Historic Haleiwa Town

Arriving on the Hawaiian Islands for the first time is an exciting experience for anyone. Oahu, being the most popular of the destinations due to its convenient concentration of world famous activities and attractions all collected within one hub is often the introduction many have with this neck of the North Pacific. However, to be honest the first impression held by many 10 minutes after their shuttle departs Honolulu International Airport (HNL) in any direction is more akin to opening the big present on Christmas Day to find an iPad 3 when your wish list clearly stated iPad 4. Nonetheless you smile at everyone in the room and fake a “yay” expression because that’s what’s expected and you begin to rationalize that the iPad 3 is still perfectly fine – first world problems, right? Deep inside you’re still bummed. As the shuttle likely makes its way to Waikiki first-time passengers peer out at abandoned real estate and shopping carts piled with disheveled clothes and cans rattling over the cracked concrete while catching the sound of thumping bass shaking the tinted windows of low riders at red lights. There are no hula girls dancing to Don Ho nor tiki torches lining Nimitz Highway.

There is a however a collective inner sigh of relief as the hotel district approaches and all the bells & whistles of Waikiki make their first appearance. One glimpse of the ocean peeking through the palms surrounding Ala Moana makes you forget the slightest hint of disappointment felt en route. Yet the lights of the high rise hotels, the rows of upscale shopping centers, and ABC stores dotting every block remind all of another extremely popular tourist destination back on the Mainland. Waikiki with each new commercial development earns its moniker as Las Vegas on the Beach. For those hoping to quietly pen their memoirs while sipping from a coconut on the beach – Waikiki will not serve as the required backdrop. I tried. I couldn’t get passed “In the beginning…”

But Waikiki is nothing more than the PuPu (appetizer) of the real Oahu. It serves to recognize your arrival but will not satiate your craving for the island experience. Oahu is affectionately referred to as “The Gathering Place” and indeed Waikiki serves its purpose in bring everyone together. But as with all gatherings, no matter the fun we’ve had mingling over Mai Tai’s, we’re happy to retreat to our place of solace at its conclusion and that happy place for Oahu is found in the historic town of Haleiwa.

Haleiwa, pronounced Ha-lay-ee-va, is the epicenter of the famed North Shore of Oahu. Everyone knows the “Seven Mile Miracle” North Shore. It’s home to the admiringly feared Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay, and the alluring wafting scent of the Shrimp Trucks parked along Kamehameha Hwy. But the heart of it all lies within the one level constructed country community of Haleiwa. Definitions and descriptors for “sleepy surf town”, “quaint boutique shops”, “fishing village”, or “time stands still” certainly borrowed from Haleiwa’s existence. The town would be cliche if it wasn’t.

Haleiwa at its purest is marked by a succession of tiny sea turtle haven beaches laid out as if to appease all levels of ocean confidence. Wilderness awaits across the road with expansive pastures and hills covered in fluttering palms and tropical flora so rich and green that only Hawaii’s volcanic soil and well timed rainy season could recreate it. Chickens, cats, and dogs run wild without homes but are all well fed (the dogs can thank the chickens for that part). The channel under the Kam Bridge may run full of fishing boat harbor spillover from time to time but it doesn’t stop the local kids from plunging in from the perch above nor keep stand-up paddle boarders from passing through to the reef protected azure sea. Everything is a postcard. Even the seawater air rusted trucks and vans serve as imagery anecdotes.

Yes, the tour buses stop here too. The gravel parking area squeezed between the old Aoki Shave Ice (closing February 2013) and Matsumoto Shave Ice shop collects more Dodge rental cars than the lots at Thrifty in Honolulu. Smartphones and Nikkons snap the town’s buildings with the ambition of capturing the entire woven palette of vibrant colors clearly picked from the North Shore’s famed rainbows. The Marketplace is a hive of retail activity as busy bees buy sentimental reminders of their brief stay on the island while ducking in and out of the cafes for poke bowls, Portuguese sausage plate lunches, Mexi-Hawaiian breakfast burritos, and espresso to refuel. But as fast as the droves of camera necklaced tourists arrive in waves they disappear to keep their scheduled itinerary. The town is of course happy to receive visitors, the lifeblood of the local economy, but even though they will never let you see it through their wide smiles and Aloha greetings you can sense that you are welcome as long as you keep on passing through as the sun sets, leaving the town to its whispery evening demeanor and subsequent dawn patrol the next day before it all begins again. Anyone having grown up in a small town can appreciate this fact. A familiar “Keep the Country, Country” slogan is written on fence signs and stickers slapped on bumpers and the general community consensus concurs.

Always under the threat of the watchful eye of opportunist developers, locals storm town hall at any mention of new construction. Visitors too would be wise to voice the same opinion because to change Haleiwa would be to lose a big part of the Oahu experience for them, even if they haven’t been there yet. Make sense? You see, just as if you remove one endemic species from the ocean leaving the regional underwater ecosystem impacted, the island of Oahu functions in that same manner. The freeway traffic of Honolulu, the shopping bag bouquets marching up and down Kalakaua Avenue, and 20 plus stories blocking the sunrise on the densely populated South Shore are all bearable because we know Haleiwa, with its historic charm and quiet charisma, is there. Its Aloha spirit is felt in day to day life all over the island. It’s a key ingredient that allows the commercial progress and natural beauty of the island to coexist. One resort, one mall, or even (especially?) one American Apparel would change the entire vibe of Haleiwa. It would be like returning to visit the comforts of your childhood home to find that your parents converted your room into their personal fitness center. Not cool.

Come visit Historic Haleiwa Town. Patronize the town’s shops and eateries, not just to proverbially support small local business, but to do yourself the favor of getting a taste of a simple life that somehow manages to exceed your wildest expectations – even the ones you had on the plane hours before arriving on the island.

For an inside look at Oahu, including Haleiwa, visit this Oahu Travel Guide

Wish You Were Here – Marcus Maraih

A Travel Agency That Has Gone Too Far

I was going to leave it alone. I really was. I try to keep my writing about travels and the travel industry light hearted and to ignore the negative at all costs. The way I see it, any person or organization promoting travel serves the greater good, even if their practices seem a little questionable. But the above travel agency ad that I saw a few weeks ago stayed with me and on this restless Friday night (4AM – can’t sleep) I decided to hop on my rarely updated WordPress blog to put this travel agency on the chopping block. It’s companies like this – Flight Centre – who are based out of Australia and Canada, that give the industry a bad name. Correction – worse name. Personally, I see no need for travel agents at all. But that’s a different story and one that I’ll probably reserve for some other sleepless night down the road. However, I suppose the same could be, and has been, said about us “travel writers”. I’m very aware that my own existence may be without purpose.

Flight Centre has been in the news on numerous occassions (Google it) for allegations of false advertising and they’ve been warned a few times to “watch itself” by governing bodies but it seems their sly use of small print saved them each and every time. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing their “deals of the week” exclaiming trips to Cabo for only $299 (as an example) but with the small print tacking on an additional $349 for taxes and surcharges (and Flight Centre CEO bonuses?). I ignore those ads. Typical travel agency banter. But when I saw the above ad for a $2 flight to London which included a “by the way” disclaimer – an extra charge of $549 – to actually get you to the land of tea and biscuits, it became clear that Flight Centre still has not learned their lesson. We’re not talking about some seedy travel agency hidden inside of a small Queens NY bodega here, Flight Centre is a major player. I actually gave them the benefit of the doubt before even considering blogging about it, assuming that it was a newspaper print error, until I saw the ad again for two subsequent weeks.

The moral of the story? Pretty simple and not all that prolific. If you live anywhere that Flight Centre operates – boycott them and pass on this information. If you don’t live under their semi-monopolistic umbrella (congrats!) pass this on nonetheless. The chances are that someone you know somewhere may be lured into their tactics. The more aware everyone is about these practices, the less likely they will occur in the future.   

Thanks for listening.

Aloha (always)

Marcus

An excerpt from the Old Patagonia Express – so true

Laie Point & The Legend of the Mo’o

The day started with me in the mood to plummet off something tall. No, I wasn’t depressed or anything, the 11th floor of my hotel over looking concrete Kalakaua Avenue would have sufficed for any such ambition. True, the weather that day could be seen not only in the skies but also on the faces of the tourists that came to Oahu for sunshine and 80 degree weather. Instead, what they got for their $1000, 7 day & 7 night package was grey and hovering around 67 degrees. I personally didn’t mind, and figured I’d take advantage of the fact that traffic would be kept at bay along Kamehameha Highway towards the town of Laie, on the northeastern portion of the island.

Made You Look

Snow Storm in Hawaii

Last night I posted a clever (if I do say so myself!) article – Made You Look – that combined elements of the above eye-catching headline and the concept of Earth Hour. I attempted to officially “publish” it by 8:29PM so I could power down just in time to see the lights go out in the metropolis I was in at the time. Neither happened.

The wireless connection at the cafe/office was causing trouble, preventing me from releasing the article in time. As far as the rest of the city goes, I’m not sure what their excuse was. I can safely say I even saw a few lights actually turn on. Perhaps not the most strategic plan, holding Earth Hour on the eve and on the exact hour that everyone is in the middle of their pre-saturday night prep routine (curling irons, electric razors, tanning beds, etc…). The GTL generation (if you don’t know, you don’t want to) is unlikely to sacrifice their schedule. Perhaps the folks in Sidney Australia who organized this well-intentioned global shin dig could consider Sunday afternoon next year?

After all was said and done, the results of Earth Hour made a difference, even if they didn’t in the grand scheme of things. It’s a subjective opinion. Last year I went on a semi-rant about how even some the most green (claims) cities across the planet not only showed zero signs of energy consumption savings for the hour, but in fact posted slight increases (true). This year, I figured I would flip the positivity energy switch on high (irony?) and focus on the good. There were some fantastic symbolic showcases from across the globe that inspired subsequent efforts on the home front for many. Bathroom lights faded to black and dangling laptop cords were pulled from their sockets. To borrow a couple of lines from last night’s official post – As the altruistic, albeit clichéd, teacher of troubled youth exclaims – “If I can save just one, then it was worth it”. So I’ll take that stance here – if we can save just one light bulb, it was worth it. I also rambled briefly on how Beach Cruisers are a way more awesome form of transportation.

I’d be honored if you hopped on the link over to my post on Earth Hour. Or save your energy, you get the idea either way. 😉

As far as you geocachers go – the satellite screen shot below serves as yet another clue to pin point where the YAHglobal geocache is hidden. Happy hunting!

YAHglobal.Com Geocahe Location

Wish You Were Here

Marcus

The Geocache Has Landed

Please excuse the lack of updates here (for the one or two of you that may have noticed). After updating content on the “day job” blog and subsequent social media accounts I neglected to pay attention to my personal venting system here on WordPress.

My recent expedition to plant YAHglobal.Com’s first geocache went without a hitch, sort of. The initial location (pictured here) tagged for the treasure hunt had to be sidelined for the time being due to extreme weather conditions. Mother Nature saw fit to throw a fit on the week of the excursion, slapping all corners of the island with record breaking wind and rain downpours that resulted in ferocious waves, rip currents and relative mud slides that made the necessary swim across a channel to an atoll and subsequent climb to its peak impossible and impossibly stupid for me to attempt. And I’ve done some pretty stupid things in the past for the sake of a good travel story. I have the scars to prove it (mental and physical).

Back-Up “Plan B” Location (sounds very official, no?) had to be initiated and our little treasure hunt game found its new home. If you’re only following this geocache via the WordPress blog then others have probably gotten the jump on you (or some shelterless islander stumbled across it while seeking cover from the weather) so be sure to check in on the official Geocache Blog for more intel.

Here’s one hint for those that happen across this post – Between the months of February and April, this bunker provides one of the best views of migrating humpback whales in the Pacific.

Wish You Were Here

Marcus

Geocache Clue #1 is here!

 

Well, I’m packing up for my next adventure which includes the geocache mentioned in a previous post. Since I am busy taking care of last-minute details (travel insurance, etc…) I’ll keep this short and snacky. My updates from here on in will most likely be on the associated Twitter or Pinterest feed. The above photo is clue #1, also described in more detail within this piece on geocache treasure hunting.

Happy Hunting for those of you that happen upon our travel game!

Aloha

Marcus

Flying Solo – A Case for Traveling Alone

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

That’s my favorite quote. As a travel writer (read: unemployed beach bum), I find myself flinging it around endlessly. Sometimes at cocktail parties (although I am not sure what constitutes an official cocktail party). Sometimes within articles (way too often). Sometimes I mumble it under my breath while seated next to a travel companion that I regret bringing along for the ride, only 30 minutes into the journey.

Nothing has tested relationships, romantic or plutonic, more than the act of traveling together. It is the ultimate test. It’s where the “opposites attract” concept falls to pieces. If one person awakes at the crack of dawn with a “Goooood Morning World” grin and the other with an FML expression on their grill that cannot be removed until caffeine pries open their lips, the hotel room becomes a hot bed for confrontation. Those who pride themselves in organization and preparedness lose their cool from the other side of the airport security passage while their mate fumbles to dig out the loose change from their pockets en route through screening, in addition to the 20oz bottle of water they “didn’t know” was forbidden past the check point. Your idea of a vacation may involve leaving the comforts of the resort for day long activities spent scouring the bottom of the ocean or climbing to the peak of a dormant volcano while your pal is more interested in the hotel room LCD and uncovering the answer to whether or not Friends is as funny in the foreign language of the region you are currently visiting. The list goes on.

If you can relate to any of this, no matter the side of the coin you are on, you may be interested in further notes that herald praises of traveling alone.

Wish You Were Here (not really) 😉

Marcus

Geocache – Treasure Hunting Without Cashing In

I’m preparing to enter the travel game arena of geocaching within the next few weeks.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the “long story short” of it is that it involves a globe-trotting “Player A” hiding a small weather proof container in some remote geographic location. Inside of the container will be an assortment of trinkets of either personal significance or an item or two that will make its finder smirk, smile, or at least appreciate the gesture. Anything from PEZ dispensers to collectible bottle caps from brews around the world can be discovered within. The job of “Player B” (and subsequent C, D, E, etc…) is to uncover the location by following a set of instructions, GPS coordinates, clues, and/or riddles provided by “Player A”. The items are either traded out (one for one) or simply added to. The code of geocache ethics relies on the good faith of participants to never take without reciprocation.  The players also sign a log (included), or guest book of sorts, to act as a “we were here” indicator. Names from all over the world all found on the log of an especially “well-played” geocache. Whether you are the first or fiftieth to find it, the reward of discovering a geocahe thousands of miles away from your home is inspiring to say the least.

Here’s my original article on geocache treasure hunting, which includes other information on the concept and a means to find geocaches better suited to your traveling tastes. However, for now, I leave you with the first hint – Hawaii 🙂

Marcus Maraih

Editor – YAHglobal.Com

First post

Aloha! This first post exists simply to introduce the articles to come.

As a travel editor for YAHglobal Travel & Entertainment Inc’s site YAHglobal.Com and contributor to a variety of like publications, this WordPress blog will serve as my escape from the usual “public persona” and allow me to chat in a more casual manner about my “adventures”. In other words, no links to partner hotels, resorts, tour companies, etc…. Instead, expect a few wacky tales, a few too many cafe recommendations (I have a personal mission to try every cafe mocha available from around the planet) and who knows what. Whew, I can taste the freedom.

Mahalo for the follow (if you do)

Marcus Maraih Google