A
great
archive in
Hawaiian Music is the Huapala.org
web site.
They also offer some beautiful Pa`u skirts.
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Island Magic: Stories, Experiences and
Observations
From Hana Side to Hana
Vana
©2008 Gilbert
Belmudez
(Note: Regard
this
true story as a rough draft. I am
writing it from a few notes and a lot of memory. If
there are some inaccuracies in Hawaiian
spelling, geographical description, legend, custom or any other
details, feel
free to contact me with corrections and opinion. Critique
is more than welcome.)
My stay at Seven Sacred Pools was not a
long one. It was a matter of survival. If I had known the
area better, and the people who lived there, perhaps things would have
been different. As it was, I had much to learn and wanted to
explore all the different
possibilities. Someone mentioned the West side of Maui and a small town
called Lahaina. They informed me the area was busy with tourists
and jobs were plentiful. Seven Pools was paradise for me but I hadn't
acclimated physically or mentally and in the silence of night one could
go stir crazy. So I gathered my belongings and caught a
ride back down Hana Highway. I'm saying, "back down Hana Highway"
because most people turn around and return the same way they had
come. The road does circle the entire island but to continue much
further can become a big mistake. It is partially unpaved, to
difficult to maintain and at times you are at the mercy of narrow
passes high above the rocky shoreline below.
The driver of the vehicle I was in had another passenger and was not
going all the way to Lahaina. He informed me he could get me as
far as Hana Vana. That's where
the other passenger lived and when he realized I was homeless I got an
invitation to spend the night at his place. He informed
me it would be raining later and as late as it was, I might have a
difficult time getting another ride. It sounded good to me.
I would at least be dry
for the night and could get a fresh start in the morning.
Hana Vana. A place in the jungle. A curve in the road where
one could park safely along side the road. A small sign
hammered into the ground marked the spot with the words, "Hana
Vana". Otherwise you would have missed it unless you know the
area. "Where is it?" I asked as I watched our ride drive away and
disappear around the next bend. "We're here." my new found friend
proclaimed and I asked, "where?" "Hana Vana!" he said with
a smile that told me he knew more than I did. I looked around and
saw nothing but dense jungle overgrowth
dripping from the last rain that had passed through.
"Follow me" and he helped me by grabbing my rolled up sleeping
bag. I was grateful that my duffle bag had an end to end shoulder
strap as I hung the heavy load over my shoulder. I followed him
into the foliage and realized we were
actually on a vague path that snaked through the density. We
traveled a distance before reaching an open area, all the time
descending what began to look like a ravine of
sorts. The grass was waist high and wet with
moisture. Aside from the sound of birds there was no other signs
of life and at first it seemed like there was no
real destination. The duffle bag cut into my shoulders as I
occasionally switched it from side to side. It got worse when we
came to a slope that was
steep and slick with wet grass. I literally sat
down and with my legs stretched out in front of me, slid down with no
obstruction. It was like a slalom slip and slide ride that took
me for about a hundred yards. At the time I didn't even want to
think about the harder climb I would be making the next morning.
At the bottom of the slope we began walking again and made our way
through an abundance of trees separated by large
ferns and high grass. I am not sure how far we had gone down but
I could hear the faint sound of waves crashing against the rocks in the
distance below us. "We're here" he finally said and I thought, "You got to be kidding!". I
was in the midst of a beautiful setting with a pool being fed by a
small waterfall about twenty feet away. There was a small shed at
the
base of a tall tree and my friend let me know that was where I would
sleep. "Where
do you live?" I asked and he pointed up at a tree house I hadn't
noticed
before. He climbed up a make shift rope ladder and a few
minutes later descended with his girlfriend and a small basket of
welcomed
fruit.
He had brought his lady friend a pastry treat and they explained to me
that breads and cakes didn't last long in this humid environment.
Everything had to be kept in tight plastic containers. Spotting a
box of Bisquick among the supplies he had brought with him, I
remembered a modern day recipe my mom had once given me. In
California it seemed sacrilegious but in the jungle the recipe was a
blessing. I pointed to the Bisquick and said, "You could make a
lot of burritos with that". "No way!" "Yup! Just add
enough water to make a ball of dough that isn't runny and isn't
sticky. Add a little salt to taste and kneed it real good until
the surface feels like soft skin. Make small balls like you would
for biscuits. Lightly flour a surface and a rolling pin so the
dough won't stick. Also powder up the ball with flour and then
roll it out into a round tortilla shape. After it's thin enough, throw
the flat dough onto the surface of a medium hot frying pan and after
ten or fifteen seconds just flip it over. Keep flipping until it
looks like a ready made tortilla but not for to long or it will get
crispy like a cracker." Needless to say it wasn't long before we
were eating warm tortillas with beans fresh out of the can and the
couple was grateful for the welcomed addition to their diet.
After eating we talked for a while longer but it was getting dark fast
and they left me with a few candles. I was also instructed on
where
I could take care of my personal needs. The fern fronds and grass
would have to make do for cleaning myself. The waterfall would
take care of my thirst. No sooner did I snuggled into the little
shed with my bags that it
started to rain and I mean rain! I was exhausted and did fall
asleep right away but the night turned out to be a restless one.
You are a stranger. You are in pitch black
darkness. The mosquitoes are literally a constant irritation and
although you are told that there aren't any animals to
attack you, there is a silent fear as you wonder
what is crawling around outside your shelter.
Morning came non to soon and after dragging myself out of the shelter I
immediately stepped into wet mud with my bare feet. I areas like
this there are no poisonous plants or stickers and if you're away from
lava rocks, going barefooted seems like the sensible thing to do.
But fair warning. The centipede does lurk in the most unusual
areas, especially where there is wood. Unlike their little
cousins in California, the centipede in Hawaii can grow to over fifteen
inches in length and I've seen people sick with fever for a week when
bitten. There are also scorpions but as far as I'm concerned
their bite is nothing in comparison. Away from the hot desert of
the Southwestern United States they seem to lose their potency but then
again, don't take me for an expert. Anyway, I had no clue about
these two little critters in my first island adventures and I went
barefooted quite a bit without incident.
I used the pool as a bath that morning and the waterfall was my
shower. The fresh rain water was cold and I cleaned up
as fast as I could. I had already learned that the tips of some
wild ferns in Hawaii were very edible. That was part of my
breakfast along with some papaya and banana. I've researched
since and the best I can say is that the fern is called the Hoio.
The round tender tips of the fern that have yet to unfold are what I
ate and I never thought of cooking them. To me the
taste is almost like lettuce and it was never unpleasant. In my
research I later read some reports that people have gotten sick eating
ferns and no one mentions eating them raw as I did. All I can do
is share my experience but in no way will I encourage anyone to try it.
I wasn't looking forward to carrying everything uphill and the young
couple said my duffle bag would be safe if I left it there for an
indefinite time. I could return for it when I had found a place
to live. I accepted the offer and rolled up the most necessary
provisions into my sleeping bag and colorful blanket. Then on my
own, I embarked on the long uphill climb that lead to the Hana
Highway. It was early enough in the day and wasn't long before I
caught my ride to Lahaina.
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