Big Island, Part 2 of 3

While you’re in Hilo, you might want to make a short side trip to Rainbow Falls, located just outside of downtown Hilo along the Wailuku river.   It is one of the more accessible waterfalls on the Big Island.  I will post another article later with more information about Hilo.

Rainbow Falls, Big Island

One Hilo stop on my personal list, is the Big Island Candies store.  They not only offer their signature chocolate-dipped, shortbread cookies, but you will also find a line of interesting chocolate dipped local snacks.  How about chocolate-dipped dried cuttle-fish?  At any rate, its a great place to stop and indulge your sweet tooth…you can’t live on chocolate covered macadamia nuts alone!

Speaking of chocolate-covered mac-nuts, when you leave Hilo on Hwy 19 (aka Mamalahoa Hwy, aka Kanoelehua Ave in Hilo),  you will come to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory just before reaching the town of Keaau.  This is another fun stop where you can watch as they make these chocolate delights and visit their store to stock up or have them shipped home.  At the very least, you’ll want to stop just to sample the many flavored macadamia nuts that are offered.

At Keaau, you can take a side trip on Hwy 130 east to Pahoa and beyond to the coast to visit some interesting beach locales on this little visited eastern section of Hawaii.  If you drive east out of Pahoa, you will end up near the Cape Kumukahi lighthouse that marks the most easterly point of not just the Big Island, but of the state.

On the way there, you will come to the Lava Tree State Park.  This may not be the most dynamic place to visit, but if you enjoy seeing some of the strange affects that lava can have, you’ll find it interesting.  “Lava trees” are lava columns that remain after a lava flow covers growing trees and as the lava recedes, as it sometimes will do, it clings to the trunks of the trees and remain as testament to the fact that there once was a tree growing there.

Drive along the coast south of here and you’ll likely find the newest black sand beach on the island, if not the world.  For decades, Kalapana was a world famous black sand beach that was much photographed, but Pele reclaimed it when she sent her lava flows in this direction about 20 years ago and buried the whole town of Kalapana under some 5′ of lava, along with the famous black sand beach.

But, as I mentioned, while Pele claimed one black sand beach, she created another.  There have been several black sand beaches that have come and gone over the years, as the tides bring the sand in and then take them away.  Sometimes, they find a relatively permanent home and a beach is established.

This part of the Big Island is lightly visited by tourists since aren’t any commercial ventures to draw crowds down this route.  You, too, may decide to bypass it as well, but if you want to get off the beaten path, its a part of Hawaii many miss.

To get back on Hwy 19 (Mamalahoa Hwy), you have to back-track your way up Hwy 130 to Keaau and turn south to continue your circling of the Big Island.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

In twenty minutes or so, you will arrive at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  You can spend an hour at the Visitor’s Center or days exploring this fascinating park.  There is a $10 admission fee per car, which is good for a week.  If you plan on visiting Puuhanua o’ Honaunau (Place of Refuge) National Historical Park in the Kona area and/or the Haleakala National Park on Maui, you may want to consider the tri-park annual pass for $25.

You can easily spend days here alone!  At the very least, you’ll want to plan on several hours exploring the more accessible parts of the park, including the Thurston Lava Tube.  If you need one reason not to attempt seeing the island in a day, this would be it.  There is nowhere else on earth like this…lava flows, lush tropical rainforests, rare native Hawaiian birds found nowhere else, and even  Hawaiian petroglyphs.  You’ll regret not having spent more time exploring it.

Kilauea Iki, Big Island

Here’s a link to a recent post on USA Today,  National Park Guide: Hawaii’s Volcanoes.

Continue the Big Island tour in Part 3 of  “A Drive Around The Big Island”, as well as that article on Hilo I promised.

“DNA testing is now confirming anecdotal reports that seafood fraud is disturbingly widespread. Both scientists and amateur seafood sleuths have exposed seafood fraud across the U.S. and Europe. A recent review found false labels on more than one-third of fish (Jacquet and Pauly 2008), while other research found one-quarter of fish tested in the U.S. and Canada were mislabeled (Wong and Hanner 2008).”

This article is made up of excerpts taken from a report published by the Oceana group and the full 40-page, PDF-formatted report, can be seen at http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/SeafoodFraudReport_2011.pdf

“Government testing also shows a pattern of mislabeling, including 37 percent of fish and 13 percent of shellfish and other seafood during a nine-year period of testing by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) National Seafood Inspection Laboratory from 1988-1997 (Buck 2007). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found about a third of seafood imports were mislabeled during port inspections in 2003-2004 (Mississippi Department of Marine Resources 2007).

Commonly mislabeled fish  (partial list)

LABELED                                                                      ACTUAL
Mahi Mahi                                                                        Yellowtail
Wild Salmon                                                                  Farm raised
Swordfish                                                                        Mako shark
Bluefin Tuna                                                             Bigeye, yellowfin
Albacore/White Tuna                                 Mozambique tilapia, Escolar
Atlantic Cod                                                 Pollock, Whiting, Oilfish/Escolar
Shark Meat                                                                        Nile Perch
Orange Roughy                                                   Oreo Dorey, John Dorey
Monkfish                                                                             Puffer fish
Halibut                                                             Sea Bass, Deep water Cape Hake
Anchovies                                                                             Icefish

“Eating unfamiliar or misidentified fish can expose consumers to new risks that formerly were confined to specific geographic areas, such as ciguatera poisoning from tropical fish, which causes chronic pain, nausea, weakness and numbness (Kipping et al. 2006).”

“At the beach or in coastal cities, local fish markets and restaurants increasingly struggle to maintain a year-round supply of the most popular fish. The lack of local seafood is often worsened by overfishing and by a lack of awareness among consumers that fish catches are seasonal. In markets where local fish are desirable, imports may be claimed as local fish to fill gaps in availability, increase sales or charge a higher price.”

This is especially tragic in areas like Hawaii, where residents have adopted catch and release for fishes like the popular ulua (jack crevalle) due to fears of ciguatera poisoning.  So, to consciously avoid this problem, only to possibly get exposed because of the practice of illegally mislabeling fish that are sold in stores just seems so totally wrong!  To make matters worse, Hawaii is a high risk location for the practice of mislabeling due to its ocean-side location, making people seek out “fresh seafood” even more.

So, if there ever was a good reason to visit Chinatown and buy your fish, fresh and intact (which makes identifying your fish much easier than trying to identify some innocuous fillet at the supermarket, this is it!   Just thought I’d share this disturbing news, which applies where ever you may live.

This is an un-authorized partial re-print of an article at www.hawaiinewsnow.com:

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – By its Hawaiian names, Hawaiian monk seals are called “the furry one” and “the dog that runs in rough seas.” They are found only in Hawaii and they are in crisis.

“They’re very slow breeding marine mammals. They only have one pup a year,” Jeff Walters said.

Walters is the Monk Seal Recovery Coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He said about ninety percent of the seals live in the Northwestern Hawaiian islands where only one in five make it to adulthood.

Tracy Wurth heads up NOAA’s monk seal sightings team.

“It could be multiple factors. Food limitation. Perhaps they have a high parasite load. Competition with other seals and other apex predators like sharks and jacks. There are a lot of stressors that first couple years of life,” she said.

About 150 monk seals live near the main Hawaiian islands. Sightings are becoming more frequent because that small segment of the population is growing.

Ocean scientists feel frequent beachings of monk seals around the main islands give a false impression the overall population is doing well. But even these seals face threats from fishing nets, disease and human violence. A number of alleged attacks on monk seals in 2009 are under investigation.

“We can’t say who it is but there have been a few deaths in which we cannot rule out foul play,” Walters said.

Hawaiian monk seals are protected by the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA said if you see a seal on the beach leave it alone.

“We like to give the guideline of 150 feet or whatever is feasible based on the beach that you’re on. Just enjoy them from a distance,” said Dara Look, NOAA’s coordinator of volunteers who respond to guard monk seals that come ashore on Oahu..

“We need the public to not feed and not interact with them. Give them some space and let them stay wild because wild seals are the ones that are going to help the species recover,” Walters said.

NOAA maintains a data base of Hawaiian monk seals that have been identified through flipper tags, temporary bleach markings and natural marks and scars.

The organization is working on a plan to help the seals survive and thrive through vaccinations and de-worming programs.

Scientists think temporarily moving weaned pups from the Northwestern Hawaiian islands to the main Hawaiian islands will give them a fighting chance to reverse their population decline.

“Get them here fat and happy and healthy to where they have a good chance of survival and moving them back to their birth place,” Wurth said.

“The idea of bringing down more seals from the Northwestern Hawaiian islands, even if it’s on a temporary basis, understandably causes concerns with our fishing community and our ocean user community,” Walters said.

NOAA’s save the seals proposals will be out this summer for public comment.

Walters estimates the current number of Hawaiian monk seals stands at about 1,100. But it threatens to fall below 1,000 in the next few years unless something is done soon.

While I am not putting myself out there as any sort of self-proclaimed movie critic, I just wanted to share some favorite movies and shows that were filmed in Hawaii.   I’m sure everyone has at least a handful of favorite movies that were filmed either in whole or in part in the 50th state.  Some may even have a favorite film or two that they weren’t even aware was filmed in Hawaii!

In no particular order, here are my picks for favorite movies:

• The classic “From Here to Eternity” with Burt Lancaster,
• “Donavan’s Reef”, starring John Wayne and Lee Marvin,
• All those Elvis movies; “Blue Hawaii”, “Paradise Hawaiian-Style”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, et al,
• Of course, “Jurassic Park”, and
• “50 First Dates” (Rob Schneider really captured the local persona).

Some of my favorite tv shows shot in Hawaii include:

• “Hawaii 5-0” (the original version w/Jack Lord),
• “Magnum PI” with Tom Selleck,
• “Hawaii 5-0” (the current version…took me a few episodes to accept the new cast),
• “Lost” was pretty cool, until I missed a couple of episodes and lost the plot myself, and
• “Off the Map” (took me a few episodes to figure out exactly where they were filming)

One of the reasons I love watching the old re-runs of Hawaii 5-0 is its a chance to reminisce, watching footage of a less developed Honolulu.  Of course, the chase scenes are always humorous in both versions…as in most location based shows…as they cut from one part of the island to another and make it seem like they were right around the corner.

Conversely, I remember watching a chase scene that took Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) through Waikiki…back up along the Ala Wai Canal…and ending up at the hotel less than a block from where he started!  (I know the one-way streets in the area can drive anybody nuts, but…)  Likewise, with the current series, there was a recent episode where they were supposedly chasing a guy on Kauai and miraculously ended up on the Pali Highway and ultimately at the Pali lookout.  Guess they didn’t feel like making a field trip to Waimea Canyon.

Were you aware that “Lost” was filmed entirely on location in Hawaii?  Including those flash-backs and flash-forwards that took you to L.A., Chicago, etc.  I remember reading about one scene where they had to bring in 5-truck loads of “snow” to turn a section of Chinatown in Honolulu into winter-time Chicago.    My son-in-law commented on one scene that was supposed to be in L.A., but he instantly recognized a particular pink hospital on the hillside above Pearl Harbor…perhaps you noticed that, too.

But, hey, if we can imagine we’re watching a scene on some island west of Central America, a remote island in the Caribbean, or trekking through some Peruvian jungle…why not!  Hawaii’s movie industry brings in a substantial amount of revenue to add to the state’s economy.  In 2007, while filming the latest Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull on the Big Island, it was reported that the film and production crews spent over $15 Million.

More recently, several movies and shows have been shot (or are still in production), including:

• “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, opening May 20th
• “Just Go With It”, another movie starring Adam Sandler with Jennifer Aniston,
• The recently released “Soul Surfer” starring Carrie Underwood, and
• “The Descendants” starring George Clooney (scheduled opening date 12/16/2011).

Well, I’d love to hear your top picks, especially if they didn’t make my list.

Themed Family Pool, Kids’ Splash Zone, and Quick-Service Dining Added

KO OLINA, Hawaii, Aug. 29, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — A delightfully themed family pool, a new kids’ splash zone and two new quick-service dining locations will be among the highlights of an enhancement project getting underway in September at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina. Further details of the expansion were announced today, the first anniversary of the opening of Aulani.

Since it opened in August 2011, Aulani has been extremely well received by guests. Among the most popular features of the resort is the Waikolohe Valley. Waikolohe means mischievous water and the valley is home to the recreation and water play areas leading out to the Aulani beachfront. The new pool, splash zone and additional deck space will extend the sun and water fun literally to the very edge of the resort property, with the pool’s “infinity edge” overlooking the adjoining lagoon.

The architecture of Aulani reflects the symbolic harmony of masculine and feminine energy, and the new pool area, on the masculine side of the resort, continues this theme with a design inspired by the demigod Maui. According to Hawaiian legend, Maui brought the islands to the surface with his great fishhook, and aspects of the legend will be reflected in the design of the new family pool and kids’ splash zone, incorporating coral and lava, sea and earth, in the surrounding rockwork.

A highlight of the family pool will be a misty grotto from which relaxing swimmers may view the sunset. After dark, a magical starscape of glimmering lights will appear on the grotto ceiling and the floor of the pool.

The nearby kids’ splash zone will be designed to resemble tidal pools with some playful surprises for youngsters, including rainbow water jets, images of tidal pool creatures on the pool floors, and hidden Menehune, the legendary little people of the islands, who may be spotted through chinks in the rocks. Additional deck space, chairs, chaises and cabanas will surround these new water features.

Also coming to Aulani will be two new food service locations. One of these, located adjacent to the new water play area and the existing Wailana Pool, will serve continental breakfast and offer a lunch and dinner menu with a selection of sandwiches, salads and snacks that can be enjoyed in the adjoining outdoor patio which provides a beautiful ocean view. A second quick-service eatery will be located beachside, offering grab-and-go snacks and easy access for beachgoers.

Work on these enhancements will begin in September and conclude in mid-2013, coinciding with the final build-out of resort. Along with the water play and dining additions, the expansion will provide a new, larger lawn location for events, weddings and the guest favorite nighttime Starlit Hui show. There will also be additional merchandise space – to provide guests with a greater variety of Aulani products, apparel and memories – and a protective awning over the patio of Makahiki restaurant, home of “Aunty’s Breakfast Celebration” featuring breakfast with Disney characters.

About Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa Aulani opened in August of 2011 and sits on 21 acres of beautiful oceanfront in Ko Olina, adjacent to a nine-acre, crystal-blue lagoon and white-sand beach. Ko Olina is 17 miles from Honolulu International Airport and approximately 30 minutes from Waikiki.

Uniquely designed for families and inspired by the wonders and traditions of Hawaii, Aulani is a family paradise with a touch of magic. Aulani offers kids, adults and families Hawaiian vacation experiences with a special magic that only Disney can create. Delightful rooms and spacious Disney Vacation Club villas, a perfect location on a beautiful beachfront lagoon, and renowned Disney service and enchanting entertainment let dreamers of every age savor their time together on Hawaii as never before.

For Aulani reservations, guests may visit www.disneyaulani.com or call (866) 44-DISNEY.

Media Contacts: Todd Apo, Aulani Public Affairs Cell:  808.216.3576, Todd.Apo@disney.com

John McClintock, Disney Destinations Public Relations (714) 781-4836, John.McClintock@disney.com

SOURCE Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa

Coffee Berry Borers Still Big Island Only

On September 2, 2010, Dr. H.C. Bittenbender (University of Hawaii CTAHR) and graduate student Elsie Burbano (University of Hawaii PEPS) alerted The Hawaii Department of Agriculture of Coffee Berry Borers heavily infesting coffee berries in the Kona region of the Big Island.  In May of 2011, they were found in the Kau District, in the Pahala area.  These tiny, but very destructive beetles, are about the size of a sesame seed.

Adult Coffee Berry Borer, www.hawaii.gov

Female beetles bore holes into mature and immature coffee berries, still attached to the tree, through the scar on the blossom end of the berry.  They create “galleries” in the berries, where they deposit their eggs.  Once eggs hatch, beetles larvae eat their way through the berry and into the bean of the seed.  Reproduction can continue in berries that fall to the ground.  Adult females remain in the berries once eggs are laid.  The larvae will emerge to find new berries to deposit their eggs and so the cycle continues.

In addition to feeding damage by the beetle, coffee beans are injured by secondary fungal and bacterial infection, and further insect attack.  The combined damage can reduce yield, lower the quality, and possibly destroy the entire bean.

Coffee Berry Borers are extremely similar in appearance to the Tropical Nut Borer and the Black Twig Borer, which are both found on coffee plants in Hawaii.  Physical differences can only be spotted with a microscope, and  sometimes only by an expert.  While the Tropical Nut Borer and the Black Twig Borer may enter the berry from the sides, Coffee Berry Borers bores through the scar at the blossom end of the fruit. In addition, the Black Twig Borer will readily infest coffee branches, while Coffee Berry Borers will only attack the berries.

Unlike the Black Twig Borer, which has been in Hawaii for over 50 years, Coffee Berry Borers can reduce coffee yields by up to 90% in some coffee  producing areas of the world.  For now, the infestation of Coffee Berry Borers in Hawaii has been limited to the Big Island of Hawaii, which is why on February 24, 2012, the Department of Agriculture established permanent rules on the inter-island  transport of green coffee beans (unroasted), coffee plants and plant parts, used coffee bags and coffee harvesting equipment.

Progress Being Made Controlling Coffee Berry Borers

The latest efforts to control and contain this pest include the use of fungus known as Beauveria bassiana, which kills the Coffee Berry Borers.  The Agricultural Board of Directors approved this action in January, 2011, and it seems to be helping along with other measures taken.

Kona Coffee Farmers Association Pests and Diseases Committee members Suzanne Shriner and Bob Smith stated during a panel discussion this past January, that farmers need to take a three-pronged approach that includes sanitizing coffee fields by completely stripping trees of and removing all fallen coffee beans, spraying the fungus on a regular schedule, and using Coffee Berry Borer traps.

In an article written by Chelsea Jensen in West Hawaii Today, Shriver is quoted as saying, “The most important thing you can do is clear the coffee off your trees.  I believe it was because I cleared every single bean off the tree and ground,” that led to her seeing her infestation rate drop from 60% in 2010 to 3% in 2011.

If you ever wonder why coffee costs so much, watching this video will give you an idea of just how labor intensive coffee bean growing and processing is.  Add to that the fact that all coffee berries must be handpicked, often in some very rough terrain and you’ll start to appreciate that morning cup of coffee just a little bit more!

It has been suggested that Coffee Berry Borers have been in the area for years, but that the recent drought conditions that began in 2009, may have allowed the pest to gain traction.

 Coffee Berry Borers a World-Wide Problem

It should be noted that Coffee Berry Borers affect every coffee growing region in the world and while they are destructive and have a negative impact in coffee production, they have never completely wiped out production anywhere.  Industry experts remain optimistic that through continued efforts of inspection, fungal treatments, and trapping can control the problem.

Passenger Add-on Fees

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how these passenger add on fees continue to make the cost of traveling hard to calculate.  I understand when fuel prices go up, ticket prices must go up as well.  I get that.

But, when fuel prices come down and airlines continue to charge a fuel surcharge, well, that gets to be questionable.  The airlines are not the first or only ones to implement this charge.  UPS has been doing this for years…and they continue to be an annoyance as they too, are reluctant to remove the fee even if gas prices tumble.  Actually, I think even the airlines have given up trying to get away with calling it a “surchage”.  I think its just a plain old “fuel charge” these days.

Do you remember when the price you saw advertised was the price you paid?  It included a snack, meal, headset, blankets, and even luggage!   While “security measures” have added some of these annoying fees we are faced with today, not all charges can be blamed on stopping terrorism…at least not of the “blowing-up-the-plane” variety.  (It isn’t bad enough we have the inconvenience of the security check in the first place, but to add insult to injury, we have to pay for it.)

I guess we’d have to go back to the days when they first came up with the idea to eliminate meal service from flights and then start charging a captive audience if they happen to get hungry during the flight.  That was soon followed by a baggage fee, which of course only affected those who happen to take luggage with them.  Spirit Airlines has since started charging a fee for using the overhead storage areas and thus plugging that loop-hole.

From there we enter the realm of what I call, “do-you-think-we-can-get-away-with-it?” fees.   Fees, like charging you for headsets so you can listen to the “free” in-flight movie.  Then, they started to charge for blankets…thank you American Airlines.  Back in 2010, the airline “will sell a blue fleece blanket with an inflatable neck pillow in a clear zippered pouch, and will throw in coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase at Bed, Bath and Beyond,” spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said.  JetBlue and US Airways charge $7 for a blanket-and-pillow set;  US Airways added eye shades and earplugs.

For the last several years, these add-on fees have become significant sources of income as airlines collect millions of dollars.  The latest fee by discount carrier Spirit Airlines is a Passenger Usage Fee.  There has been a class-action suit filed against Spirit Airlines over this latest “optional fee”.   Spirit lists the fee, which varies from $9 to $17 per flight on its website, under the headline “Booking related fees”, as optional, however, there doesn’t appear to be any way to “opt-out” of paying it.

Their justification for this fee?  To provide a website and phone service for passengers to purchase tickets.  Do you remember when the airlines tried to charge more for NOT booking your ticket online?  Now, they want to charge you FOR booking your ticket online.

All this comes about as the DOT attempt to clarify the pricing process by requiring airlines to quote prices on tickets which include all these ancillary fees, so you can compare apples to apples.  I am reminded of all those items up for auction on eBay that you can purchase for 99 cents, but shipping will cost you $9.95 for that regularly $10.00 item you thought you were getting such a deal on.

Do you remember Ryanair, the Ireland based, discount carrier that attempted to charge a “bathroom fee”?  You’ve just gotta love it when an airlines inspires so much anger that it has spawned its very own website for the disgruntled.  Check out I Hate Ryanair – The World’s Most Hated Airline.  If you’d like a good chuckle and see just how far some of these ancillary fees can go…or at least how far they have attempted to go, go take a peek.

Guess you can understand now why I was so excited about Tweeting Hawaiian Airlines plans to add some favorite Hawaiian foods to their in-flight meal options.   May not seem like much, but I’ll take any good news when it comes to airlines!  Happy Flying to you all!

UPDATE  9/26/2012:  Airlines report that in just the first half of this year, they have taken in a record $1.7 Billion in baggage fees!

Hawaii Camping – Is it For You?

By Cindy Blankenship