“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
-- Mark Twain in
Innocents Abroad
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| Books I've Read |
I travel nowadays to prove that I can. And it’s the only way I learn geography.
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| DVD's I've Seen |
It’s nerve-racking: getting the correct plane tickets, deciding what to pack, negotiating airport security, watching the clock, not losing essential documents. But it’s great once you’re there. Wherever “there” is.
To prepare for trips, I do research, read books and news, watch
movies, and download podcasts.
I had thought Hawaii was some sort of
nirvana — a heavenly place full of nothing but beauty. But now I have a more balanced view…
“Hawaii saw a 23% increase in its unsheltered homeless population between 2014 and 2015, and a 46% increase in the number of unsheltered families, said the homelessness coordinator. There were 7,260 homeless people in Hawaii at the latest count, meaning
Hawaii has the highest rate of homelessness per capita of any state in the nation.”
What might be the cause? How about this information ranking states on home prices:
Rank State 2015 Average Home Prices and Value
1 Hawaii $547,600
35 Georgia $141,900
Hawaii has been facing a teacher shortage for more than two decades. Their Hawaii State Teachers Association President links teacher turnover to both challenging teaching conditions and teacher pay that, when the cost of living is factored in, ranks among the lowest in the country.
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| Deer Visitors in My Backyard |
So much for Hawaii as a lush tropical playground. I began to wonder what other assumptions might be wrong, while wondering what Hawaiians would think was different/exciting about Georgia if they came here on holiday. Would they get all excited seeing deer in my backyard, for instance? I presumed there were no deer in Hawaii but found this news:
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) - The Maui Axis Deer Working Group is trying to quantify the invasive animal's population, while exploring whether developing a venison meat industry is a feasible solution for controlling its growth. A September aerial survey counted about 8,000 deer in East Maui, the most heavily affected area.
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Local Cows in My Neighborhood
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What about cows? HawaiiHistory.org reports a history of
ferrel cattle:
“The simple-seeming gift of a few cattle given to Kamehameha I by Captain George Vancouver in 1793 made a major impact on Hawaii's economy and ecosystem. By 1846, 25,000 wild cattle roamed at will and an additional 10,000 semi-domesticated cattle lived alongside humans. A wild bull or cow could weigh 1,200 to 1,500 pounds and had a six-foot horn spread. Vast herds destroyed natives’ crops, ate the thatching on houses, and hurt, attacked, and sometimes killed people." Yikes!
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| One of 100 Squirrels I See in the Yard |
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And they seem to have squirrels, just a different color: Hawaii Wildlife Control says in a list of creatures which are troublesome: “Now on to squirrel removal and control in Hawaii, the red squirrel, (the spawn of satin [sic]) as I identify them.”
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| Native Swamp Hibiscus in My Yard |
I look forward to seeing their native plants. They’ve got native
hibiscus, which we do also, but they might be different species. Like we
do here, they encourage people to plant native plants:
“Growing native
Hawaiian plants is important. About 90% of our native plants are found
nowhere else in the world and are some of the most endangered.”
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| Fall Sumac in Bishop GA |
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My sumacs exhibit red Fall color.
Their sumacs are red only with new growth cause they do not have Fall. “Because Hawaii lies at the edge of the tropical zone, it technically has only two seasons, both of them warm. There’s a dry season that corresponds to summer (Apr–Oct) and a rainy season in winter (Nov–Mar).”
Well, if Hawaii has a rainy season,
do they have mosquito problems like we do in Georgia? We’ve got West Nile virus communicated by mosquito bite. What do they have? Since September 11, 2015, the Hawaii Health Department reported
90 cases of Dengue Fever on the Big Island transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which they blame on infected travelers. They predict months eradicating it. Reminder to me: pack mosquito repellent!
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| Snow in Bishop GA |
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Now surely they can’t have snow in Hawaii! But wait, they do. Their tallest mountain, a dormant volcano named Mauna Kea, is 13,796 feet above sea level. (Our tallest, Brasstown Bald, is only 4,784 feet.) So Mauna Kea’s height makes snow possible seasonally.
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| Luna Moth on My Pecan Tree |
New Georgia Encyclopedia says there are several hundred butterfly species and more than 1,000 moth species in Georgia. An estimated 1,150 species of Lepidoptera, the order comprising butterflies and moths, have been recorded in the U.S. state of Hawaii. I better get some butterfly and moth photos in Hawaii!
In Georgia, there have been 13 shark attacks since 1876. Hawaii had 13 since October of 2015. (Of course, they have way more ocean.)
Shark attacks are increasing in Hawaii, especially off Maui, according to the Huffington Post. A report concludes that a burgeoning recreation industry is butting up against shark-friendly environmental conditions to create this increase. When our Road Scholar group snorkels at night with manta rays in Honomalino Bay I’m taking my underwater camera just in case a tiger shark comes by.
HOT OFF THE PRESS:
The State Department
alerts U.S. citizens to possible risks of travel due to increased terrorist threats. Current information suggests that ISIL, al-Qa'ida, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics, using conventional and non-conventional weapons and targeting both official and private interests. This Travel Alert expires on February 24, 2016.
Let me proclaim now that if my plane gets shot down, I have had a long and wonderful life. But if it is to happen, I would prefer it on the way back from Hawaii.
If you want to read these blogs while I'm in Hawaii, please go to the top and insert your email address. Then click "Submit" and follow the directions. If you can't figure it out, let me know and I'll do it for you.
