This is about my trip back home to Moloka`i, Hawai`i. It is known as "The Friendly Isle" and believe me, I took that for granted. Not until I moved away did I realize they weren't kidding about that epithet. Today they say that Moloka`i is the most Hawaiian island. That too is a true statement. As far as I can remember, Moloka`i has been slow with urbanization, but with good reason. For those of you not really familiar with the culture or lifestyle, Moloka`i and its residents have had an ongoing battle regarding development. They want to start developing more in order to provide jobs to the residents, instead of having the people move elsewhere. The population is just under 7,000. But many residents do not want to see another Waikiki on this island. A very small island, only 38 miles long and 10 miles wide, it lies in the middle of the main Hawaiian island group. Even in ancient days Moloka`i was the center of attention. It is here, in western Moloka`i on Maunaloa at a place called Ka`ana is where the hula was born. Sorcery was greatly feared as well by the kahunas (priest, medical practicioner.....not some hotshot surfer as depicted in stupid Hollywood films) of ancient times. The wealth of an island was determined by how much food it could produce. Not only by land, but also by sea. Moloka`i has numerous fishponds (fish hatcheries) which are along the southern coast of the island. Although the western side of the island is more arid, the eastern portion is lush , green and very fertile.
	I grew up in the central portion of the island, Kualapu`u. It was a plantation town (Del Monte) but the company had phased out by the early 80s. On the western portion of Moloka`i at Maunaloa was another plantation town (Dole) which phased out earlier. If not when I was a very young child, then prior to me being born. My guess is that Dole had phased out prior to the 70s. Both of these plantation areas were leased lands which were made available in 1933. These areas were considered useless for sugar, but later found that it would be fine for pinapples. They brought many Filipino laborers as well as Japanese. My grandparents were on Maui at that time and moved to Moloka`i to work on the plantation not too long after they opened up. Today, it looks like a waste land. In Kualapu`u they have planted some trees, and possibly other things in there I have no knowledge of. But those trees are very, very tall now. It's been more then a decade so by the next decade it should look like a miniture forest. In the mid 70s is when they began developing on the far western arid part of the island with resorts. Sheraton was the first, which is now known as Kaluako`i Resort. Kaluako`i which means "The stone adz quarry" once had numerous stone adzes. Maunaloa is slowly being rebuilt. What's interesting is that even though they are developing that area, they are keeping that "old" style in the architecture which you will see later. Supposedly this was an effort to provide jobs for the residents. But I heard they (Moloka`i Ranch) has laid off the employees and has hired cheaper labor from an unspecified group outside of Hawai`i. I live in Southern California, I'm not blind to what's going on here. That is Moloka`i Ranch's idea of making a quick buck. Oh the wonders of economic hardship on such a tiny island! Anyway, my opinion should not cloud your view of the beauty of what this island has to offer as you will see in the following pages. Enjoy.