| From the lodging and meal at Mokuleia and the Ka`ena State Park passage, to the sunset at Yokohama Bay; the last 36 hours have been the pinnacle of the mind-altering recreational experience of these past seven days. But there's no time to loose. We still have 43 miles to cover in the next three days and we're about to pass through the most heavily homeless-affected area of the island, the Waianae coast.  Sunrise was pretty serene. That break off the lifeguard stand that had a few stalkers most of yesterday is now just an empty wave...'bout a 2-3 foot face. It was slightly bigger yesterday. [Day_08.01]  Denzie, Robert, and Suzy are considering options while Kenny appears to have a cell signal. I had a cell signal too(at&t) but my mobiPCS supposed broadband wireless internet service was AWOL. [Day_08.02]  Breakfast is pretty much done as the tarp is being folded. [Day_08.03]  The guy in the pink shirt tail hanging over his low-riders is either Nathan or Gavin from “The Gathering Place of Hope” who provided hospitality to our effort last night and this morning. [Day_08.04]  We take a last glance at the VIP lodging that's just inside the USAF Satelite Tracking Station... [Day_08.05]  … as we pass their guard shack... [Day_08.06]  ...and begin the 16 mile trek to St Rita's in Nanakuli where we will spend the night. [Day_08.07]  That's Robert, Tom, and Pete passing by the mouth of Makua Valley...Kenny and someone(?) else are in front of them. [Day_08.08]  The early morning shadows make it hard to tell but I think that's Keith moving away on the right side... [Day_08.09]  ...and here's Arlene running roving beverage support for the walkers... [Day_08.10]  ...just as Winnie(pink hat and knee brace) leads Tom(?hard to tell, Winnie's hat is blocking my view?), Gary, Pete, and Robert. I can't identify who's lagging but I don't think it's Moose as he and Naomi have missed a couple days not feeling up to the physical challenge. [Day_08.11]  We were right across the road from Kanekana Cave, better known as Makua Cave. Arlene and Roz(?) decided to check it out. [Day_08.12]  [Day_08.13] Most of my shots were no good here...not enough light. This silhouette from inside the mouth of the cave worked, but I can't remember who those two are.  Arlene doning those catwoman ears in an attempt to sell me some 'bat cave' real estate...I mean...really! Some people take their work way, way too seriously. [Day_08.14]  [Day_08.15] Where're the cowboys...?...or is this one of those “tourist” ranches, like Kualoa, where they helicoptor them in to ride horses trained to let 'em survive the ride while the locations where famous movie scenes were shot are pointed out to them....?...but I digress.  Winnie leads a group away from Makua Valley as we begin to pass one of the most profound evidences of homelessness on O`ahu. [Day_08.16] I mentioned at the top of this day's post that the Waianae coast is the most heavily homeless-affected area of the island. All the statistics I hear/see seem to be inconsistent and sometimes contradictory and at the moment, I'm unprepared to quote sources. But some or what's being spoken are that as many as 1,600 or more are directly affected by homelessness on this coast alone, so far from Waikiki...and that somewhere in the neighborhood of a third of the island's homeless are located here. What I saw today told me that there are two areas that stand out on this coast. The Kea`au area just Ka`ena side of Makaha, and the Nanakuli area leading up to Kahe Point. To be sure, the homeless culture is not limited to these two areas. It is pervasive. But these two areas caught my.. ....camera's....attention. The following stack of 28 photos show the Kea`au stretch. The shots that don't have WtT walkers in the foreground will be presented in reduced size that while you can click on them to enlarge, I was careful to not invade privacy, because... by way of the number of shots taken to show what appear to be the homeless encamped in both areas. [Day_08.17]...Gene and Mike.    [Day_ 08.26] [Day_ 08.27] [Day_08.18]...Ivan here.    [Day_ 08.28] [Day_ 08.29] [Day_08.19]d...Gene and Mike.    [Day_ 08.30] [Day_ 08.31] [Day_08.20]...Ivan.    [Day_ 08.32] [Day_ 08.33] [Day_08.21]...Gene and Mike...    [Day_ 08.34] [Day_ 08.35] [Day_08.22]...and again, the same two.    [Day_ 08.36] [Day_ 08.37] [Day_08.23]...Keith and Kenny behind Ivan...?    [Day_ 08.38] [Day_ 08.39] [Day_08.24]...and Ivan again.    [Day_ 08.40] [Day_ 08.41] [Day_08.25]     [Day_ 08.42] [Day_ 08.43] [Day_ 08.44] She claimed she was waiting on "my(her) ride." I may have misunderstood her but she said she'd been living "on the beach" in this neighborhood for the last 15 years and worked "selling puka shells" to tourists somewhere in the near vicinity.  Just a little further beyond is where theBus "C-Country Express" turns around to head back into town... ...and also is pretty much where this 'village' of homelessness ends. For about two miles, we got a passing eyeful of what some call their 'home'. [Day_ 08.45]  Gary in his patented head-down posture is passing Kepuhi Point... [Day_ 08.46]  ...which is just makai of the first signs of multi-floor apartment achitecture as we continue to head south. Is that Moose?...and Suzy behind...and maybe Robert behind her... [Day_ 08.47]  ...as Ivan and Keith reach the beginning of concrete sidewalk technology. We're back in the city now...not quite. [Day_ 08.48]  The Waianae Boat Harbor is just to our right as we arrive for lunch at the Waianae Regional Park area that is just mauka of Kawiwi stream. Gene and Mike gotta keep moving a little further on down yet. [Day_ 08.49]  Shade in Waianae, thank God! Let's eat. [Day_ 08.50] I finished lunch and got directions to the Lualualei land given to H5's use by the Office of Hawaiian Affais(OHA) because of H5's extensive service to homeless Hawaiians. I wanted to see what's happening with the investment of OHA in the H5 effort so off I went to take a peek. On the way, as I was passing Leihoku Elementary School, I got distracted by their Flutophone Marching Band that was doing laps through their parking lot and the street fronting the school. Have you ever played a flutophone? I played one for a few months when I was in the fourth grade. But I never marched in a flutophone marching band. Here's almost 70 seconds... Let's go to Nanakuli!  Winnie joined us for a couple/3 days or so and was in inspiration to see her out amongst walkers decades younger. [Day_ 08.52]  Utu and Mac passing through Ma`ili. [Day_ 08.53]  Kris, Robert,and Moose(?) dodging traffic... [Day_ 08.54]  Oh, there's Lynn coming up on Kris and the gang with Kahe Point ridge in the distance. [Day_ 08.55]  I caught Utu here typically bringing up the rear. [Day_ 08.56] ...and then...we hit the run of beach duwellers that stretch out toward Kahe Point. The following 35 photos that show no WtT walkers, as I did in the Kea`au shots above; will be presented in reduced size. This stretch of our "trail" may represent as much as five miles. If you don't expand these reduced size photos, either these or the Kea`au ones; you'll be reduced to thinking anything from "these are empty shots just showing landscape..." and "I don't see any homeless people..." to "I don't have time to individually explore all these shots," and I'd agree with the last statement. 'Overwhelmed' is the feeling I got as I passed by today and took these shots. None of these duplicate what is shown in other shots in these two groups of photos. The evidence shown tells me, there're a lot of people living in these...'residences.' If my observation is valid and you get the same sense, than my mission was accomplished!                  [Day_ 08.73]  Here's an ex-GI property owner(?) who lives across the street from possibly hundreds of homeless shore-front duwellers within his eye sight and I'm curious if this obvious outspoken citizen also has strong convictions concerning these squatters...who are possibly causing a devaluation of his property because of their presence....? Hmm...         [Day_ 08.79].....[Day_ 08.80]......[Day_ 08.81]......[Day_ 08.82]          This guy walked into the shot and began to quiz me. He swallowed the 'embedded blog reporter" bit and it seemed he didn't see me as a violation of his privacy. I told him what all of us in our yellow WtT t-shirts were up to. He acknowledged his living situation as being a part of all the people under various types of canopies we all saw that day on the ocean side of our path.[Day_ 08.91] I wanted to 'know' more but wasn't willing to test the line of privacy that I feel needs to be maintained. Maybe next year...  ...but right now, it's time to check into our night's lodging... [Day_ 08.92]  ...St. Rita's. [Day_ 08.93]  I almost didn't get there in time to see the first arrivers. I think that might be Gene almost past me with Mike right behind leading... [Day_ 08.94]  ...Lynn, Tom, and Keith with Pete and Kenny still on the sidewalk. [Day_ 08.95] Two more days till the finish line but tomorrow will be the longest distance of the 10 days, almost 18 miles. Some of us are going to be tested to our limit to get to Aiea. and click on "Day 9, 19 Nov" under the "November(11)" heading. |
21 November:
ReplyDeleteDay 8 was a gas too, but there just aren't enough hours in the day, given the flakiness of the wireless connection in the remote areas of the island, the challenge to keep batteries charged and power to the IT in those same remote areas, the kluge of the editing utility, and the demands of the infrastructure logistics to accomplish the daily editing pace I've set.
Tentatively plan to update this for as much as a week or so after the event ends on Friday with the desire to make it complete with substantial entries for each day of the walk.
I'm assembling a list to serve notice to anyone who would like a personal email when the major final edit has been published, lemmeno.
7 December:
Beginning to storyboard the 144 pix 'n 2 videoz to choose from for this day's post...
9 December:
Finished loading the last of 94 pix and 1 video before I went to bed this am. Still have 10 pix to add story to...and them somewhere down the road, the final edit.
...almost 10 December:
Final 10 pix are storied. Only final edit remains.