USA

Kalaupapa

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In early 1865 King Kamehameha V signed “the Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy,” a desperate attempt to control the disease which was spreading throughout the islands. As a result, thousands were forced into exile on the remote Kalaupapa Peninsula of Molokai and over 8,000 are buried throughout the area. We set out to learn more about this tragic story set in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

To reach Kalaupapa National Historical Park today, you must fly in from either “topside” Molokai, Maui, or Oahu. Our flight from the Molokai airport took six spectacular minutes.

Currently there are still six remaining residents/patients in the colony, and access to the settlement is restricted to those with a permit. Our permit was included in our tour price.

Our first stop was striking…the main cemetery that holds the remains of nearly 6,000 Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) victims. None had a choice about coming to Kalaupapa, and many were ripped from their families when suspected of having the disease.

On January 6, 1866, 12 men and women were forced to swim ashore and begin their forced exile, a certain death sentence. Over the next 103 years, thousands more were sent to Kalaupapa to live out their lives away from the general population. Without medical care, housing, or other types of support, they were essentially sent to die. While it’s a beautiful setting, the story is tragic.

The plight of those exiled drew the attention of religious orders and eventually drew the canonized Father Damien to their aid. He played a prominent role in developing the first infrastructure in Kalaupapa while also promoting the dignity of those afflicted.

While exploring the original settlement and the “newer” facilities built in the 1920s we learned that Hansen’s disease, for centuries past and well into the early years at Kalaupapa was a certain death sentence. Today it is easily curable with medication discovered in the 1940s.

Still, Hawaii’s forced isolation policy was not abolished until 1969. Current residents have been free to leave since then, yet choose to stay. What was once a prison is now a refuge for the remaining residents.

We booked our tour through muleride.com. While we highly recommend a visit to Kalaupapa, we would suggest a different company as our tour guide was not very effective. Still, the history and beauty of the place overpowered the lack of a good guide. Special thanks to our friend Sheri for joining us on this adventure. We’ll have a full post on our other Molokai adventures next.

#12 Honolulu Marathon

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Steve’s twelfth marathon of the year was the popular Honolulu Marathon. This time we were joined by our neighbor and dear friend Sheri, and Sheri and I did the 10K while Steve took on the 42K/26.2 mile marathon. Of course the festivities began with the race expo where we picked up our race numbers and shopped for running-related stuff. This expo was unique as there were many featured products from Japan, where more than half of the registered runners come from.

While in Honolulu we also spent a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) and experienced the requisite luau. The PCC has been a tourist draw in Oahu for over 50 years, so we couldn’t pass it up. The immaculate park showcases cultures from around the Pacific and allowed us hands-on experiences like poi tasting, canoe rides, fake tattoos, and lots of hula. It was a long day, but worth the exploration.

Another fun surprise while in Honolulu was running into our hometown stars, the Prescott High School Marching Band. They were featured in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Day parade, and we ran right into them while strolling the downtown area.

The big event started at 5:00am on Sunday with a big fireworks show, kicking off the marathon and 10K. We lined up with 30,000+ of our closest friends, at least half of whom spoke Japanese.

Steve worked his way towards the front of the crowd in order to run and still had to dodge thousands to get his stride. Sheri and I hung back and walked the 10K course, stopping along the way to take photos of the beautiful holiday decorations that punctuated the course.

Sheri and I finished our stroll and celebrated with delectable malasadas. Warm and doughy, these fried balls of dough, rolled in sugar, were the most awesome post-race food we’ve seen.

Steve finished his 12th marathon of the year in 4 hours and 17 minutes. Not the fastest race, not the slowest race, he was happy with performance this time around. He says he’s not done with marathons but likely won’t do one a month in 2020.

Now we are planning to head to the island of Molokai for some downtime and a fly-in visit to Kalaupapa National Historic Park. Sheri and I, especially, are excited to see and learn more about the legendary place where Father Damien ministered to the lepers who were exiled to the remote peninsula.

We are RVers!

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I never in a million years thought we’d be doing this.  We bought an RV and are going camping.  Actually, after our successful road trip with Mia in September, we decided that now is the best time to hit the road, dog in tow, and explore the USA. National Parks, festivals, events, and hopefully the Alaska Highway…you know, the typical retiree circuit.  And we’ve gone all in.

A few weeks ago, Steve purchased the Grey Ghost.  It’s a Ford F-250 4×4 truck with the ultimate tow package.  This sucker is big! IMG_5650

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we had the Ghost, we knew what our capabilities would be, and after visiting numerous RV dealers we settled on the Jayco White Hawk 25FK.  Our new trailer is a 30 foot tow-behind with a separate bedroom and bath, fireplace, and outside kitchen. IMG_5807It’s been a crash course in learning all we could about RVs.  Black tanks, gray tanks, amps, and pumps…we’re a little overwhelmed but getting it all figured out.  In the last week we’ve bought a generator, water pressure regulator, power management system, and a bunch of other “necessities.” We’re certainly keeping Amazon busy, and we are super excited with our new toys!

Many of you have asked about the trailer, so here are some photos that give you an idea of the interior.  We have a full kitchen, recliners, a TV, fireplace, bathroom and bedroom. It’s just like home on the road!

We took possession of the White Hawk on Friday afternoon and spent our first night at the White Spar campground about two miles from the house.  It was good practice! Neighbors Dave, Peggy, and Tom came over to help us celebrate the purchase.IMG_5686

 

The following day we took the rig down to my cousin Mitch’s house where the weather is warmer and we can avoid the winterizing process.  The timing was just right as Mitch hosted a Halloween bash that night, so we just camped at his place and enjoyed the festivities.

The following week we were itching to go camping so we towed the rig two miles from Mitch’s place to the Cave Creek Regional Park.  For three nights we enjoyed the desert campground which has electric and water hook ups.  It was a great opportunity to try out all the bells and whistles of the trailer.  And, we had visits from Mitch, Emily, Will, Lauren, and Russ, all of whom helped us enjoy the fun of camping with BBQs and campfires. Lauren even helped us cheer on the Nationals to World Series victory while watching the game beside the fire. Of course we got in a little hiking too.

We have a bunch of fun excursions planned for 2020 and we promise to keep you in the loop!IMG_5808