August 26, 2012
August 26, 2012
This is a relaxation day. While taking a walk along the beachfront, we found out why we have a million dollar view for a bargain basement price. Partly because we are off-season and the snowbirds are back north. But also because the West End is a ghost town. There used to be a golf course between the ocean and us. It has only been closed a couple years, but you can barely tell it existed.
Most of the West End is owned by a company called Molokai Ranch. Apparently they got in a development dispute with the local Hawaiians. In the battle water rights became an issue, an endangered four-leaf clover was discovered and the natives claimed one shoreline of Molokai was sacred. In the end everybody lost. The golf course and hotel were shut down and 120 workers laid off. Most of the locals seem not to want to talk about it, only saying land is a sensitive issue. Unfortunately, most liberals look on companies as a resource to be exploited instead of the source of their livelihood. They shot themselves in the foot.
Molokai is the least tourist friendly of the major islands. Molokai is for those looking for a rustic paradise with the most native Hawaiians. You don’t come here for excitement. There are no stoplights, no elevators, one gas station and one restaurant on the whole island. And now only one nine-hole golf course.
I also shouldn’t read newspapers, especially on vacation. They just make me mad. The local paper had an article on the Kalaupapa Historic Park. So many people live and work on the peninsula that the Park Service now pays to have the weekly trash flown topside. Only our Federal government has flying garbage trucks!
When we got back I finally found the secret timer for the gas BBQ and made Aimee a steak dinner. While we ate we watched a most amazing colorful sun setting behind the distant island of Oahu, it lasted an hour.
Most of the West End is owned by a company called Molokai Ranch. Apparently they got in a development dispute with the local Hawaiians. In the battle water rights became an issue, an endangered four-leaf clover was discovered and the natives claimed one shoreline of Molokai was sacred. In the end everybody lost. The golf course and hotel were shut down and 120 workers laid off. Most of the locals seem not to want to talk about it, only saying land is a sensitive issue. Unfortunately, most liberals look on companies as a resource to be exploited instead of the source of their livelihood. They shot themselves in the foot.
Molokai is the least tourist friendly of the major islands. Molokai is for those looking for a rustic paradise with the most native Hawaiians. You don’t come here for excitement. There are no stoplights, no elevators, one gas station and one restaurant on the whole island. And now only one nine-hole golf course.
I also shouldn’t read newspapers, especially on vacation. They just make me mad. The local paper had an article on the Kalaupapa Historic Park. So many people live and work on the peninsula that the Park Service now pays to have the weekly trash flown topside. Only our Federal government has flying garbage trucks!
In the afternoon we went to the coffee shop in town where some of the locals play Hawaiian music on the deck. It is the social event of the week in Molokai. The guy from Itasca and his wife are two of the musicians. I was surprised to hear that most of the songs were in the Hawaiian language. Many of the audience members played along with their ukuleles. Several times a few audience members came up and did the hula for accompaniment. Pretty appropriate since hula was invented on Molokai. The show was entertaining, but I think I liked the Pina Colada Smoothies the best.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 9:57 AM
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