Hawaii – searching for a serene shelter in one of the most touristic places

rugsėjo 3, 2012 • EN • pagal
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Nusileidus paklausėme kuris paplūdimys yra mažiausiai lankomas turistų. Ten ir patraukėme. | After landing in Honolulu we asked which coast is least visited by tourists. We went there straight away.

If there is a well known place with plenty of tourists around, we know that it will take much longer to find your own space. But maybe we already worn out shoes or sandals enough, but often hitched people show us off beaten track places.

Hawaii is one of the States separated from the mainland my thousands miles. There is a army base in the island, and this is a good strategic point. In the island there also live people of slightly darker skin, and according to a guy that we hitched, often they feel a strong ambition to be independent.

From Australian winter to Hawaiian season-lessness

After a ten hour flight we land to an island, which is the most distant point from any possible mainland. It is a small place, you can drive around in couple hours, and make it through in less than an hour.
In the airport we go straight to the information centre and ask ‘which place in the island has the least tourists?’. She could could not hide the surprise, it must be the least given question to her. ‘The Northern shore. It’s beautiful out there’. We are going to north.

You can easily get around the island with the ‘city’ public transport. The bus no.55 would get you to a northern part too. ‘You might need to hold your luggage on your lap’ one man warns. In fact he offered us a lift from the doctor to a shopping centre just randomly. Apparently he is a couchsurfer too (he offers his place to sleep for free), and he often shows tours around of his beloved island.

Šiaurinė Oʻahu salos pakrantė mus labiausiai sužavėjo. | The nothern Oʻahu coast was the niciest.

To save up some time we are lured into this offer, and after making on part of the road by bus, the one that we need does not accept us on board. The driver is not aloud to take to the bus if you have luggage. So we need to hitchhike. What a ‘pity’.

So we then straight back into ‘our’ mood and surely a very interesting guy stops to us. He works in the navy, and started to serve there right after the September 11 attacks. ‘I know a place where you might like to go’ he says after hearing our long story of traveling so far.

There are so many cars here as everyone came to see a sea turtle. We jump out of the car and as kids go to see that slow beauty. It is paying now attention whatsoever to any curious kids or kid like grownups.

We passed the Waimea beach which should be one of the nicest ones, and went up to the hill, passing the Hawaiian temple remains.

Pasivaikščiojimas po džiungles. | A walk in a joungle.

We are very soon with our backpacks enter this so called army property, where in fact quite a few joggers and hunters share the area.The path is soft and tender, formed from the long thorns. We strolled up the edges of the slope and found decent place to camp out looking to the jungles and the bit of the ocean. It’s truly peaceful here. The massive tree nearby. The trunk is soft and tempting to be touched. If you have never hugged a tree, its worth trying it. The peace flows there. In you too.

Out of emergency bags we form a shelter. It’s hardly enough for our feet to cover, but it should secure from the rain that comes and goes as pleased.

Vėžlys ir Evelina. | Turtle and Evelina.

Sometimes you don’t need to rush. If you find a place where you want to stay a bit longer in order to fully live ‘here and now’, you should stay in. So we have our temporary home with a million dollar look terrace. In the evening we climb the tree and enjoy the silence.

Is is possible to find your own place in the beach? If you want to. We don’t go the place where everyone is toasting, but find a nice cozy place where we crash on for a day, and pitch a tent at night. With the borrowed snorkeling equipment we the beauty of the underwater is revealed. Sea turtles, colourful fish in flocks or independent ladies.

Pu’u o Mahuka Heiau

Though before Hawaii became a state, just a few hundreds years ago, they had their own life- both secular and religious. The temple of Hawaii Pu’u o Mahuka Heiau- is on the top hill of Waimea valley. It’s just wonderful to ponder how being so far away from everyone else they had so many similar elements in naturalistic religions; gods of fertility and war, sacrifice and priests.

The flight to Alaska is soon, so we are about to hitch back to Honolulu the long way (and new to us) round. Energetic Mimo after having listened our story, all excited brings us to a paid camping site, and after a quick chat with her cousin’s worker, we are staying there for free. The ocean, warm showers, needed electricity. And lots of cats.

Practical tips

Visas
You should look if you are eligible for the waiver visa on the ESTA site

Hipimobilis | Hippiemobil

Transport
The same as traveling from Bali to Perth, the same we are using Jetstar services. Its a budget trip. You won’t need to buy water, but you better bring food on board, as the only option to pay for the sandwich is by credit card, no cash accepted.
You cannot take fruits or veggies to the country, so you better eat it or throw it away.
Hitching in Hawaii is easy. People stop with no problems, and you can hear a good life story or two.
If you use public transport, the drivers are kind enough to tell how to get to a necessary place. The island is small hence you can use no. 55 bus to get around, but if you have luggage with you might not be accepted on board.

Food
Comparing with Australia, food is cheaper here. We are not fans of fast food chains, so Mcdonald is not an option apart for coffee and free internet. No sockets, so you are limited to time till your battery lasts.

Hygiene
There are plenty of toilets in the beaches, but scarce in other public places. Sometimes they even locked with codes, and some nearby shops workers might reveal the magic code to open so needed toilet. McDonald’s is often an option. Showers are in the beach too.

TV serijalo 'Dingę' (kuris buvo filmuotas šitoje saloje) įkvėpti nusprendėme paimprovizuoti ir išbandyti save kitaip. Būstas dviem naktims. | Inspired by TV series 'LOST' (which was filmed in this island) we decided to improvise and challenge ourselves a bit differently. A two night house.

Sleep
We only slept in the northern place, so we can only say it was possible to sleep in the beach up there. Even if there was a sign of no camping, nobody gave us any bother. However, we try to be neat and quick to pitch a tent and pack it up quickly in the morning. In the army base park the situation is even easier – you can camp whenever you want. Stay alert and don’t go off the tracks too often as the hunters out there doing their job.

Non touristic Thailand

birželio 12, 2012 • EN • pagal
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Thailand

We thought to rush through Thailand as quick as possible. ‘We will return here when we get old’ we thought. We somehow suspected that Thai people will treat us as walking money bags. On contrary, from the very first minutes we were disarmed of all our initial thoughts. People tret us like we were the only guests they ever had. Hitch hiking was never as easy as back to Turkey times, where getting from point to point by hitching a thumb was much quicker than using public transport.

Laos – Thailand

Kirtus Laoso-Tailando siena. | Night after crossing Lao-Thai boarder.

We got to know that Lithuanians at certain border entries are able to receive visa on arrival. So we as calm as sheep crossed the Friendship Bridge on no man’s land, entered the office and said loudly: we came to make a visa. ‘Fine’ the rounded a bit angry looking officers said. ‘Please your passports and your return flight tickets’. Doh. ‘We are traveling to Malaysia, and going there by car (no way we could explain about subtleties of hitchhiking)’. ‘No tickets – no visa’. ‘There are rules’ some milder looking officer tried to soften the situation. They further worked on their papers, looked us. We were drawing the imanigable circles on the ground and had this nightmare idea of getting back to Laos, spending more precious time and money around embassy. ‘Maybe transit visa?’ we tried another chance. ‘So you don’t want to stay in Thailand’. ‘Well no, not really. We are straight to Malaysia, if needed we can make it in 3 days’ we sounded overly optimistic. The angry looking officer soon came to collect passport, a photo and began a speedy handicraft process. Until the last stamp we couldn’t believe we actually will be able to cross the border successfully tonight. ‘1000 bahts’ visa fee. We knew the fee, but thought to be able to pay with dollars. This is a common practice so far. Not on Thai border. Running around and trying to exchange money with truck drivers. Finally. The dough is here, and finally left the office.

Karolis

We spent the night very close to the border, near some people’s houses. And only in the morning we saw that near a swamp too. No wonder why the mosquitto hunt was a nightmare in a hot tent. When its hot and damp, it means terribly hot and no air to breath in.

In the morning a lovely lad gave a us a straight 600 km lift to Bankok. Smooth. Some people gave us a lift to circle around the capital – getting in and out would sound like a perfect nightmare. ‘Have you tried sleeping in temples?’ one local guy asked us. There is a free stayover and plenty of food’. So when the last single woman (that’s also suprised us) dropped us near the village, we saw posh temple roof and thought to try it. The heavy water drops only pushed us to do it quicly.

Sleeping in the temple

Šventykla, šalia kurios mes miegojome. | The temple where we slept.

The yard with few temples and some extra buildings was big and fairly spacious. There were no monks for another 10 minutes. Finally once arrived they immediately knew our intentions ‘to sleep?’. Yes. Soon they showed us a massive hall where definetely 50 travelers would suit on the floor. Humbly neated rugs.

The rain was heavy, and the lightnings broke the sky often into two clear parts. We sat down to watch the puddles in the rain and enjoy the storm from inside. One of the monks came to have a chat with us and brought us a massive umbrella not to get wet going to the toilet based outisde. Soon we entered the silence whilst observing the nature and culture wonders.

Mus priėmęs ir vaišinęs budistų vienuolis. | Our Buddhist friend.

In the morning I woke up at 4am. The morning chants were loud but meditative, soon you may get into transe. The cat was still sleeping at my mat’s end, and the dog was at Karolis feet. I went out to listen to this morning chants. The prayer has finished in half an hour, and everyone solemnly went to the yard to start their morning chores.

We were about to leave the temple, but the monks invited us for a cofee. We exchanged some ‘picture time’ moments. Soon the elder monk with some helper started to carry inside the room massive bowls with the offerings. People presented monks with rice and different sauces, fruits and soft drinks. They surely started to give us some food too. We not only had good breakfast, but had some things for to go on the way.
It was a good experience, to see and feel things from inside out.

Searching for a neglected beach

Vis naują atspalvį įgyjanti jūra. | Ever color changing sea.

Locals should know some good unpopulated beach around. So that was the truth. Two kind people with no intention to go towards that direction, gave us a lift, and in no time we found ourselves near the water and lean elegant coconut palms. Karolis soon found quite a few. He unshelled it firstly, and then hit the hard surface to drink the milk out of it. We did it all ourselves. We didn’t buy. We simply picked coconuts as apples. That is the culture difference.

The beach was neglected. Only few fishermen, and there were few local type resting areas in the distance. There was this deep green emerald water in front of us, some mountains in both sites, and coconut palms at our back. We found a shelter, and after few good kicks around we managed to make ourselves home. Thailand bay waters, coconut trees behind us, mountains in the distance.

Mūsų trijų žvaigždučių hotelis visu grožiu. | Our three star hotel in full view.

You can only walk in the late afternoon to avoid the main heat. Then not only you, but a bunch of crabs are up for a stroll. Or crabs more to fly around – that’s how fast they are to search for a hole in the sand to hide in.

From dry wood found everywhere we made a bon fire and grilled a fish bought at local fishermen. Only salt was needed to unlock the tastes. Wine, fish, black water, stars and lightnings across the sky in the distance.

And soon after those paradise days we in no time hitched the car to Malaysia.

Few practical things about Thailand

. Pasivaikščiojimas krabų knibždančiame paplūdymyje. | A little walk in a beach full of crabs.

Sleep and hygiene
We would certainly recommend budhist temples not only to have a sleep and food but also to get to know things from inside out. Locals are very good if not to host at least to allow you to pitch a tent in their yard, maybe even making a little fire for you or encouraging you too have a wash with the water. The ideal is to sleep in the beach, you only need to use the mosquito net to avoid annoying insects. And is certainly easier to keep the higiene here than in Laos. Petrol stations or locals are good source of water.

Food
Apart from some spicy noodles, we didn’t use too much of a local cuisine. There is also Tesco brother – Tesco Lotus to buy some cheap supplies.

Hitch-hiking
100% easy, fast. People are stopping in the most uncomfortable and unusual places. Some would stop without even raising a hand. Just to help.

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