Travel: 10 Things I Never Knew I’d Try, Until I Visited the Big Island of Hawaii


 1. Bidet

The purpose of staying at a eco-sustainable hotel/ hostel, is to practice green living. It also helps to minimize the effect of toxic impact against the environment.  During my stay at Hedonisia, instead of using tissue; I used a bidet in the bathroom, and a little bit of tissue to dry . I liked the idea of using this. It kept me feeling fresh, and clean.



2.  Kava

Kava is a crop of the Western Pacific. The name Kava is from Tongan and Marquesan.  I had a drink of Kava at the Awa bar in the town of Pahoa, Hawaii. The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with sedative, anesthetic, and entheogenic (spiritual, or meditation feel) properties. The roots are pounded down, mixed with a little cold water; and served. This popular drink consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia; has earthy undertones, and tastes like nothing I ever had before. It relaxes the body, and has no effect on the mind.



3. Spam

Growing up, my grandpa used to always tell my mom; “If the kid’s don’t like eating the food you cook; give them some spam, or potted meat”. I would frown up my nose, but little did I know that Spam was a popular thing in Hawaii. They even make a sushi out of it with rice, and seaweed. I scrambled mines with eggs šŸ˜Š



4. Solar Shower

  Another way to avoid water waste, is a solar shower. The shower at the hostel I visited (The Solar Garden Shower) was outdoors,  and was surrounded by beautiful plants, trees, and chirping birds. Heck, the baby chicks even liked it, as every time I took a shower I found them hanging out nearby.The shower attracts and stores solar energy from the sun, to heat the water and provide a warm sustainable experience.
5. Cliff Jumping
So I didn’t try this, but I was invited to join.  A few of my fellow volunteers were visiting a waterfall in Hilo ,called Rainbow Falls; and were going to jump some cliffs, and swim. I kindly declined and decided to turn back around on the way there. I just finished swimming lessons, and am sort of afraid of heights. Eek

6.  Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is big in Hawaii, and many people use it as their means of getting around. The firs time I tried it; I went with a friend and promised myself I would never go alone. My third day (on the way to  cliff  jumping),  I decided to stay back and hitchhiked two rides back to camp. The experience was exhilarating.

7.   Noni (The Cheese Fruit)

Hawaii has plenty fruit trees. The jungle I visited, had an orange tree, a papaya tree, a coconut tree, banana tree, an avocado tree, and  a Noni tree. Although I had tried this fruit in a juice form; the actual taste of the fruit, taste nothing like the juice. The  ripened fruit taste like blue cheese, and had a very potent after taste. Don’t think I would try again.





8.  Coconut Harvesting

During my stay at the eco-hostel; I worked as a Fair-Trade volunteer, contributing 3 hours of my time a day for the week. One of my tasks, was to cut down coconuts off the trees. I used a 10 foot homemade machete (a long stick, with an angled machete blade on the tip), to pull the coconuts down. The juice from was very sweet, and hydrating. Cracking it open was the difficult part.













9.  Tour the Big Island of Hawaii in 2-days with a couple of strangers

This was so much fun, and I wish I could live these two days all over again. Seven fair-trade volunteers from the eco-hostel (including myself), rented a car for two days, and camped out on different parts of the big island. We camped out on Volcano National Park, visited the lava caves, rode around the rim of the craters, visited  Akaka Falls, went to a Farmers Market in Hilo; and even sampled a variety of Hawaiian coffees at the Hilo Coffee Mill. The volunteers and I bonded so well, that it felt more like a family than anything. We shopped together, cooked together, and took in all the land had to offer <3



10. Jungle Life

I never thought I could/would stay in a jungle for more than a day or two; or even stay in a hostel. I conquered many fears during my trip out here, and am very proud of myself.

Prior to my visit; I was a prissy young lady, who hated bugs and the thought of anything dirty or slimy.  It was as if  after my first day in the jungle; all of my fears slipped away, and the things that normally frightened me, weren't that frightening anymore.


 Geckos slept with me in my camper, cockroaches (about the size of my thumb) scurried around, and fire ants ruled the land. I wouldn't change a thing if I could, because I was on a mission to try something new. And that friends, I did. šŸ˜Š


 Be Encouraged,


Noelani





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