Western Deserts and Staying To Da Max Foeva

Westward Ho! Looking down from the air, a person with tunnel vision couldn't be faulted for mistaking western Molokai for parts of Nevada. It definitely looks like a desert. Surprisingly, if it received just a few less inches of rain per year, it would actually be a desert! This half of the island is also the part where somebody obviously had big plans that fell through. Lots of vacant lots, paved roads, and perfectly spaced fire hydrants indicate that something big was going to happen. A couple of the condo developments were made, and there's a few houses here and there, but that is about it. When the whole thing fell through, it left an odd scene behind. A large resort, restaurants, and a tri-plex movie theater all shuttered. A golf course, fully abandoned and overgrown, something we last saw in Beira, Mozambique. Since it's a desert, overgrown isn't the best description. Brown and mostly dead is better. Eerie. But kind of cool. One stroll along any of the numerous west side beaches and you can see why people thought there was so much potential. Alas, the locals weren't into it, and they scared the developers away. They also scared away the people that wanted to build a wind farm. If our time on Molokai was any indication, a wind farm would be a lucrative venture.

Deserted golf course scenes:




We did see one guy on a golf cart cruising the abandoned course.



A true American, he was walking his dog!

Perhaps the Molokaians need a Molokai Permanent Dividend Fund, modeled on Alaska's, but based on tourist and wind power revenue. As it stands, they are happily the island with the highest unemployment rate. Monsanto is the largest employer, with their tropical plant research division. (Pritchard should consider a tour of duty there!) In some ways it seems strange that they are so vociferously opposed to various schemes to make money on their island. But in other ways, their desire to avoid an onslaught of tourists is understandable.

The four awesome beaches we visited on the west side were Dixie Maru, our personal favorite;



Papohaku, which is a really long awesome one with some serious crashing waves. We didn't take any pictures of that one, but it's great.

Make Horse, where we spent most of our time with the crabbies in the tidal pool. Nako, of course. You can't really tell from this picture, but every few seconds a huge wave would crash into the tidal pool. It was exciting.




Kephui Beach surfing scene.




And the 45 minute hike north of the abandoned golf course to an awesome secret beach.





There was a road, but it was definitely 4X4 only. The Dodge Charger probably wouldn't have made it. According to Boodah, the Monster Van could've made it no problem. The way in was much easier than the way out! Especially once the kiddos decided they were done with the whole hiking in the desert thing.



There are numerous other little beaches that we didn't explore.

The one place that survived it all has been the Big Wind Kite Factory. It's a cool little kite factory/artist haven with lots of neat stuff.





After our long days exploring the coast, we always came back home to inspiration from the good book, Hawaiian style.





John 3:16 "God wen get so plenny love an aloha for da peopo inside da world, dat he wen send me, his one an ony Boy, so dat everybody dat trus me no get cut off from God, but get da real kine life dat stay to da max foeva. You know, God neva send me, his Boy, inside da world for punish da peopo. He wen send me fo take da peopo outta da bad kine stuff dey doing."

Everything sounds cool in Hawaiian pidgin. Even the New Testament. Who could pass up da real kine life dat stay to da max foeva? Not us, that's for sure.