Tim,
I'll echo what Gary said re: car theft/vandalism. Most of my experience
comes from living in Honolulu, but still applies. Don't leave anything of
value in the car, even in the trunk, even at the hotel. When we lived in
Honolulu, we drove a '64 Malibu convertible, with the left rear quarter
severely bashed in. Perfect island car. Didn't look at all like the newer
rental cars. We left it at the beach while we swam, or Waikiki, or downtown,
top down, and nobody ever messed with it. It's the OBVIOUS tourists who are
targeted.
When we went to Kauai, the rental companies weren't even repairing the
damaged trunk lids of their cars. It was a good visual warning. We saw the
same groups of guys roaming from beach park to beach park, looking us over,
cruising for easy pickings. Take it for granted the local thieves know the
local rental cars.
Not to make it sound really bad -- we also had local kama'aina folks -- total
strangers -- come up to us and invite us to join their luau at the beach park
we were camped in. Lomi salmon. Kalua pig. Lau lau. Haupia. Poi. Rice.
Music. Can you say aloha?
You might consider a plain-Jane daypack or some other
non-photographic-looking bag to carry your OM gear in. Lee's recommendation
of a soft cooler sounds good, and offers the added protection of insulation
from the heat. Another good ruse might be an old gym bag or beach bag or
something, with a towel & swim trunks on top of the REAL goodies.
Don't stay out on a remote beach or viewpoint alone, esp. after dark. This
is esp. true on Oahu, but I would think Maui might have some anti-haole
sentiment, in addition to your everyday perps, too. Folks on Oahu have
suffered everything from being beaten to outright murdered -- especially lone
GIs with their girlfriends on N. Shore beaches at night -- beautiful out,
bright stars, romantic -- and dangerous. And folks have been shot in the
chest at point blank range right in Waikiki for not giving up their wallets.
Carry an old "give-away" wallet with some dollar bills in it, in your hip
pocket. Carry your "real" wallet concealed, or wear a money belt. Just use
the same heads up, aware of what's going on around you, common sense you
would say, in NYC.
And speaking of OBVIOUS tourists: don't wear a cheap, ugly, hot, rayon aloha
shirt. That brands you as a "gawdamn haole" tourist. The good cotton or
cotton blend ones aren't cheap, and start at about $45 (up to $95 for custom
made -- expect to see more like $60), but are worth it. I prefer the lighter
colors for the hot sun, in the more conservative flower or traditional
Hawaiian designs. Think Tom Selleck's "Magnum P.I." -- he always wore nice
ones. A good aloha shirt serves all dress situations in Hawaii, from
everyday casual wear to a wedding.
In addition to Haleaka, think about viewing and even swimming with dolphins
and whales. And wear a white t-shirt while swimming/snorkeling, along with
sunscreen. That sun is serious. You can't get enough protection on you (I'm
assuming you're a typical fair-skinned caucasian). I tan easily but got
burned several times in the years we lived in Honolulu. The most dangerous
time for tourist sunburns are the first couple days you are there. You just
don't realize how intense the sun is at 22 degrees north. Straw hat with
wide brim would help.
Listen to KNUI, 900 AM, 99FM. Da Kine music, brah! DJ's speaking pidgeon.
Funny! (you can listen online, too!)
And, it sounds so touristy, but it's worth doing: go to a luau. Church luaus
are "no ka oi" (da best!) foodwise, but the hotel luaus are good, too, and
usually have pretty good entertainment.
Alooooooooooooooooooohaaaaa!
Rich (I would move back IN A HEARTBEAT!)
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|