I am enchanted. I did not mean to be but there is nothing for it. Molokai, with the funky central town, with the nearly empty beaches, with the friendly locals, Molokai is the Hawaii I dream about. I could disappear here – in fact, if you ever find I have gone AWOL, let me tell you now, this is where I will be, living under a tin roof, eating excellent bananas, and watching the sun go down with those fishing guys, Pearson and Chad, on the west end beach.
“Sometimes, you gotta take some time out and go fishing,” they said. They showed us how the sinkers work, offered to share their beer, asked about the pictures we’re taking, the work we’re doing, and enjoyed the sunset. They told us about driving trucks in Vegas – Vegas, can you imagine? “My skin was so dry when I came back here I looked just like the desert. A year and a half in to it, I thought, what am I doing out here?” They had a little portable boom box with them and when the radio play Big Iz’s Over the Rainbow, I thought I must have died and gone to heaven.
We started and ended our day at the beach. This morning we talked to the island story teller, this afternoon, to the tourism specialist, and this evening, to the fishermen. In between, we walked in the woods, ate pizza, booked a flight back to Maui (no boat! yay!), and drank Molokai grown coffee. In the lobby of the lodge we gave away our ferry tickets to a woman from Alaska. She tried to give us money, but we refused. “Send us something from Alaska instead,” I said, and J. handed her a business card. Maybe someday I’ll get a secret prezzie from Alaska that came via Hawaii.
“Not everyone likes Molokai,” said the tourism specialist, “and that’s okay.” Not everyone likes it, but I positively love it here.
This validates everything I’ve ever heard about Molokai from people whose opinions I trust. (You’re one of them, obviously.) 😉
We have a friend who lives in Duvall whose favorite place on earth is the Hotel Moloka`i, playing Hawaiian music with the locals. He would share your enthusiasm.
Mellow indeed. I had much the same impression. Did you get to ‘kapuna night’ at the Hotel Molokai? As one who celebrates “uketopia,” you certainly would have loved the organized informality and captivating music of this weekly diversion. My impressions from a three-day visit (too short) in June are at http://travel-babel.blogspot.com/2007/07/molokai-impressions.html .
I used to live on Molokai on da west end. It is truly magical !!!I am glad you enjoyed your stay.