it starts where it ends

back in atlanta airport after my 8 hr flight from HI- i must say there is a temp diff already and i am not liking it- my last day on the big island was very refreshing- i went to waipio valley to hike and then on to billy's house to hang out. got to thhe valley and the trails were closed- i did have a spectacular view of the valley as i read for a few hours- and got some thinking done. the next day i headed back to maui- kassi had to work so i cruised with jay and as we rode around i was taking in my last sights of hawaii. costco, k mart and the mall were among them. that night we went and had some thai food @ this place we ate before- it is the best thai i have ever had- the squid salad made my taste buds explode with each bite. we made it an early night- sleeping on the sofa i was awaken with a nice warm wet tongue in the ear from the limp eared hoku- nothing like a big ole "wake up, its time to play" from such a sweet dog. she was way calmer this time around and i forgot she was there even a few times. the last few days were pretty uneventful but i had the urge to go home, sleep in my bed, take a shower and have some clothes that are not getting the musky funk from being in a bag for 3 weeks- after taking a shower i discover that i all the shirts i had looked like they were all wrinkled and under the bed for 2 weeks or had the smell- a quick wipe down with a fabric softener and i am good to go - after rocking some guitar hero for a hr or so it was time to head- to the other side of the island where the amex travel agent flew me out of the smallest airport. i take the dash 8 then jump on a 767- full flight they say- took a while to board but once i got on i was next to a girl in the army- she is crossin her legs- has all kinds of room and i am crammed in the seat trying to stay on my side- i felt like lifting the arm rest and having her lay on me so i could have some room- all i wanted was to be able to sleep for the hrs- i started to read and then the flight attendant comes by and asks these guys if they want to change with this couple b/c they have cats- 1st thing that crossed my mind is that there is some sort of litter box in that cage- next thing was who the fuck flys with cats- why not check em like dogs? what make that fur ball so special? so as she is talking to them she points out a free open row- i don't think the guys caught on- so i ask them what they are going to do- sort of ignoring what they are saying b/c i had my eye on the prize- the open row to myself- i could lay out, cross my legs and have plenty of room. so the plane reaches 10,000 feet and the buzzer goes off for the electronics- so i get up grab my shit and haul ass around the plane to the open row- they stop me and say the plane is still ascending and that i need to sit- they had not turned off th fasten seat best sign- i walk swiftly to th seats and sit- then comes along this old flight attendant telling me the situation with the cats and how they want to sit together blah blah blah- i thought to myself- "what is more important, a 6'5 customer hat has been flying delta for more then 10years or some fur all feline that is gonna make the plane smell like shit- if you don't have room for your cat then oh well- she said she was going to be back and that i may have to move- i find in the seat 4 pillows and 2 blankets- i made a real score here- i took all the pillows and lined every part of my body against he wall so i did not get cold- in the mean time i pass out in case they try and move me- 3 hrs later i wake up and am in a daze- i was very out it from the muscle relaxer and i was kind of "where am i" - i soon look for some pillows and i see that 2 are gone- they slipped down and were between th seat and the side of the plan- i go to take it and the guy behind me took one- he had it supporting his knee- i tried to take it and it woke him up- i just acted like i did not do anything- i passed back out to be woken up by the cabin lights- i slept the rest of the 5 hrs and was in atl when i awoke- it was a nice nap and i am hopefully going to be back on EST as soon as possible- so here i sit waiting for the flight to savannah- i will have to wait an hr or so after i get in b/c my mom had to get her nails done- i mean wtf-- she knew i was coming in and she had to have this done today? what is that- thank the lord i was able to sell her gifts i got her to a guy in the bathroom- b/c after a stunt like that i am not having it.

the trip as a whole was more then i could have expected- the "soul building" def happened, i saw some amazing things, met some wonderful people and this is the break that was much needed- i thought about work- well maybe 2 times on the trip- i knew my dad was holding it down just fine- as much as i did not want to leave i was ready to go home- i will be back there very soon- it is my kind of place- where ya cruise and not really worry about what day it is- just that you are alive and kickin it. my personal legend is being fulfilled, i learned many things about myself in many situations- it was many 1sts for me in many ways and even the bad that happened was not bad- it helped me grow as a person- i was very apprehensive about a solo travel before the trip and now i think it is something i will always want to do - to have some sam time- maybe not as long but i def think that it is something everyone should do- i left a sorta scared guy that had no idea what was going to happen to a more wise person that was able to me the best of the worst- go with the wind and learned the soul of the world and to trust my gut- no matter what- it is always right-

i have some more pics and when i run em all through photoshop i will post the link here to see them all- till the next "mini giant adventure" where ever that may be- aloooooooooooooha for now

the big Island

so i got here yesterday and stayed in kona- met up with jayson and his friend zach to go see some music- i went and ate @ this place across the street and had a few beers and watched some hotties run around with a outrigger canoe- jayson and zach met me when they were done flying and the night goes on- i never made it to the music- i drank a little too much and was praising the porcelain god by 7:00 or so- then went to my room and passed out- so once i bust my ass with him walking out of the bathroom then i yacked another time- so i need a puke bag and a sparing suit when i am with him i guess- this morn went and watched them fly and ate breakfast @ the place on the side of the hill overlooking the water- reminded me of that place i big sur but had some sick ass coffee- which i am not a fan, i like tea more, but i was in kona so...i also met a guy there while watching them fly that is a cranberry farmer- has 40 acres in oregon he works- an old hippie from cali- he lives on the coast and we got to talking about Hwy 1 up that way- he invited me to come stay with them if i am ever up that way- but what was even more exciting was he said if i come in october i can help them harvest- which i think would be bad ass- he says they do it the old school way with not many machines- so maybe i'll go for cranberry harvest some time- i am sure it is hard work but i think it would be pretty sweet to do it for a week or so- i just wanna walk in waders and corral cranberries like the guys on the ocean spray commercial- when that was all over i took the 2 hr trek to hilo- the drive was great- snow capped volcano on the left and 80 degrees with people on the beach on the right- i stopped @ black sand beach for a whileto take a break- it was pretty cool to see the lava flow and how they stopped- the winds were blowing a good 40 mph or so- the waves were crazy and crashing 10-15' in the air- sometimes higher- i dunno i was 200 yards away- so after being lost for an hr trying to find where i am staying i arrive to "fuck you" over and over- it is an adventure hostel- but it does not seem there are many adventure travelers- i do have my own room and bathroom- it is kinda ghetto- but i was not expecting the ritz- it is pretty much a guy that has a bunch of huts/houses (houses are weird here- they are boxes with not much character) all on the property- does not seem to be many people here- yet i get to go to mauna kea- the highest mtn in the world- 33,000 feet from the ocean floor- but only 10,000 above- 10,000' of water here is crazy to me being when it gets 100' on th depth finder that is deep- so i guess that is why i chose this place- they also do a guided hike for the lava flows- so i will give the lush hotel for the chance o do that and not have to worry about anything except showing up. get t tour the telescope and then do some star gazing while we are up there- i just hope it is not that cloudy- i want to see alpha cintauri in a scope- or any star for that matter- plus i am sure they have the filters for the moon and what not- either way my inner nerd in very excited about it.

tonight i had prob the worst meal ever- well 2nd worst after the chinese buffet in tampa that time- imagine denny's with hawaiian flavor- sea food that was not that good and i had a mouth full of capers that just did not taste right- it was ok but not that best- it was a rec from the lady here where i am staying- i will venture off on my own tomorrow.

Some rise, some fall, some climb, to get to terrapin.

so this post is more than a blog of this is what i did and here are some pictures, this is why i came to this place- today i found "my shangri-La" - there are certain events that happen in a persons life that they would consider momentous. this may happen 4-5 times in a lifetime. whether it be a personal achievement, a person you meet that changes your life or see something that rocks your soul so deep there are just no words to describe it. today for me, was one of those days in more ways then one. i decided last night that i would do the "nualolo/awaawapuhi adventure hike" 10.5 miles of the na pali coast. to be honest i was very apprehensive before this trip- the things that crossed my mind were the rain in a place that receives 435" a year, not to mention the fact that it was 10 miles- i don't know if i have ever done anything that was physically demanding for 5 hours except that 250 lb hooker I got my 1st night here(I keed, that was 6 hrs). this is all i could think about on the hr ride to the trail and it left a very uneasy feeling in my stomach. after driving back to the other side of the island by waimea canyon i reach the trail head, across the street from where the canyon hike i had taken a few days before. the sun was shining yet rain was off in the horizon. i start the hike and about 2 minutes in, i hit the 1st barrier- the trail just kind of ended(I think this is the point I lost my 3rd pair of sun glasses of the year)- this was the 1st sign of trailblazers gone wrong. after seeing the correct trail i am back on my way. after about a mile i come to a fork in the road. i could go either right or strait- being the park has great trail signage(there were no signs @ all) i go towards the coast. two miles had passed and i thought i had taken the scenic route and missed the correct trail until i see a sign that says i am going correct- the glazed surface was a nice ride down taking it step by step to not end up on my ass. after 2 miles i come to the point where the next trail is to be taken (it was a combination of 3 trails to make the 10 mile loop). being i was worried to run out of daylight i decided to skip the end of the 1st trail and move on to the second. after hiking a 1/2 mile on the 2nd trail something told me i needed to turn around- i had missed something and if i was going to put myself through 5 hrs of grueling switchbacks and an uphill battle i need to get the full benefit of the hike. i make a u turn and head back- i jump back on the nualolo and head toward the end. and this is when i realized "this is the place" after another 1/5 mile i break past the bushes and these sea oat-esq plants to the open coast- my 1st glimpse of the na pali coast. i was speechless and had a smile from ear to ear. i did not know what to do- this was the moment i was waiting for, the moment that left me breathless with no words to describe my feelings. i had chills that ran deep in my bones, through my soul and i felt i was meant to be here. as i hike the ridge trail to the end, the views were more exceptional with every step i took. as i approach the end i see the coast in all of its glory. the 4000' foot lush, green cliffs that end @ the sea, waterfalls and the years of ash that had a different color for each stage of eruption. there was a rainbow and i defiantly found the pot of gold. the sign @ the end said, in national park brown and yellow "end of nualolo trail" so wandered around for a few minutes and see a some of this and some of that. the winds were gusting @ 40 mph and not a cloud in the sky over me but a mile or so over it was raining. i take a few pictures and before i leave i see some etching on the sign. i look and i see "sam" on the bottom left corner, which was weathered and there for a while. could the return to this trail have been a simple twist of fate? i sit down for a while to soak up the view, do some thinking and move on. i return to the nualolo cliff trail i hike a few switchbacks along the coast. there were many trails to follow. again trailblazers decided to cut their own trails in the sea oats(not sure what they were but they were a pain in the ass towering 7' you could not see around them) i got to the second cliff and made it to the woods, back into the sea oats i get more views of the coast as i make my way back to the woods i start to notice a very familiar foot print, my own. i look @ my GPS and low and behold i just did a 1/2 mile circle on this ridge. after getting my bearing on where i am, i find the correct trail by seeing the picnic area ahead that was marked on the map. i make it to the picnic table and take a break- back on the trail i hear a waterfall ahead- this makes my stomach churn, or maybe it was the cliff bars- i seem to always find the jackass way across these and get boots full of water- this time it is just a trickle of water that needs to be crossed- all is well on the cliff trail. next comes a sign "trail narrows and washed out proceed @ own risk- so i did- i did not hike 5 miles so far to turn back- i was 1/2 way home @ this point and the sun was falling fast. After traversing 3-4 landslides and washed out parts of the trail i dip back into the woods- back on a decline i get a break from the elevation gain. i hear more water off in the distance, this time it sounds larger then before- i pass a guy(1st of the day) that had just come where I was going- i get to the stream and see fresh foot prints that go to the middle- so i follow suite- so here i am now standing in the middle of the river (this trip let me know how tall I was for sure) with no trail in sight. so i push forward and find myself in the middle of this tropical river valley - among to which are thorns about and inch long. after battling these for 10 minutes i make my way back to the side of the stream. i was 6.5 miles in and i was starting to feel fatigued. the 1st thing that crossed my mind were how the marines do something called the crucible @ the end of boot camp- i think that alone kept me level headed and kept going. I have seen video of this and it is 3 days of hell- i battled all of the negative thoughts and bitching to find the trail and i am back on my way- this is when the fun starts- all uphill from here. little did i know i started @ the low end of the trail @ 3400' and the peak of the trail was a little over 4000'. @ the end of the cliff trail i come to the next trail along with lots of day hikers- they are on a nice leisurely 2.5 mile hike to the other vista- it is only 3/10 of a mile to the vista from where I am so i head that way- by this time i have had a lot of time to think, think about how i must push on, how dr scholls needs to go back to school b/c his inner soles suck and how i want to be done- i stop for a minute to take a break and enjoy the less them impressive views of before- when i saw this i was glad that i took the harder trail b/c the reward was so much greater. i head back to the trail and have about 2.5 miles left then a mile back to the car on the road. i start the 2.5 miles back up the coast to 4000'. i took small steps and paced myself. after a mile i was starting to hurt allover. my feet, back and legs were screaming to stop but i kept on going. i must hike really fast b/c i had passed people hat left 20 minutes before me- i tried to slow down but it made it worse- i guess it is my long legs? step after step i was fanaticizing about a cold beer and a place i could stretch my back. i would pass people on their way to the vista and they would ask how long and i would give a look of "how the hell do i know" snot was running down my face, my shirt drenched from mist and sweat and i was in pain. i knew the good parts were over i just needed to get back to the car. i finally make it to the road and the rain starts coming down- on my walk i try and hitch a ride to which was unsuccessful- although a few of them almost hit me. hiking boots on the road suck- the soles do not flex much and all i wanted were a nice chacos on my feet- the boots were hot, the tape on my feet was starting to bunch and it just sucked. as i round the final corner i get another one of the breathless moments- i see the car off in the distance- when i get back i lay on the hood and just had to reflect for a second- i put on my chacos and pour myself into the drivers seat, lick my wounds and go about my way- i que up some tractor beam and head home- with the wiamea on my left and winding roads i push the malibu to the edge- I drove that rental car like need for speed, the brakes were hot the tires were screeching and it was some of the most fun i have had driving- ever- the best way to end a hike like this- some 150 bpm music and one hell of a view to the left- with my head bobbing like it has never before, air guitar in full force, knee on the wheel, i was one happy fool. i asked myself why i did this- was it to prove anything to anyone? No- I live my life how I want- so why impress? not even to prove anything to myself- it was for the love of nature, the love of walking, the love of solitude, for the love of the game- to clear my head and be one with nature in one of the most stunning places on earth. In the end after all the pain, this was a day that I will remember, for the views the agony and who I wished was with me. I have had other monumental days in my life but everything involved I think this may be @ the top

kauai loves me

as i was @ the molokai street fair i found a button that said "kauai loves you" i must admit that this s the most tropical island i have been to yet- including the rain in hanalei bay- so i do not get to enjoy the "most beautiful place on earth" in all of its beauty. good thing is i can go to the other side of the island and have no rain- the 1st day here i hiked "sleeping giant" from a distance it looks like a sleeping giant- the hike was 4 miles and had an elevation gain of about 1300'- it was great to get to the summit- met some nice people along the way and got my ass kicked by the giant. i slept well that night- yesterday i hit up waimea canyon- it was the most amazing thing i have ever seen- along the hike i started to hate myself yet i knew here was an even more spectacular view around the corner- the hike started @ 3200' so this sea level living boy was gasping @ the beginning- on the way back i decided to "skate" down some of the hills- and busted my ass- not bad- feet just came out from under me- the dirt here is like hard packed GA clay- yet slippery as ice- i pretty much had to use the poles to keep me up- without them i woulda ate it a lot- again- best purchase for this trip- i will never not hike with them again. last night again i slept like a baby- today i drove around and let my body heal some for a hike tomorrow- the mountains here have a very gloomy look to them- can be shinin on the coast and shit 10 feet to the left- weird- yet i like it- i cruised round and didn't do a whole lot- found a good burger place for lunch and bout to go grab some sushi- if i can get in tonight- went the 1st night, closed, 2nd night party, so i hope i can get in tonight- also got to watch some heady surfer brah's sip some wine last night @ this one place- i mean i like wine but not when you are you with your brah's- but they were on the prowl for some houley poon- kinda funny- i always get the "just one?" when i go eat- i have gotten lots of free beer from it- last night she hooked me up with a few- like she felt bad for me- the weather is blah again- so dunno what i am gonna do but i'll figure out as i go- also a comment on the food- i am no foodie but i love food- the food here is not that great- very bland- i had 2 meals in a row that i did not even want to eat- last night i found a good place and they actually used spices- maui has this place blown away when it comes to food- also "what day is it?" is a great thing- i have pretty much lost track of time here and it is great- this is my 1st vaca over 10 days that i was not ready to go home- usually after a week - 10 days i am ready to haul- but not here- i would def life this to be an annual trip if not more often- 9 days left and i have to leave- go back to the grind- i am not looking fwd to it- although i can work on my chevelle-

for the love of the game

so i have left molokai- i could not be more excited- the island it beautiful to say the least it is just so behind in the times- i think of the rest of HI was not americanized it is where the rest of the islands would be- it is was kinda trashy except the resorts- but it was good to get away- so the flight from molokai was on a cesnna caravan- which is pretty much a turbo propped 172- UPS mainly uses them to haul cargo- it was by far the best flight i have ever been on- they flew @ about 1500' the entire trip b/c of the fronts- there was storm from molokai to honolulu on the right aand you could see the rain falling and the wall of clouds- i was able to watch the instrument panel the whole time- i have not flown a plane since i soloed when i was 15 so it was kind of cool to see all that going on again- just watching the weather and being in a small plane feeling every bump- only cruising @ maybe 225 or so- was def a highlight of this trip- now to kauai where i will do 5-6 hikes in 6 days- the slackin is over and time to have some fun-

here is a link to all my pictures so far- along with some vids of things

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=189596656/a=115304689/t_=115304689

i love mother nature but hate the rain

so the rain is still falling and the island is not very big so i was not too anxious to do much- which was the plan for coming here- made a good breakfast and watched the beach from afar. i have been getting a lot of reading in- so i head out to see what is out there and i found much of nothing. i did find a pretty cool store that had lots of of heady handmade stuff here from this island- and the guy shipped the stuff for me so it eliminated me having to keep hand carved things from breaking- the owner of the store looked like tourettes guy's dad- and santa for that matter- so while walking around i hear the sounds of a sewing machine- it was going off like a chinease sweat shop before x mas- i find this small back room and an older lady making handmade kites- i watched in amazement for a while just watching her work her fingers to the bone- i picked up a few gifts for family and a few others- they did not have any dollar bill covered items and was kind of let down, but what ya gonna do? i guess that only comes in myrtle beach. they need to catch up on the new heady trends of the east coast i guess. so i came back to the condo, made some lunch and was sitting on the "lanai"- why can't they call it the back porch? why does it have to have this special name? is back porch too trailer park for these people? b/c the island overall is pretty much a trailer park(molokai) other then a few nice homes here and there- where i am is nice but no moaks round here. so while eating lunch these birds start coming in- i toss out a chip- then 5 come- toss out another then 20 come- then a red headed bird hopped right up on the table and tried to take a chip outta the bag- i moved too fast and they flew away- so while feeding these hawaiian pigeons i hear this comotion of the birds and 2 20-25 lb turkeys come waltzing around the corner- they all clear out and the turkeys start kickin ass and taking names- they want in on the chip action- so i give em some - the red headed birds finally came back for me to take some pics of- the food went away and so did the birds- the rain is still coming down and i am still in a battle for leeching internet from the neighbors- it makes me wonder if they get a message when i connect b/c i get booted soon after

my soul rises up when the sun sets down

so it has been a few days since i have written, partly b/c i have not felt the desire, there was a bad storm and had no internet- and thirdly- i am on vacation. i left maui today for the island of molokai- maui is def a fun place- met some really nice people, got addicted to guitar hero and rock band and did 2 hikes. the hike to Waimoku Falls and the 7 sacred pools was amazing- about 2 miles
each way- the rain was falling, the trails were slippery but the

views were out of a scene of lost or blue lagoon. the 1st nice view is @ about the 3rd or 4th fall- kassi and i walked to the middle and you had the view of the entire valley- we were above the clouds @ this time so it had a very eerie feel to it. after about another mile you come to the bamboo forest. the wind was whipping and the
bamboo was clacking loudly- not much light was getting through
and i felt the big black smoke from lost was coming out @ any moment. @ the end when you get to the falls you can hear them crashing down thundering like schools coming out of drums- then you see a peek through the trees- after fording a few streams and rivers there it was in all its glory. a 400' waterfall- entirely of rainfall- on the return trip there were some slips here and there- no falls except kassi once- then we get back to the parking lot and i
almost go face first- just my luck- the drive on hana hwy is like
san simeon but the views are less- yet way more amazing- you get the whole valley and then the volcanic rock for the whole loop back to the coast- we just cruised and sipped on some cold beer- that night the rain and wind came out of nowhere. the wind was gnarley and jaws was going off- but i never got the see the biggest waves in HI- the next day i took it pretty easy and cruised with jay- not much happened b/c of the rain and wind- although we did have a rock band mexican siesta or is that fiesta, and met some heady brahs from the island- the loser of rock ech game had to sing- i had the privilage of singing twice- which was a 1st for me of any sorts- rock band could take over karaoke night @ any bar for sure. the following day(sorry i kind of lost track of time and days here- i may even be getting shit mixed up- but i like "island time" for sure) we went to iao needle and saw that- the river there was raging- the needle had the top covered with a layer of clouds and i must say is one of the more interesting natural wonders i have seen- the west mauis are sick- like kassi said- they look different every time you take a look- now the storms are really kicking- the wind is about 60 mph @ kassi's house and jayson peppers are taking a beating from hell- he has some nice shit going on there- growing the worlds hottest pepper- 3 times hotter then a hobenero- he had some stuff similar to dave's insanity and it was good- i did 4 drops on a taco and thought i was going to die- we also hit up this thai place- best i have ever had- i got a squid salad and it was the bomb- way more then you get on the right coast- yet so fresh and you could taste the flavors as they exploded in your mouth- kassi lives by a town calle paia- willie nelson lives there- hippies come out @ night and jayson hates it- but i loved it- def be a great place to live- the whitest town by far and not many moaks- which is good- had lots of good places to eat but charley's (willie's bar) had a dank salad with fish- everything here is crusted with macadamia nuts or passion fruit this or papaya that- it is all the dank- the sea food here blows any HHI place out of the water hand down- not just broiled in butter or fried- wed night we went to see derek trucks- paid 60 bucks for a $20 band but susan came out and then it got nasty- the count was on time and cofie was lighting up the hammond like no other- i had a great time- there were some spun wooks in the lot after the show- kinda odd yet funny- also saw a wsp superstition shirt in maui- yeah- kassi was going crazy- it is cool to see your shirt but to see your shirt in maui is the heat for sure. that night it rained and rained- next day i was to fly to molokai but could not get out- t hr airport is all open air- it must be deadly in the summer- but it was raining inside the airport- so after jayson coming back to get me kassi cooked us a dank breakfast- played some guitar hero and passed out for a nap- then the night was uneventful- i was more worried about getting to molokai then anything- i read some and passed out- hoku- kassi's dog awoke me early in the am with kisses- which was every morning- with her bad breath and paw to the head i awoke to blue skies- the ride to molokai was rough- it is still storming on and off but not like the past few says- the condo i am renting is so nice- has a beach view- on thr west side so i get the killer sunsets and it is safe from the moaks- i got some bad looks in the grocery- maybe it is me- but i am just watching my ass- b/c i know this haole is not welcome on this small town- i am the minority and even if i am not- they do not take kindly to the foreigner here- esp the of the caucasian type- odd to me yet very interesting- so now i sit here after sunset about to cook some dinner- gonna go on a hike to the halawa valley if the rain permits- so far all in all i would say this is a great trip- now that i am back on my own for the remainder it is back to soul building and meeting old gay men- i am going to listen to some music and do some reading to the sounds of the ocean crashing wave after wave- being on this trip really makes me want to be a documenterian- and make heady vids or travel books for the off the beaten patrh stuff- foders does ok but they also leave the good stuff out- also the new camera is the best thing since pants with pockets- thanks diane- it is way better then that other slr with 20 lenses

we also went to walk to jaws(i fell once and almost went in a foot deep puddle of mud- but stopped b/c it was not going off- there are tons of abandon cars here that just sit on the highway- really weird yet shows how the locals really are

some pics

don't really want to write much- pretty tired from the hike today- yesterday i went to the beach to watch some windsurfers- there were some other good sites @ the beach too- everyone- more the people that moved here are very chill and just kinda cruise through life- the bikinis are small and the women are "every type of guys women"- today kassi and i went on a hike to the 7 sacred pools and waimoku falls- rained till we got above the clouds- kinda slippery- the falls were amazing- waimoku is about 400 feet and was flowing pretty good b/c of the rain- the walk in the bamboo forest was pretty nice too- i was waiting for the black cloud from lost to pop out- the hana highway trumps highway 1 in a few spots- the views of the valleys are amazing- we got harassed by some locals on the way home- i don't understand it- yes i can see that they have had "their" island invaded but if not for that they would be stuck in 1920- they slapped the mirror of the car when we drove by- there were a few abandon cars along the ride- stripped then burned- i would say overall this place has a very weird vibe- they are either nice or cocks- not the americans but the hawaiians - so close minded and feel they have the right to be asses- also saw some rainbow eucalyptus. the bark of the tree is about 5-6 colors- pretty cool i must say- i dunno if it is b/c of the tree or the soil or something-

aui day 3

the vid above is from last night when i was watching the sunset- it was pretty amazing to watch this guy for an hour and not even getting in the water- he would ride the wave in, paddle back out and then back in- he used the paddle as a rudder like a surfing kayak- not sure if the board has a skeg or not- that would kind of defeat the purpose of the paddle/rudder


today i took it pretty easy- i met up with kassi- the drive was nice- saw some heady surfers and wind surfers- her house is what i imagined- her and jayson live on 35 acres, the owners grow bananas, guava and some other things i forgot- we went to paia- a small town which is more mainland people then anything- it reminded me of a small ski town but on the coast- willy nelson has a bar there called charlie's- named for his dog and has impromptu shows there pretty often- woody harrelson has a place there too- i think i would be pretty floored if i crossed him- he is a pretty big eco activist and a good actor- seems like someone i would like to have a fe drinks with- had some heady beer and food- went to replace a few things the crooks took and that is pretty much it- going to see a reggae band tonight where she works- which is pretty big here- it replaces all the rap stations in the SE- not a huge fan of it but i want to check it out- engulf myself in some of the hawaiian culture- although- @ least it won't be "mon" every 30 seconds

maui day 2

Day 2- maui

So I wake up- my stove will not go to high- but I was able to make tea and oatmeal for breakfast- I took my time b/c I was kind of in disarray on what to do- I had planned to go to kassi’s and camp again but I was not going to sleep on the ground again- it just sucked- thermarest’s are made for a reason I have found…the hard way. After talking with my parents and the cops I decided camping was not the best idea here b/c living out of a car is too much risk in have the car broken into. I spend the morning setting up places to stay on the other islands then I hit up the whale watching boat- I go down to the tourist trap, walk around and booka tour- I go to the slip to wait- I bring a book and sit on a bench and read- I finished nature and pretty much all of walking my Thoreau. Those 2 essays are some of the most amazing things I have ever read- they really put life in perspective on how to live- or should I say how I think it would be to live. As I am sitting there I strike up conversation with an older gentleman- he tells me he is 82 and on a cruise with his wife and friends. I had my legs crossed and his foot hit mine. I moved my foot and went about reading. Next thing I know he slides my way- he is on the bench next to me. He makes the remark “you know what they say about people with big feet, I answser, “they are clowns” - he laughs and said no- so thought went back to reading and paid no mind. So I feel his hand touch my elbow- a caress with his thumb and index finger- he asks- is that ok- I give him a big “get the fuck away from me look” I sit there in awe- I am laughing to myself and also in disbelief I just got hit on my an 82 year old man- did they have gay people back then in the 30’s? I thought this was a new thing- sorta like jenka and gogo boots. So he stands up and he goes to shake my hand- I am not going to be mean so I shake- and he does this thing where he tickles my palm- and gives me a look- I could not help to burst out and laugh- I got up and walked to a place where I could be alone and read till departure- there was a very interesting japanease couple- he was drawing and she was doing one of those nit by number things- hiss drawings were amazing- good enough to buy- I wached him draw instead of reading- I board the boat and we see a few whales- it was cool but they were a 100 yards away- needless to say I saw some whales- I make my way back up hwy 30 back towards the hotel(same one I stayed @ the 1st night b/c I was not camping) and stopped to watch the sunset- there were surfers and lanai in the foreground so I figured this was a good spot- I finished up walking and started jitterbug perfume. Watching the surfers be so fluid with the power of the ocean behind them was great- there was one guy that had a paddle and never had to swim - he stood the whole time- turn out that guy was a smoking hot girl- she washed her board and yada yada yada she sits next to me to watch the sunset- with my wonderful game with women I said nothing- there was some of that “I see you lookin @ me lookin @ you lookin @ me” but I dunno if marvin coulda even helped me- she was alone- not local- I remembered records- but I forgot all the lyrics- so I make it back to the area of the hotel in search of food- I pull into a strip mall and see sushi- I go in and there are 3 Americans- I sit @ the sushi bar and they all said this was the best place in maui- they were all property owners and knew the island- I talked to the one lady for about 45 minutes- she was a traveler- she was 70 and had been to 150 countries - we talked about traveling and I was asking her mostly where I need to go- she is an adventure traveler and knew the goods- the sushi- amazing- hands down best spicy tuna I have had- I ordered some other stuff I never heard of which was also good- she had some very insightful things to say- we talked about life too and solo travel- it was more a lesson to me about things then anything- she was truly a good soul and I will never forget her- she was also a fan of kirk creek so I knew she was a good person she had some food on her mouth but I never had the heart to tell her- so I let it go- I grabbed some beer and chips- now here I sit- on a soft bed, with a shower and some heady Hawaii micro brew- I hope the worst is behind and it only gets better from here-

maui day 1

Day 1- maui

So I wake up @ the but crack of dawn, make some tea and I am on my way- I head up highway to mile marker 38 to see the blow hole and a natural arch- the rain is coming down in buckets- there are rocks all over the road with signs that say “watch for falling rocks” - in all my years of seeing those signs I have never seen a fallen rock of any substantial size. I get the the place and the rain picks up- I put on my raincoat and I head out- I got out for about 30 min and decided to go back to the car to get my camera- this place was of true amazement. I 1st walked up and there were these rocks all stacked on top of each other- I would have to guess around 1000 or so- then there was this rock formation, very crop circilish- I go hiking on the coast in the pouring rain for approximately 3 hrs- I saw the blow hole, the arch and a ton more- I would go to one point and sit- think and then move on- I purchased some leki hiking poles and they saved my life probably 30 times- the ash is very slippery- it was like clay with pam on top. I make my way to what I thought was an old lighthouse- turns out it was just a marker with a beacon on top- I was not going to let the wind and rain keep me in the hotel. It was then I decided I was glad I made the trip myself- b/c it was not the best conditions and I think most would have been miserable.
I make my way back the car and I open the door and notice glass on the console. I thought the bottle of stuarts broke. Then I notice my mountain smith is gone. that’s right- I got my car broken into- they took my mountain smith which had some cash in it- prob a 1/3 of my spending money(sorta dumb on my part but I thought cash would be easier and get it as I need it) and one of my packs- they got mostly clothes(I am down to 3 pair of shorts and 2 pair of pants but I have the rest, I think) and the cash- along with my card reader, tens unit(muscle stimulator for my back) and my bose head cans- I felt so violated more then anything- karma is a bitch is all I can say about that- I did what I could not to think negative about it and I was not mad in any way what so ever. I was not going to let some meth head local ruin my time here- I think a few years ago I would have been outraged and pissed- I was actually laughing- shern sent me a pic of his new stash and how he wanted to trade tucker for some the the steel reserve- which helped lighten the mood- I had no cell service so I drove back till I had some- the rocks in the road were now boulders- the size of a basketball or so- during the drive I had a realization about the whole thing- so after about an hr with messing around with that I get a new car and I head to dragons teeth- I was there for a few hrs- reading emerson’s nature essay- it was so ironic how a lot of that referenced an instance of how to deal with what I just went through. On my walk back to the car(you had to walk along a golf course to get to the spot, I hear fore and a wizz of a golf ball by me- does Hawaii not want me here?


I had had already set up my tent and what not to camp for the night- when I got to camp I found that they also got my flashlights, thermarest and crazy creek. That sucked b/c I could not see, I had to sleep on the ground and sit on freaking rocks while I cooked and what not- so I did what any other normal americal would do. I got some food, a 6 pack of kona pale ale and a hawaiian cigar- as I was cooking the local taby cats came around- I gave a whole chicken breast to a kitten- maybe a year or so old and he was with me all night-

Keep america beautiful, grow a beard, take a bath and burn a billboard

6 hour flight to HI from the 770- I am @ in a bulkhead seat- lots of legroom- 767-400- nice I must say- my second time on one- my 1st was in 00 to dallas- it seemed more cramped- I am by the galley but the coffee has not began to brew yet- I passed out thanks to some muscle relaxers only to be awoken by a the awful smell of microwaved food being served for lunch- I passed on the meal needless to say- I raged some biscuits for the nap- 2/17/07 and woke up during rainbow song- maybe I will find my gold @ the end of he rainbow?! It is a cool 60 degrees on the plane and I have nothing to keep warm- the blankets are taken so I guess I have to stop being a puss- my toes are numb and the turbulence is pretty bad- across from me there is a very eclectic hippie- reminds me of judy silk- I would bet that she lives in Hawaii and has left the hustle and bustle life for the simple stuff- lives on necessity and not greed- could this be the right approach to life?- to be truly happy?- less is more approach- I often wonder this- the buddhist seem to think so- but does this work in western society? I think it would be pretty near impossible to live the minimalist life for me- although I do not need things to be happy- I do like to have possessions- are they just distractions for me? Distractions to what may be the real goal in life- or do they aid in achieving that goal of being happy? Is there such thing as “positive poverty” In the western society? yet you are still able to live a normal life, have kids and raise a family- I don‘t want a gold digga but I know no one wants a broke nigga? Without a job how would I travel or really enjoy the things I have grown to love?

drink cart is coming- they now offer glasses of water, not bottles- and no biscoffs b/c they had a meal service- what has happened to the airline I once loved so much? As for biscoffs and get a whole sleeve b/c no one ever ate them- I feel that they have betrayed me with my one true love that delta provided- I now have a large black ass in my face as a turn to the right- wow, is all I have to say about that. I did get some peanuts though- the bag smaller then ever and my stomach made its 1st growl of the day- bag still just as hard to open…but after seeing an ass that sir mix a lot would drool over it has ruined my appetite-

The airport in maui was very circa 1985 Hilton head style. Come to find out I flew into the small airport- 100 cab ride later to the main airport for my car I head to the hotel- I grab a bite to eat and a stuarts cream soda- I was in heaven for that alone.

sittin' round waitin for an airplane

so the trip has started to my zex sea in aceetobee, not in the aegean circle...so how can i go to an airport without thinking about the seinfeld airport bit- my 3 bags packed to the gills with mostly camping stuff and then some clothes. i approach the ticket counter and i get a look as if i had lobsters coming from my ears. i get the "all this is for you?" from the over worked under paid ticket counter attendant. i am flying the airline formally known as domination aka delta- thanks to leo mullen and a chapter 11 they are now crawling back to the top slowly but not surly. as going through the crackpot security in savannah they looked @ my bag like it was from tralfamadore- stuffed like a turkey with electronics and whatever else i could cram in there. i got the triple take on the id- thinking i was a good ole southern terrorist from south carolina- i as i await to be pulled for the full cavity search, i somehow breeze through the security without a hitch. no beeps for me. i walk down the seemingly boundless terminal, the golfcart with no one on it, passes me, empty and i was offered no assistance in my trek- i take a seat and i zone out from the 3 hours sleep i had the previous night- in my mind i was envisaging what was going to happen on the trip- being alone for a few weeks, me in a ford focus, and how i forgot my beard trimmer. will i go wook? naaaaaaa- the time has finally come for me to go to the land many call the most beautiful place on earth- i will determine that myself. the goldcart passes me 3-4 more times, again still empty each time- as she makes the hairpin turn she races down the terminal like dale earnhardt in daytona. they make the 1st boarding call and people arise in a frenzy to be the 1st one on. i wait till the last minute- as i board the airplane as i miss the sounds of enya- circa late 90's delta boarding music- to hear a cry of a baby and rednecks plotting their big kill in kansas. i have the entire row to myself and for a tall guy this is good- yet i see an exceptionally finer choice 2 rows ahead- i am eying it up like it was arleen out my window- the poor man's 1st class- that's right- the emergency exit row- i may not be served sundays with super models but i can cross my legs and stretch out- as long as i am not next to the galley or the bathroom, then i am fine- nothing like the smell of a nice fresh pumped lav to get the day going. there is approximately 10 minutes till departure and i await to see if anyone comes on. i make the dash to the row ahead and hope for the best- there are a few stragglers that send butterflies in my stomach, am i in their seat? will i have to give up the lap of luxury and return to my 31 inches of legroom? as the last body files into the plane i look around @ all the suckers with far less leg room and count my blessings. the last person to enter the plane makes a turn to the right and looks @ me(part of the hunting group)- so i thought- he gets confused and heads to 1st class- he then pokes back through the curtain to wave to his friends and gives them a big "fuck you" smile and goes about his way. why do they have the curtsain anyway? what is beyond that thing? is there really a need? on final approach into atlanta i open my window to the sunrise- i yank out my camera and i break all the FAA rules of flight and i take a few pics- what is the worst that will happen? the the navigation go down and they can't find the airport? they may actually have to take the plane off autopilot and fly it? we land with a very hard thump on the right wheel then the left- they give full flaps and reverse thrust and i say to myself "shitty landing, must have been the first officer" i grab my stuff and try to beat the rush to get off only to be headed off my the parental units of the ear- piercing, crying baby from earlier. as i await to deplane, again, no music. i find myself in the "e" terminal in atlanta, e for international- i arrive and the local brothern are opening the kiosks, stores and other places of business. do they know what things cost on the outside? i grab a muffin, latte and a bottle of water for $10.30 and i find my way to my gate. i sit here with newlyweds, an emo artist that i really want to see what she is laying down on that sketch book- the unpleasant sound of the trashcan compacting every 5 minutes or so interrupts the bass dropped bombs of the biscuits as i bob my head. they launch into morph düsseldorf as i await my wind @ 10 to fly