2016 November 18th, December 2nd: Hawaii, USA 👍

Dateline: December 2nd 2016. Big Island, Hawaii 

Hawaii,  & Timeshares, The conundrum: an insight

Big Island tour
From the hot tubs and swimming pools, the mini golf courses the treks, sights and guests barbecues of the Hawaiian islands, your correspondent has tirelessly applied himself to resolving the most intractable conundrum of modern times: the burning question: the US election results: WHY THE FUCK DID YOU VOTE FOR TRUMP?
 

The missus, Heather (Gerry's date it can now be revealed) and Gerry. 
Our first breakfast on Hawaii

Sampling the air passenger in the next seat, the group in the hot tub, the itinerant hiker, the fellow diners, all non scientifically invited to explain the so called democratic election of the unelectable.

During our research, we will interact with American citizens, probably from most of the continental US, and maybe locals in an attempt to find meaning from the voters themselves

To begin:

Supporters of the Arts, and horticulture apparently 
What the Hell? Oka is playing tonight (WHAT? NO PIX?)

Dateline: Friday November 11th, MSP: Heading to Honolulu,
Just settling down in our slightly not economy seating, and we're already into the conundrum with the folks behind and to our left. General disgust and disbelief reigns. "I voted for her" the lady behind to the left says propelling her Hilary badge at us. We all agree she did all she could
We all become suitably ensconced in our own personal entertainment system to further discuss life's forthcoming horrors
The flight from HNL to Big, and I'm next to a huge lady from Montana, not known for its left leaning natives. Funnily enough, she's appalled, but pragmatic about the finality of the results and just hopes reality will be kinder than the rhetoric.

OKA our favourite band. (no so with the new stuff)

Arriving, finally on big island, its late, I'm really tired and I just manage to get us through car hire, and check in to our timeshare by 4am our time. Initial response to the place, its lovely, better than the one we had here last year.

Dateline: week of November 12th Big Island,

A local beach which is deserted, and near the airport

We head to our regular Big Island hang out for our big Hawaiian breakfast of Hawaiian shredded pork Bearnaise and fruits. The coffee is great here.
The waiter, close to outrageously gay, needs hardly any prompting before he launches into his new dream of heading to Canada. No insights here obviously
Costco, and we get most of our staples for the week. We're all too cheap to eat out, but there's bbq's by the pool which is right next to us, plus fantastic views of Mauna Kea right outside from the terrace. Lots of NY steaks and far too much shrimp. YUM!

All Hawaiian timeshares are surrounded by
golf clubs. We prefer bridge

Our favourite band (Oka) just happens to be gigging about 30Kms up the road from our timeshare on our first night here, so we all head to the farmers co-op food share, grow community shindig thingy in a few fields overlooking the ocean. Beautiful.

This is a really nice timeshare, 
plus a handy pool next to our unit

I see the band wandering around the site taking pix, they're new here in the states, so no one notices them wandering around the site. I accost them and tell Stu (DigeryStu), how much I love their music, but forgot the obligatory pix of us with the band. The kids won't believe I blew it so badly.

We all have a great leap and return suitably knackered. No insights apart from having achieved my Hawaiian goal. The rest is just vacation, and of course dear reader, research for your enlightenment.

Getting ready for a bridge event. Gerry in fine fettle, as usual

Not really heavy, but acidic fumes
near the lava outlet into the sea

This time share is quite luxurious, huge place with 2 bedrooms, but pan lots of cupboards, mostly empty. We order a frying from reception

Trips to the local beaches with few takers for the election investigation, or 4 no trump as we appalled bridge players have come to call it

The lava flow is from years back, but still very active. 
Even though there were a lot of detours, its hot in many places

Recently, the active volcano, Kilauea is erupting, or at least has started spewing lava down the mountain, all subterranean, through lava pipes ending in the sea. It wasn't last year. Gerry and I head off to see the sights. It's across the island, about 3 hours as there's lots of construction on the mountain roads. It also starts to piss down.

 

This is as close as us tourists are allowed to get. 
The molten lava steam creates  hydrochloric acid when it hits the sea
It's dangerously acidic

After arriving at the park headquarters, we decide to do the long way around.

Heading back, it's a long now boring way

Yep, real live instant death
Just beneath your feet

We walk 6 kms each way on a track, plus another 3 kms around the roped off live lava flow, actually over the lava and lava tubes.YYou can feel the heat beneath your feet, as the rain occasionally pours down. Heat and sulfur vents are all over. Arduous, incredibly wet and very tiring, and really, just to see a column of noxious steam and fumes heading up from the sea up close ish. Lots of fellow hikers, but, shamed to say, we didn't give much thought to why Donald Trump had been elected. We get home very late, but after the drive through the rain at night, I'm happy to be alive.

There is a gallery in the local mall which appears to specialise in lava flow artwork, photography actually, so we head there to see what we should have seen
Arriving, and the photographer is in full flight to another group about how much iPhones are such a rip off. I like him already.

This is actually a state part, with loungers
(crap) supplied free of charge

Also, with pretty much no prompting from us, having identified ourselves as Canadians, we get the real democrats take. A "devil" is the word, but he's describing, not Trump, but Hilary! Trump is Lucifer. I know, it sorta escaped me too. "Worst choice ever". Suddenly, we have a whole diatribe of trumpisms, Hilary "can't be trusted", "terrible for the armed forces", "continuing the same old corrupted politics", "Wall Street", "business as usual". And this is a democrat for gods sake. He did vote for her, but he says many of his fellows did not. Well, being Hawaii I guess it didn't matter so much, but across the mainland, catastrophic implications

Our front yard, with distant golf course (of course)

Our local beach, apparently according to this guy, has resident turtles, so we head there and, yes there they are. Two shy ones grazing on seaweed on the rocks, who only allow you within 4 - 5 metres. But aimlessly swimming and wandering around a jagged lava seafront in pursuit, was rather fun. Sun and sand working well for all of us

Everyone gets a window seat
Everyone gets an aisle seat

Dateline: November 18th. Big To Maui
Maui trekking route

Heading into Maui airport over the volcano

We're in a Cessna,  8 seater this time, everyone gets a window. There's absolutely zero security measures here. Not a TFA guard or x-ray machine in sight. Rather cute and old worldly. We fly over the old volcano Halali'i to Kahluui.
Arriving, we go through the usual tourist routine;  or rather I do as I appear to be mother to everyone here. Whether its breakfast or car hire or Costco shopping. Its my calendar organising and research that seems to be deferred to or accepted as reality

The evening provides us with free Mai Thias (?) chips, pineapples and beers in exchange for our time for the usual presentations rubbish about all sorts of trips and tours our facilitator can organise for us. Its by the pool. No takers, from us anyway.

We "win" something at this one or the one next morning, but of no consequence that we are concerned about

No one wants to show us a time share presentation. Rats!

This time share is a bit on the lower reaches, old and a bit shabby, and only one pool and questionable hot tub.  It's rough here folks.

All beaches in Hawaii are public.
Anything not near people is usually
empty unless there's surfing

Rules abound. I move a lamp out to the "lanai", aka, balcony for lighting for dinner, and within 2 minutes, the desk manager is on the phone advising of "policy" regarding anything, including lighting, being out there and reminds me of said policy

A wetlands park for pretty much no wildlife, but a great beach to walk on for miles: our first event here.
Next day, a botanical gardens which needs us to wind up the mountain a ways, but it's private, aging and full of invasive species. Including us I guess. Not so hot, but a great view for our picnic lunch.

We've snagged another time 
share, this time it's Maui

We head inland. A private park and biosphere

Wandering around the local community of Kihei, what should we see, but a flyer for John Mayall, Brit blues icon, playing, sounds familiar, just up the road in Kahului. We decide it's too good an opportunity to miss

A trip around the island. Not very busy, quite deserted

Maui is sorta duck shaped with a small "head" toward the North West, and larger "body". Both having roads right around the original volcanoes, both having poorly maintained partial single track roads hugging cliffs and canyons below. We head anti clockwise around the "head" part.

Cliffs with attitude, apparently

There's a blowhole halfway around. As its a miserable day, some of us head down to almost certain death

Apparently, all beaches here are public, and as luck and diligence would have it, we end up at a fantastic hidden hotel for lunch with great, and cheap food, plus all the benefits of a luxury hotel: a wonderful beach, and lots of facilities. It was fantastic. The drive back, not so. Actual traffic jams for about 45 minutes. Beautiful island though.

Being a tourist, again

Hot tub research continues. A group of youngsters that deny any idea of political affiliation, or maybe even what politics are. Several occasions where a group was in the tub, but appeared to be mainly old guys telling anyone who was prepared to listen, and people like me who weren't, just how well adjusted and successful their kids/ grandkids were doing. I made an excuse and left.

But wait! A couple of blowhards in the pool bouncing trumpisms around and at each other, especially "the wall" to "keep them out", followed by all these immigrants, blah blah, how the military has been run down by Obama, how healthcare is such a disaster. Military types etc and Benghazi and lies and email servers also getting a good work out
OK

The beach is black sand. Duh! Volcanos

Gerry & I hike the Pipiwa trail

Certainly beginning to sound like the Trump  propaganda and propagation machine was infinitely more effective than Hilary's safe monologue. Also sounds like the majority of people wanted recognisable change rather than status quo. Consequences of such, being completely secondary or of no consideration. Maybe Bernie would have been a more adept candidate

On the trail. It's not very difficult

Tuesday, time for a hike up to the Seven Sacred Pools of Ohe'o. The opposite end of the "duck body" of the island. Gerry buys a CD to accompany our trip down clockwise around the land lump through the rainforests and ravines.
Some interesting stuff, like there were 100,000 Hawaiian natives on Maui alone when the westerners arrived. Communicable diseases then wiped out 90% of them. Property rights introduced, and within a few years, no native Hawaiian had any "property" left. All land being"owned" by the newcomers.
Same old, same old

A 2 hour uphill hike.

This is the end (we're not supposed 
to be here as the trail is closed)

I try to engage the other tourist 
in political conversations. 
Both are clueless. Both voted Trump

At the falls at the top of the hike, we meet a young couple cavorting in the stream from the falls. Neither sounds as if they have all the sandwiches required for a picnic. She lives in Florida and didn't register to vote, he, one sandwich more than her, demurs taking a political stance or voting concept, but lets slip a reference to immigrants and how there are too many illegals that need to be deported. 

See note re being tourists

 Back, late, completing our clockwise loop on a pretty dreadful rutted road. it looks very poverty stricken on this stretch
More pool.

Last night on Maui, and it's John Mayall. We arrive at the centre, there he is, at a table peddling his latest CD. Signings and pix. I shake his hand and tell him I'm very pleased to meet him.
He's obviously very busy with autographing his CD, even though no one else is around or buying, so we move on

Gig? Hmmm,
I thought his back up duo were terrible.
I've seen him play better, but that was 1969. He's still an incredible harp and keyboard player, voice, ok, Guitar, hmm, not so hot. Too many arthritic joints I guess.
Almost passive audience, but, by and large, the older the tunes were, the better they became. Out signing and pixing for the fans immediately after
Good to catch him before u know what happens

Dateline, November 25th. To Kauai.
Our Kauai trekking
We say our goodbyes
Its Thanksgiving to these folks
Car hire, supermarket et al...

Lawai beach resort. Gerry's gig, his one of the 3 weeks

It's lovely, well designed, even a herb garden next to the barbecues. Nice touches, like the hot tub, beautifully landscaped. Rooftop mini golf.

Our apartment having a great western view, perfect for gnt's with cheese and crackers. The sea is just across the road. Snorkeling is cheap. Turtles, fish, occasionally seals and once, a whale, breaching off the coast

HEY! We're tourists, what else are we supposed to do huh!?

Last time we were here on Kauai, we took in the McMasters, Doug & Natalie and their quirky "Slack Key Guitar" music. When it starts, you say to yourself, "What am I doing here???", but you actually start to holistify the music, and soon you're drifting off, some with the ancestors, to previous lives. It's quite special in fact. Anyway, we arrived well before the actual show, and anyone else which happened to be critical to my research, as Doug could not rant to his paying customers. However, liberal Canadians...... OK finally an audience.

This is how you have fun. Give us money!

Heres the real firebrand anti Trump democrat thats been missing from our research so far. I thought I was anti Trump! WELL!!!

Doug beat us all in the detestation stakes. So, finally, someone who I though would be everywhere. All the outrage, all the horror, all the detestation and shock. Finally, I've found it. He also has no idea why; even his friends bought into it all  (the Trumpest) he said totally aghast. If he wasn't so outraged, he would have been speechless. We listen, discussed, agreed, then its showtime: watch, listen and enjoy

The waterfall is where we are heading

I did a tough hike down the Na Pali coast (as in Jurassic Park movies), 3 years ago. This time, Gerry and I decide on the Weimea canyon, a fairly easy 6Km round trip to the top of the falls and a 4 km side trip to nowhere in particular and its back, mission accomplished 

Weimea canyon, surprising depth on a small island. 
A reasonable hike and dangerous at the top

 

The hot tub becomes the centre of my final days of research.

Right on the edge of the sheer drop

Lots of people here. The "we're Canadians" always gets us right into the thick of it.
Sadly, as the week progresses, the comments become more and more bland, actually less and less strident in tone. A retired teacher tells me that "the swamp needed to be drained" while agreeing with me about the sorry state of, well most things rotten about the states, education costs, health care for the poor or uninsured, personal safety, drug addiction.....

Difficult to believe this is on Hawaii Big island

And of course, get lost on trhe way back

A guy from New York, a committed democrat, probably put it best, at least for his fellow citizens when he told your correspondent "It's still the best country in the world, I'll never live anywhere else".

As he was a middle aged white guy who can afford a week or two in Hawaii, I'm not sure how closely he represented many other demographics.

The only good news I can tease out of my research, is that the message from Mr Trumps concerning minorities, especially Muslims, native and immigrant, has not had any reference whatsoever.
Thin gruel, but gruel nonetheless

And another timeshare.
I like this one. Gerry uses his points

The States has always been a law unto itself, often to admire, occasionally to condemn, but from January 20th onward, all bets are off

I'm sure my methodology for investigative purposes will be challenged if I ever publish in a more vigorously reviewed journal, or seek peer review, but at least this will show how much more research still needs to be carried out, and I would welcome inquiries from individuals and corporations interested in sponsoring future missions

Seasoned greetings from everyone here in what the Economist highlighted in a recent issue of October 29th: Canada, the new liberal beacon for the West

I think we have done Maui. Good. 
Not much to do, last day on the island

Absolutely, and I'm certainly proud of that article and editorials, and our direction.
I think we are going to be a lonely outpost for a long time to come
Come on up, you're all welcome

Anyone getting this far, well done. Here's your end of season link to pigging out

And with that inspired thought, I'll fade to black.

From Your Correspondent