#57 - Off to the Gathering Place! (Oahu)

Dear Dubrovnik,

As with all adventures, I typically like to plan ahead and at least have some overview of what the trip might shape up to be. This last rather impulsive trip I took with friends ended up being quite far from that routine but offered many great opportunities for me to reflect on the pieces I enjoy so much about travel, and what I would like to do most in life--mainly relax and enjoy nature and sunshine...! Oahu, or 'the gathering place' houses about 80 percent of the Hawaiian island's population, encircled by over 125 beaches with jungle-like rainforest to arid, dry rolling hills. It's also the most easily accessible island with a unique mix of urban, and completely undeveloped land, making it a great place for us to get the best of all of it. So, without further delay, here’s my first post about traveling within the ‘states’ (for a change,) even though the flight time and distance is second only to Thailand’s 15-hour flight…!

We set out from Burlington after work on a chilly, overcast afternoon for Boston which recently partnered with the Hawaiian Airlines to create a non-stop flight which is roughly 11 or so hours, for around $500-$700 depending on timing. Why Hawaii? Well in celebration of one of our good friends taking the plunge into pursuing a job she feels passionate and excited to dive into, (which requires picking up and moving to a new home,) we opted for one last trip to send her off with gusto, and what a better way than by departing from our grey mud-caked surroundings? **Also just before leaving my mom made a whirlwind trip to Vermont for my sister's birthday, which happens to be right around the same time as this little guy's birthday! Moe is 13, but he still looks like a little baby pup that moonlights as a fruit bat.

Anyway, back to the flight, I actually preferred the 11-hour flights to the broken-up flights we had going back as the longer flights tend to have slightly better amenities and seats despite the longer time. In actuality, I’m sure the flights to one’s vacation are always more enjoyable than the ones that send you back to the temps and weather one was trying to escape from the get-go…!

Anyhow, within the same day, only five hours after taking off (silly time-zones,) we landed in sunny Oahu. The Honolulu airport is unique in that much of the terminal walkways to and from planes and baggage are outside or at least open air. Initially it was hard to think of Hawaii as a state within the US, but sure enough, our phones worked and before we knew it, we were Uber bound for our first hotel which was a lovely resort a block and a half from the ocean. It was definitely one of the nicer places I’ve ever stayed, and the aesthetic along with free perks, food, and shaved ice definitely made it memorable!

We took our first walk in the Pacific that evening and found our way to a local beach bar after which we all passed out fighting that 4am feeling we’d have been experiencing back on the East coast. The next morning, we woke to a bit of rain which proved to really be the only rain we got during our stay. But no fear as the heat quickly evaporated any traces of rain and we went and got our first beach day, followed by parasailing to round out the day which helped give some perspective to the island.

As I’d gotten quite sunburnt that first day, I turned in a bit early to aloe up and relax and read. It was nice to have some time to just relax where I finally felt there wasn’t anything ‘better’ or ‘more important’ to be doing. **Ah vacation bliss.** The following day we lazed around for a bit and got a later start to the day touring around some local shops during the hottest part of the morning. We then set out for lunch where I had my first experience eating poke (delicious) and then found a rather off the beaten path surfboard rental shop which was $5/ hour, aka, significantly cheaper than the rentals of the beach!

We spent the next couple hours battling waves and tourists for opportunities to pop-up and ride for a bit. We also were graced by a Hona, or sea turtle who was riding the current under the waves. I later learned from a friend we’d be surfing on Queen’s Beach which is an incredibly legendary reef for surfing, made popular by Duke Kahanamoku. Many of the stores and streets around the area are named after him respectively for his incredible influence on the surfing community. Hard to believe the boards back in his day were often over 100 lbs... I imagine fewer tourists would give it a go if that were still the case today...!

That night we have a great dinner on the beach followed by a night of decisions about what to do the following day. We had a very famous hike on our list... but the hike is also highly illegal to do now because tourists have worn out their welcome disrespecting the land and annoying the communities near the trail. Additionally, the trail is guarded, and the fine os upwards of $2,500, and from what we read online, people were actually getting the fines. We were going to hike in from the backside of the mountain (on a legal trail) but had a hard time deciding if the 7+ hours was a good use of our time, especially where the weather could turn some quickly in the dense mountains and we were armed with no micro-spikes.

We slept on it and ended up pulling another impulsive choice to instead jump out of a plane! And not just any jump, but 14,000 feet of jumping. Which entails one whole minute of free-falling. I had only intended to go from 6,000 feet, but long story short, we were the last group of the day and there wasn't anyone else going from the lower height, so either someone would have to go down to my altitude, or I'd have to go up. And with the 'once in a lifetime' mindset, it seemed like it might be the only time I'd be jumping, so why not go full-send? Fun-fact for those who've been reading along with my journeys for a while, this jump was just 692 feet short of the Matterhorn where my host family had their vacation home. And oddly enough, when I was at the top of Zermatt (the Italian side of the Matterhorn,) I recall thinking how the mountains and earth themselves seemed to bend and curve where they met the sky, and that's the only way I could describe the view as I sat perched at the edge of the airplane.

People at work keep asking me how I was able to do it, wasn't I terrified? And the reality is it doesn't really feel 'real' until you're there and looking out at nothing but a deep blue sky curving into the clouds. You realize that the point where it feels the scariest is just moments from the point where you feel incredible bliss and calm.

Will Smith said it well when he reflected on his skydiving experience by saying,

“God placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.” I think it is true to so many aspects of what sets us apart from doing things the way we always have, versus striking out to make the change we want to have. Whether that be pursuing a new job, picking up and moving to a new place, trying a new sport for the first time, defending yourself, or telling someone you love them, the thing that stands between you and that new opportunity are entirely unknown - which is scary. But without the willingness to feel that emotion and be vulnerable to the things not yet known, you risk becoming numb. And I don't mean numb as in dull or unintelligible, but rather, being a bystander to the things going on in one's life, rather than an active participant. Every new opportunity or trip in life is a choice to decide to continue along the path of least resistance or to strike out and potentially have your breath taken away, (or at least get your heart pumping!)

Needless to say, after we were safely touched-down to earth, it took heaps of time to fully regain our hearing, and then a bit more time to think of words to give to the experience. In the meantime, we were able to find a great little Mexican restaurant to celebrate our reunion with Earth after a brief departure. We then found a shady little park near the ocean and sat and watched the waves for a while until the rain clouds started to loom in the distance.

Some hona basking in the sun!

We then headed back towards our home base which was now a small suite at a hostel where we got some tips on sights and dining spots. After walking around the beach for a while we walked into town and browsed the restaurants and late-night shops before turning in for the night. The following day we headed out to Hanauma Bay by bus for a change and got to experience a full beach day or snorkeling, snoozing and relaxing. As fully expected, I got pretty toasted at the beach and set in stone my tan lines for the Summer...! We tried mightily to find a good dinner place, and ended up finding a 24-hour waffle place after getting stuck in lines with no known wait times. It was great and turned out to be not too far from where we were staying.

The next morning we set out for the Pearl Harbor Museum, which despite the in-decipherable website, is very simple and straight forward, and staffed with wonderful folks who love to talk history. All guests watch a brief film that recaps the war followed by a quick spin around the harbor at no cost. Then there is the option to walk the memorial garden or pay to visit one of the warships, planes, or u-boats. (The proceeds from which go to three different charities.) Due to the stifling temps, we lingered around for a little bit and then set off for the North-west coast to our final stay at an Air Bnb with some locals!

After getting a tour around and a brief overview of some local sights we went to the beach nearby which was definitely a local scene. The banks were very steep at this beach, and I believe reinforced with concrete to keep them from eroding away. So while we were laughing watching folks wash back and forth with the waves, we soon found ourselves doing the same flow of the ocean...! That evening we went to a luau which was a really beautiful event, and one of the highlights of the whole trip for me.

I always love to take an opportunity to explore a culture more, and the place we selected was incredible. We got to see the gamut of events from traditional fishing, to boat races, to hula instruction, to coconut harvesting, pig roasting, and more. I really enjoyed the opportunity to partake in a traditional dinner where we sat down with others (mostly tourists) and shook hands and gave a little introduction about where we were from and what brought us to the gathering place. I don't have many photos from this evening as they were all on different cameras and once the sun set it was hard to capture the hula and fire dancing. Throughout the night they called out different audience members to partake in small contests and hula dances, though to be honest my favorite part would have to be when they called all couples to the sandy aisles for a dance. It was one of those moments that gives you a little faith in humanity to see couples new, old, married or partnered somehow share in a brief moment of happiness dedicated to each other. After our luau we all did some rearranging and relaxed in the hot-tub, easing in against the better judgment of our sunburns.

The following day we set out for the beach in search of dolphins, and though we only saw them off in the distance, popping into the air for some small boats, we did get the surprise greeting of a big blubbery seal who rolled flipper over flipper up onto the beach. He then proceeded to 'truffle-shuffle' his way to a nice flat rock and flop down, soaking up some sun.

We then set out for the Dole pineapple plantation but stopped off at a phenomenal chicken restaurant called Maui Mike's Fire Roaster Chicken in Wahiawa on the way, and wow, we were not disappointed! (Though we were stuffed beyond belief!) We then dined on some pineapple soft serve and boarded the pineapple express to tour the property. Definitely more fruits than I've ever seen in my whole life in one place...! How long does it take for one pineapple to grow to maturity? 36 months! :o Pretty incredible to think about... also, despite all the talk I've heard through the years, pineapples do not ripen once picked, which means eaten sooner is better!

We spend our final evening in Waimea Bay bouldering some problems on-shore, followed by some tucked out in the water which was a new, and really awesome experience! No part of me felt any more comfortable falling onto water however, so I still spent much of my energy fighting the urge to dyno too far out of my reach. The girls got to use some teamwork to figure out a few of the problems too! :)

Our last dinner was at a swanky beachside place on the way home to our Air Bnb

(where we felt like complete sunburnt bums.)

To our relief, we have a great waiter who was down to earth, and completely honest about our meal choices and our humor. All in all, a great way to wrap up our trip. The least fun part remained, which was packing, and getting things in order for the flight back home the next day, but Hawaii certainly took a piece of my heart (as well as my breath) and I hope to return again someday. If I had to venture a guess as to where I could happily find myself visiting in the future, I'd have to say Kauai for the beautiful expanses of mountains and beaches with a fraction of the tourist crowds, Molokai to gain some perspective to its leper-isolated history, or Kahoolawe if for no other reason than to see a place that has been promised to the land, devoid of people.

I don't have any future travels on the books, or really any places picked out next so stay tuned as I aim to find inspiration this Spring!

As always, until next time!

A hiki i ka manawa aʻe!

CaitlinDMay 19, 20192019, adventures, beaches, experiences, exploring, food, friends, fun, learning, love, parasailing, photography, rock climbing, skydiving, sunsets, sunshine, surfing, vacation