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The tour turns out to be great. Steve, er, Mitch knows his stuff. Even
ride up mountain to rainforest/state park is fun and informative. The park could be "National" park, but is designated "State" park so that natives can harvest fruit, nuts, bamboo and be free to practice whatever kind of weird rituals they desire without interference from U.S. Government. As we leave bus and begin our three hour tour, we pass little tokens and offerings that natives have placed around trailhead to appease, bribe or pay off whatever spirits or Gods that may be lurking about, and they're lurking, you can feel 'em.
As sure as there are rainbows, there are spirits in this jungle.
The rain forest is alive with ancestors, lush tropical growth, muddy trails, feral pigs and, well, rain. Mitch points out Ti plants who's leaves, when wrapped around money, bring good fortune and, well, more money. We sample fruits right from trees, suck on Brazilian pepper seeds, and hear calls of tookie tookie birds echo through rain soaked trees. Mitch pontificates that not much on these islands is natural. Europeans imported diseases that wiped out 80% of population, with 80% of bird species decimated by imported rats and mongoose.
Diamond Head Crater.
Side note: As Don Henley and Glenn Frey so eloquently state in their song, "The Last Resort," "You call someplace paradise, Kiss it goodbye." Karmically, "Jesus Saves" sign mentioned in that famous Eagles song is on neighboring island of Maui, in Lahaina, near world's second largest Bhudda statue outside of Japan.
Mitch sure knows his stuff. I don't know, I think these guys make a lot of this stuff up. I know I do when entertaining visitors in Las Vegas. Countless numbers of friends, relatives and their children think that "Battle Of The Little Big Horn" was fought just outside of Pahrump (the center of universe by way), or that a water treatment facility at Lake Mead was used to load "Victory Ships" during war, and electro-magnetic rays generated by hydro-electric equipment at Hoover Dam create mutant catfish size of jumbo jets. But that's just my warped perception and not meant to cast aspersions on Steve, er, Mitch. Just because we didn't SEE any feral pigs, dosen't mean they're not there. In fact, one member of our group, and there's always one member of group who does this, made some pig noises and we ALL thought we heard a pig reply. Mitch assured us that while birds might reply to such a call, pigs would certainly not. Mitch's assurances aside, I strongly feel field of pig calling on Oahu is in need of a large research grant; if you have funds you'd like to direct toward this endevour, please contact me C/O Jetsetters Magazine and we'll set up a base camp on patio at Dukes.
Read this entire feature FREE with photos at: http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Hawaii02/oahu/DHead/diahike.html
By Mike Heiney, Las Vegas Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
Mike Heiney, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. JOin The Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
