Changing Travel

It was my senior year in high school. Being a shy and timid person, I had few friends, wasn't popular, wasn't in any group, didn't play sports or attend any school functions, not even the prom. However, I did do something while I was in high school. I joined the school's hiking club when I was a junior and tried it out. We went hiking and camping and met other students from their school's hiking/science/environmental club through the High School Hikers Program (HSH). My senior year, I stayed in it.

At the HSH Ecology Camp in February, I was approached with an invitation to join 7 students and 5 adults to go on a service trip to Maui. Spend 4 days working at a nature center and then spend 3 days backpacking Haleakala. At that moment, my answer was simply "no". There was no way I was going to another island and spend a week with people I didn't know. Remember, I was a very shy person. But with strong encouragement from my club advisor, Ms. Rogan, and the trip leader, Mr. Keane, I hesitantly said "...okay".

I met the crew at a pre-trip meeting during which last minute details were being ironed out. We also did a practice backpacking hike to get an idea of the weight we'll be carrying and for any adjustments to our pack if needed.

It was March 21st, the first day of the Spring Break Service Trip, sponsored jointly by the Hawaii Service Trip Program (HSTP) and HSH Program of the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter. We met up at the airport at daybreak, nervous and excited, checked in our gear and coolers/boxes of food, and waited anxiously to board the plane. This was my first trip away from home, camping on Oahu didn't count.

When we reached Maui, we got our rental cars, loaded up and drove to our home away from home - Iao Valley's Hawaii Nature Center. The center provided us on-site cabins with kitchen. I shared a room with 3 female students - Stephanie, Ahina and Suzie. The guys - Corey, Ryan, Jackson and Mark, shared a room. After settling in, we explored our new surroundings, including checking out the Iao Needle.

From March 22nd to the 25th, we worked at the nature center by helping to maintain and repair the nature trails. We pulled, cut down or dug up coffee tree seedlings/stumps and such weeds from the trail. Special projects included installing a waterbar and a small rock bridge so that elementary kids won't get their feet/shoes wet. Our last day of work was spent cleaning the interpretive classroom by wiping off the dust, cleaning the windows and organizing the space.

Our backpacking experience began at 6am the next morning. We loaded the remainder of our framed backpacks and then waited in line for them to get weighted. If they were more than 35lbs, then you had to lessen it. From what I remember, mine was about 34lbs. After that, we loaded the cars and headed up Haleakala. By the time we reached the summit, it was about 9am. We quickly toured the visitor center and then started on the trail - Sliding Sands Trail. The air was chilly but as you made your way down, the sun got further up in the sky and you were soon shedding your jacket. The dry land sent up small dust clouds with each step.

As we hiked further in the crater, the flora increased. Pass Kapalaoa cabin, the scenery was green with clouds rolling in. On our way to Paliku cabin located at the eastern end of the crater, we hiked in thick clouds that made it appear to be evening. A rainbow appeared overhead as we spotted the cabin and rain started to fall. The night was spent playing cards while our trip leaders kept an eye on the wood stove and boiled water for us from the water catchment tank.

The next day, I awoke slightly sore but eager to continue. The rain continued to fall as we departed the cabin and made our way to Holua cabin in the northwestern part of the crater. The rain ceased, sky cleared and the sun dried us off as we continued our hike on the pahoehoe and aa lava flows. It was about 3pm when we arrived at Holua cabin. With the sun still up, we grabbed our flashlights and gloves and made our way to the lava tube and hiked in. It was dark, damp, and chilly. At one point in the tube, there was a ladder installed due to a 15 feet drop. We continued on and made our way out at a skylight opening some 100 feet from where we entered. On our way back to the cabin, we spotted a few nene (hawaiian goose) in a patch of grass.

Back at the cabin, we prepared dinner and played more card games. As night fell, we gathered outside and looked in awe at the starry sky. The moon was no where in sight. Never had I seen so many stars, constellations, shooting stars and satellites moving across the sky. As the time passed and still mesmerized by the night sky, a few of them decided to sleep under the stars. Tempted to join them but with the temperature dipping to the 40's, it was just too cold for me to bear, even with my sleeping bag, so I retreated back to the cabin.

The next morning, we casually packed up and spent the morning conserving our energy for the 4 mile trek up steep switchbacks, gaining 2500 feet in elevation. It was a beautiful day and the sun shone brightly upon us as we played cards at the picnic tables next to the cabin. We then had lunch and prepared for our journey out. Just after noon, we started on the Halemauu trail, over the lava flows, through the grass field, then up the steep cliff carved with switchbacks and pass the native shrubland 'til we spotted the parking lot. Everyone made it safely out and with still daylight left for our group picture.

As we got into the car and descended down the 10,000ft volcano, I knew that someday, I would return. Maybe in a year, maybe in 5 years, or maybe more further down the line. I didn't know when, and it didn't matter.

After 3 days of hiking without showering, it was long overdue for me. At the nature center, we got cleaned up and helped with kitchen duties. That night, we saw the same stars but without the intensity as in the crater, having been secluded from the city lights.

And then it came to an end. A day more than a week of service, learning, trust, friendship, camaraderie, fun, adventure and most importantly for me - growing. Had I not taken this ride of a lifetime, I don't know where I would be.

And so it was, on March 29th, we arrived back in Honolulu with memories that I would cherish for a lifetime and 8 rolls of film to develop and to serve as visual reminders of a time I started a new chapter in my life.

Just The 6 of Us

Our long awaited family trip came in the summer of 1994. And it was my second plane ride - return trip doesn't count, but yes, I was counting.

With my parents, brothers, and obaachan (grandma), we headed to the Big Island and spent a few nights there. We saw rainbow falls, drove up Mauna Loa, visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - checked out the caldera, walked through Thurston Lava Tube, drove down to the coast and watched the steam plumes from the lava entering the ocean, we then drove the saddle road to Kona, visited the Ellison Onizuka Space Museum at the Kona Airport and then departed for Maui (my third plane ride).

On Maui, we saw the Iao Needle in Iao Valley, drove up to Haleakala National Park summit to watch the sunrise and toured Lahaina - an old whaling town, drove Hana Highway and visited Wainapanapa State Park. After 3 days of sightseeing on Maui, we went back home, to Oahu.

Kauai Was My First

I was 13 years old. Never been on a plane. Never been on a boat. Therefore, never been to Kauai. My brothers have, Lance and Ryan, both, have been to Kauai...before they were 7 years old. So why have I never been to Kauai, or even aboard a plane to anyplace? By the time I came around, the youngest of three, I guess it just got too expensive for my parents to pay for the five of us.

Back to the point, I was 13 years old and I was finally going someplace, via an airplane. Where was I going? I was going to Kauai, which is one of the 8 main islands of the Hawaiian chain, which lies just to the northwest of Oahu, some 70 miles away.

The reason behind this travel was to attend my cousin's wedding. Due to the cost of this trip (I'm assuming), my parents and grandma took me, while my brothers stayed home. The sad thing is, I was only on Kauai for the day. We got to Kauai early in the morning, attended the reception, spent some time with my uncle and aunty and then came back home. Hardly any sightseeing. But hey, I got to go on a plane!