Since December I had it in mind to head to the South Pacific. I thought Hawaii would be a nice stop-over destination where I could adjust to the time zone, figure out my daily sleep and work rhythm and meet my family for a week; my nephew was on his middle school spring break and my father is retired and very into bird watching. While this year I’m doing my best to minimize time spend in the USA during 2019 on account of qualifying for expat tax benefits (only 35 in USA during a 12 month period), I figure reconnaissance of a new US destination while touching base with my family was the best way to spend a week – Dad could do some bird watching and my nephew and I could hit the beach. I found a convenient flight into Kona, Hawaii on The Big Island of Hawaii and while I had stopped there with my family on a cruise ship when I was 12 years old, I was intrigued to see what a longer visit would entail.
I arranged for an Airbnb about fifteen minutes’ walk from Magic Sands Beach in Kona and figured I would awake at 4am to match my 8am work schedule of Mountain Standard Time, work until noon and then venture out to explore and enjoy the area. My dad rented a car and was set on crossing the island each day (it is a big island) so the reality entailed a lot more passenger time alongside my sister and nephew – averaging 3-4 hours each day. We did manage to visit some cool places and beaches including a green sand beach which necessitated a long, hot hike around a rugged volcanic-rock coastline to access. Also multiple picturesque waterfalls, plants and scenic views.
A favorite memory was having early morning coffee with my sister on the lanai (a Hawaiian word for patio or open-sided living area) overlooking early morning birds feeding. My sister lives in San Francisco and works to raise three adolescents so I don’t get to see her or them very often. Morning discussions about news, politics, future plans and our family are always enjoyable. This is the third year in a row that we’ve met during my nephew James’ spring break (Ireland, Bogotá previously) which I think makes it a tradition. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Another fun thing was Kona Brewing Company. Nothing particularly unique about it (it’s the local micro brew) other than the fact that I have always loved it’s Longboard lager; I’ve found it in places all over the USA including Saratoga, Wyoming, most recently, on July 7th, while having a celebratory birthday lunch at the Firewater Public House. It was serendipitous to find the original brewery in the same town I would be living for the week. I like many of their beers because they are lower in alcohol content, and lighter in body — which afterwards keeps me from feeling fat, bloated and like I just ate a meal (just like Bavarian beers during Oktoberfest). It’s happy familiarity like this that are really great to stumble upon while on the road.*
Hawaii is such a diverse place with each island having a distinct culture, personality and geography. I after a week traversing The Big Island I learned that while it is the largest, it is also the least populated. This is apparently (in part) because it is the youngest island and as such is lacking most of the picture perfect beaches of Maui or Molokai — the geography is rugged owing to its young age and owing to its immense size creates it’s own climate zones between dry, hot and wet and rainy. There are some places I photographed that certainly do not look like what I pictured Hawaii to be — which is always a fun discovery and photographic exercise. A great side effect of travel is upending expectations and learning something in the process.
The Big Island lays claim to the largest volcano and mountain in the world, Mauna Kea, which while 13,796 feet above sea level, continues another 19,700 feet below to the sea floor; it has a total size of 33,000 feet making it higher than Mount Everest. Hawaii must be one of the most interesting places in the world owing to its natural history, endemic culture, flora and fauna as well as relative isolation in the middle of the Pacific. The additional diversity between each of its islands makes it truly special. I am sure that if it was its own country, or at least outside of the United States, I would be spending a lot of time here. As it stands now I’m including it in future itineraries as a stop-over destination to Pacific Destinations. Next time though, I plan on exploring a different island.
* I have another similar experience with my most nostalgic beer (from Argentina), Quilmes. First discovered after backpacking through the Cajon del Maipo outside of Santiago, Chile in my early 20s. It was really hot, sunny, and dry and I was parched. I found a small roadside cafe selling giant bottles of Quilmes and it tasted like nectar from the heavens. This imparted my initial love and bond to Quilmes which was later reinforced in Honduras, years later, after a day hiking Maya ruins. It was muggy, hot, no breeze, very sweaty. After returning to the hostel with my friend Matt, what was waiting in an super cold refrigerator behind the bar displaying the temperature as 33 degrees? You guessed it, Quilmes. I believe each of us have guardian beers watching over us whether or not we have discovered them, or they us.
