Our big celebration on Sunday night was the only one where the three of us were in the same place. The next morning, we dropped my cousin off early at the airport for the long journey back to the Midwest. My friend, Jewels, and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with our hostess, Cheryl. Then we headed back to the Kalaupapa overlook where we stopped to visit Ka Ule o Nanahoa, the phallus-shaped rock. According to the myth, the wife of the male fertility god–Nanahoa–caught him admiring a young girl, and fisticuffs ensued. Ultimately, Nanahoa struck his wife and she fell from the cliff. Both were turned to stone, leaving the somewhat erect Penis of Nanahoa (that’s what the Hawaiian title means. You’re welcome.) remains as a reminder. (The moral of this tale is clearly open for interpretation.) Apparently, women who want to get pregnant visit it. Because she already has two children, Jewels declined to climb it. I managed to climb it, but in my case, Nanahoa has not proved to be potent.
After that, Jewels and I visited the Moloka’i Museum and Cultural Center, which began its life as the restored RW Meyer Sugar Mill, and now includes information about the leper colony and other features of Moloka’i. It was a nice stop to orient us and get advice on our afternoon plans from our friendly guide, Mike. We stopped at a local eatery (whose name, sadly, I have forgotten) and picked up tuna melt sandwiches, then headed west along the northern coast of the island to Paniolo Hale, which is a beach along the western shore. We opened a bottle of pineapple wine and devoured our sandwiches on our secluded little strip of beach. Jewels and I lead pretty busy lives, so it is always a treat to have to catch up. Even better when we can do it in a beautiful place. The wine was delicious and sweet. After lunch, we went for a dip in the ocean.
By late afternoon, we were back at the airport to return the car and fly to the last leg of the trip, Oahu. Moloka’i is a wonderful place to visit if you want seclusion. There is concern on the island that locals will eventually be chased out by outsiders buying up property, as they have seen on neighboring Maui. I hope that has not happened, because it offers a taste of unspoiled Hawaii and I hope to return to see the remains of the leper colony. But our time there was over, and we headed back to population and crowded beaches next.