Lanai

           We took the ferry from Lahaina to the small island of Lanai (18 miles x 18 miles) and saw about fifty whales on the way over. It’s their yearly migration from Alaska to the waters between Maui, Molokai and Lanai to birth their pups each winter and then head back north. To see the whales was not why we went to Lanai, but it was a bonus to the trip. Lanai is a different story. Actually we found it to be a sad story, the story of Lanai.

            Lanai had been most known as being the pineapple center of the world, but no more, not now. We found Lanai’s history to be one of exploitation as it tries to cling on to its history.

             Because it was believed to have evil spirits, Lanai was only populated about 800 years ago, and then the island went untouched by much of the world until the early 1920’s when James Dole bought the entire island (can you imagine buying an entire island where people live?)  and began what became the Dole Pineapple Corporation.

 Dole built a town in the center of the island for the local workers, much like a Levittown, and called it Lanai City. (This is a misnomer, as the whole population is and was only about 3,000)  

Farmed by the natives, the company thrived until the late 1980’s.  But because of cheaper labor in other parts of the world, Dole moved elsewhere, pulled up the plants and left a decimated landscape of barren valleys stripped of life.

The entire (97%) of the island was sold to David Murdock who made tourism the island’s focus. A luxury hotel was built at the most accessible beach, and two pro golf courses were made.

                           The natives shifted from being farmers to wait staff. And I felt a resigned sadness in its people -very different from the people we have met back "home", and an obliviousness in its patrons.

     
            But there were wonderful sights to see. Amy said it was great snorkeling, and she saw these fish and more in the corals:

                                                 
                                           The coast was rugged and inspiring.

         To be sure there was much that was beautiful, but its beauty seemed somehow superficial and peripheral to an island and its people. Amy and I were glad to have had the experience, but it is not one we are likely to repeat.

          When we left on the ferry back to Lahaina we saw more whales and we both agreed: this was the happiest part of the trip.