triptothegarden
Member
After leaving Florida to sell exotic fruit with some friends I had met, I had just enough money to get a ticket to Hawaii. I was following my past lover through fire and flames and wasn’t afraid of being burned. I was naïve, to say the least.
I digress.
Hawaii was the easiest place to hitchhike. Miles better than Oregon, and the weather was incredible. Just don’t go during the rainy season under-prepared and keep an eye out for those tiny mfers they call red ants. Pretty sure they crawled out of the pits of hell.
If you plan on going to Hawaii, respect the aina (land) and the locals will respect you. Most of the time. As long as you aren’t obnoxious and try to contribute, it’ll be smooth. This goes for anywhere but specifically Hawaii considering how they’ve been screwed over countless times, yet remain tight-knit.
I woke up on a couch my friend had graciously given me, and wiped my eyes. I had been accepted into a work trade on the other side of the island. I hitched to the bus stop and then rode that rust bucket to Hilo. Had no idea when to get off, as phone service had dropped an hour prior. Nothing but jungle, humidity, and the occasional fruit stand. I was the last person to get off and ended up walking for an hour in the wrong direction. I began thinking of my relationships, what the hell I was doing, who I was, etc.
Suddenly a giant tank of a man having a cookout with his kin called me over. His voice was seasoned through decades of hard labor and sounded like tires rolling over gravel. I looked over and they were opening up coconuts with machetes and setting up tables/chairs. I had wandered right into a local neighborhood, hidden in the forest. I thought I was going to die right then and there. “If this is how it ends, so be it”.
He asked me where I was going, and if I was lost. I swallowed the anxiety and said, “Honestly, yes sir. No idea where I am or how to get to where I’m going”. Everyone I met told me about how serious locals are regarding haoles (white people), and how territorial they are. He looked me up and down and it felt like an eternity. I was a deer in the headlights of a Ford F1-150. He asked me where I was from, what I was doing there, etc. all while staring me down.
I answered and was as cordial as possible. I’ve learned that being an asshole usually ends in bad situations. Common sense but it isn’t as common as it should be.
After I explained, he smiled from ear to ear. He asked me to play something on the busted-up guitar I haul around, and I did an awful rendition of I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. Looking back this wasn’t the case, but I genuinely felt that if I didn’t play the greatest riff of all time I would become a coconut on that table.
Turns out they were just happy to see someone interested in their culture, which to be honest, I was. Growing up in the South leaves a lot of room for curiosity. He went on and on about the sanctity of the island, his family, and his achievements. The history of the Hawaiian islands, their beliefs, and unwritten rules. Pouring his soul into a random stranger. He offered me some food, I accepted, and my stomach was satisfied. The advice and wisdom he’d given me had quenched the thirst of my spirit. Then his niece I believe she was offered me a ride up to the intersection about 30 minutes away and stuck 10 dollars in my pack.
Ended up leaving a few months later. Lots of other things happened, some good some bad. I’ll write them out at some point. Felt like I should share this one since a few people have mentioned Hawaii recently.
God bless guys and stay safe 🤙
I digress.
Hawaii was the easiest place to hitchhike. Miles better than Oregon, and the weather was incredible. Just don’t go during the rainy season under-prepared and keep an eye out for those tiny mfers they call red ants. Pretty sure they crawled out of the pits of hell.
If you plan on going to Hawaii, respect the aina (land) and the locals will respect you. Most of the time. As long as you aren’t obnoxious and try to contribute, it’ll be smooth. This goes for anywhere but specifically Hawaii considering how they’ve been screwed over countless times, yet remain tight-knit.
I woke up on a couch my friend had graciously given me, and wiped my eyes. I had been accepted into a work trade on the other side of the island. I hitched to the bus stop and then rode that rust bucket to Hilo. Had no idea when to get off, as phone service had dropped an hour prior. Nothing but jungle, humidity, and the occasional fruit stand. I was the last person to get off and ended up walking for an hour in the wrong direction. I began thinking of my relationships, what the hell I was doing, who I was, etc.
Suddenly a giant tank of a man having a cookout with his kin called me over. His voice was seasoned through decades of hard labor and sounded like tires rolling over gravel. I looked over and they were opening up coconuts with machetes and setting up tables/chairs. I had wandered right into a local neighborhood, hidden in the forest. I thought I was going to die right then and there. “If this is how it ends, so be it”.
He asked me where I was going, and if I was lost. I swallowed the anxiety and said, “Honestly, yes sir. No idea where I am or how to get to where I’m going”. Everyone I met told me about how serious locals are regarding haoles (white people), and how territorial they are. He looked me up and down and it felt like an eternity. I was a deer in the headlights of a Ford F1-150. He asked me where I was from, what I was doing there, etc. all while staring me down.
I answered and was as cordial as possible. I’ve learned that being an asshole usually ends in bad situations. Common sense but it isn’t as common as it should be.
After I explained, he smiled from ear to ear. He asked me to play something on the busted-up guitar I haul around, and I did an awful rendition of I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. Looking back this wasn’t the case, but I genuinely felt that if I didn’t play the greatest riff of all time I would become a coconut on that table.
Turns out they were just happy to see someone interested in their culture, which to be honest, I was. Growing up in the South leaves a lot of room for curiosity. He went on and on about the sanctity of the island, his family, and his achievements. The history of the Hawaiian islands, their beliefs, and unwritten rules. Pouring his soul into a random stranger. He offered me some food, I accepted, and my stomach was satisfied. The advice and wisdom he’d given me had quenched the thirst of my spirit. Then his niece I believe she was offered me a ride up to the intersection about 30 minutes away and stuck 10 dollars in my pack.
Ended up leaving a few months later. Lots of other things happened, some good some bad. I’ll write them out at some point. Felt like I should share this one since a few people have mentioned Hawaii recently.
God bless guys and stay safe 🤙
