Wandering Through ‘Hawaii: Holoholo Wale’

Travel Blog  •  Pam Mandel  •  01.15.09 | 4:33 PM ET

hawaii surfboardsPhoto by Pam Mandel

Confession. I was not all that interested in Hawaii at first. Too touristy, a cliche, whatever. Maybe it was the Elvis movies or the Brady Bunch in Hawaii episodes or the glitzy ad campaigns that showed swimming pools that looked like mini-golf courses. A significant birthday brought me there, my mom’s dash-zero year meant a family gathering, a holiday home, a minivan.

At the time, I was living a divided life between two places, a small town in Austria and Seattle, Washington. In order to get to Hawaii for this January birthday, my mate and I boarded a flight in wintery Vienna. Two days later—after a one-night stop in my Seattle apartment to repack—we stepped out of the plane on to the tarmac at the Kona airport and I fell in love.

To this day, I’m convinced that it was the smell of the plumeria flowers mixed with the salt of the ocean. We had not yet left the airport, and I was ready to sign up for everything: the Aloha shirts, the overpriced cocktails, the lazy sound of Hawaiian music telling my inner critic to shut up and learn from the sea turtles who lay on the warm black sand doing ... nothing. I took one deep breath of the Hawaiian air and blinking in the bright sunshine, I fell. And fell hard.

View: A Holoholo Wale slideshow

More than 10 years later, I am still enchanted with Hawaii. I’ve been back many times—we were married there, I’ve written a Hawaii guide book and the phrase “When we move to Hawaii” gets muttered frequently, especially between the months of November and March when the Pacific Northwest can be dark, wet, depressing. In the meantime, Hawaii has also become a real place for me, not just a postcard of a palm tree on a flawless beach. My love for Hawaii has inspired me to learn about her history, her native people, her environmental and political challenges.

But Hawaii has also changed how I travel. Outside of Purdy’s Mac Nut Farm on Molokai, there’s a sign that says “Aloha—Slow Down, This is Molokai.” What great advice. There’s a Hawaiian term—holoholo wale—that means to wander around aimlessly, to stray. This is without question my favorite method of travel. To be in Hawaii with no place to go, nothing to do, no particular destination in mind, I can think of few things I’d rather do. Where is this wandering going to take us? Stick around, who knows?

Welcome to Hawaii: Holoholo Wale.


Pam Mandel is a freelance writer and photographer from Seattle, Washington. Her work has appeared in a variety of print, radio, and web publications and she's contributed to two guidebooks, one on British Columbia and one on Hawaii. She plays the ukulele, has an internal beacon that is surprisingly capable of locating the best baked goods in town, almost any town, and speaks German with a Styrian accent. Learn more on her personal blog at Nerd's Eye View.


7 Comments for Wandering Through ‘Hawaii: Holoholo Wale’

Jenna Schnuer 01.15.09 | 11:43 PM ET

That quick wallop of a place you connect with is amazing, eh? That’s how I felt about Alaska the first time I went up. It just felt right.

As for Hawaii, I was far from interested when I went—upon landing, that changed quickly.  And thanks for putting me back at Purdy’s Mac Nut Farm. Best ag tour I’ve ever taken—all pretty much under the shade of just one tree.

MudslideMama 01.16.09 | 12:50 AM ET

You captured it exactly right! That feeling, when a place and a person connect so immediately and immutably; it’s visceral. Yes, Hawaii does that for me too. I’m looking forward to what you write about next.

Sophia Dembling 01.16.09 | 10:10 AM ET

I was ho-hum about Hawaii too, until I saw it. Then I got it.

Same with slack-key guitar, once I heard the real thing.

Sheila from GoVisitHawaii 01.16.09 | 2:08 PM ET

Yep, I can relate. I never wanted to visit Hawaii, but my husband and friends did. I went along for the ride, so to speak. Little did I know I was going to fall in love with Hawaii and eventually blog about it daily. I like to warn first timers that they are about to develop an new addiction that can only be satisfied by return visits.

Nathan Kam 01.16.09 | 2:20 PM ET

Working in the tourism industry here in Hawaii, we hear this story a lot. Reservations about visiting because of this or that. Hey even Anthony Bourdain had reservations about Hawaii. But once they get here and experience the islands first hand, it’s a different story. Hawaii is not the kitchy Brady Bunch or Blue Hawaii stuff folks might remember and we’re definitely more than sun, sand, and surf. And the Aloha Spirit that is talked about is real…in the land, in the culture, and especially in the people. People often can’t pin-point what it is about Hawaii that’s rejuvenated and reenergized their spirit and keeps them wanting to come back. In my opinion, it’s not just one thing…it’s the way of life here that’s so magical. It’s probably why this island boy has never lived anywhere else.

I’m looking forward to reading more about your Hawaii experiences here.

Aloha and a hui hou,
Nathan

Nancy D. Brown 01.16.09 | 4:06 PM ET

Aloha from Northern California,
I enjoyed visiting Hawaii today; smelling the plumeria mixed with sea salt.  Loved the use of the slide show in the article.  Japanese girls armed with cellphones taking the memorable pic to show friends at home - loved that, too.
Mahalo for sharing your island thoughts. What a Trip.

Liz 01.21.09 | 12:48 AM ET

I’ll never forget the first time I arrived in Hawaii - it was the first time I took off from home, alone, flying from New Zealand to Los Angeles. In those days, the plane always stopped in Hawaii for a few hours. I stepped off the plane, encompassed the warmth and thought, I don’t want to go any further. Unfortunately, I had to get back on the plane. Los Angeles and California were calling. But a few years later, I landed in Honolulu again and stayed for two years, spending days on end at the beach and watching the world go by. Some days I think that maybe I should pack up and return the islands.

Am so looking forward to re-exploring Hawaii with you here at World Hum

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