Oahu, Hawaii
SACRED, TREACHEROUS, INCONVENIENT
Hawaii is a part of the United States…but it shouldn’t be. The island nation of Hawaii has a rich history of Polynesian culture, dramatic seismic activity, and perseverance. Spurred by Manifest Destiny, zealous nationalism, and (unsurprisingly) economic interests, the United State annexed Hawaii in 1898. Since then, Hawaii has become a playground for the rich. Native Hawaiians have struggled to maintain culturally significant areas and the tension it creates is very noticeable. If you plan to visit Oahu (or any of the Hawaiian islands) keep that history in mind and be respectful.
SACRED:
Hawaii’s dramatic mountains, stunning beaches, and over-abundance of rainbows come together to create an environment that genuinely feels magical. On our second day on the island, we missed our exit in Honolulu and wound up on one of the most breathtaking highways I have ever seen. Suddenly and unexpectedly, our rental car was surrounded by steep, lush mountains - but they were not your average mountains. The verticle rolls and ripples along the mountain faces were unlike anything I had seen outside of the Jurassic Park movies. It almost felt disrespectful that a highway had been carved into such a pristine and unique landscape. I was grateful we had missed our exit but was immediately humbled by the stunning natural beauty that surrounded us. Native Hawaiians have been fighting the desecration of their most sacred and culturally significant locations for years, but for a moment it felt as if the entire island was significant in a way that demands preservation.
TREACHEROUS:
I have a friend who was raised on Oahu. When I informed her of my trip, she immediately provided a list of hikes that were organized by “Easy”, “Moderate”, and “Difficult”. I can tell you right now…Hawaiian “Easy” is not “Easy”. Oahu is one of the more developed Hawaiian islands, but the moment you step off of a paved road you are in the jungle. The hills are steep, the trails are not maintained, and the air is sticky and humid. There was a moment on the Waimano Falls Trail when I realized that it would be all but impossible for a medical team to come and retrieve an injured hiker. I consider myself an experienced hiker and I struggled to make it up and down the steep, eroding slopes. Hiking on Oahu was my favorite part of the entire trip, but it was undeniably more difficult than I had anticipated, and it was pretty damn dangerous to boot.
INCONVENIENT:
Hawaii is remote. Incredible remote. Arguably one of the most remote places on the planet. The fact that reaching Hawaii by plane is so easy makes it easy to forget just how isolated the little archipelago is. If you want to go anywhere that isn’t the island you are on, you have to board a plane. To leave the state of Hawaii you have to fly for hours. Getting supplies to and from the islands is challenging. Things are not easy and quick the way they are in the lower 48. During our time in Hawaii, we did an inter-island day trip from Oahu to Kauai. At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic was slowing down. My entire party had been fully vaccinated, and normal life was beginning to resume. We were still required to produce a negative COVID test before heading from one island to the other and were greeted by the National Guard upon landing in Kauai. The intensity of their monitoring made more sense when we realized that the entire island of Kauai is home to a paltry 18 ventilators. If you were to come down with COVID-19 on Kauai, you cannot simply be brought somewhere else. In the middle of the Pacific, things are simply more difficult.
THE 3 THINGS YOU WILL NEED WHILE YOU’RE THERE:
Hawaiian sun is intense, so you will definitely want to protect your skin. Just make sure that the protection you choose is environmentally safe. Sunbum is a reef-safe brand that will save you from a nasty burn without doing damage to the many beaches you are bound to visit.
If you want to enjoy the best views that Oahu has to offer, you are going to have to work for it. The PillBox hike and the Koko Crater Railway hike both offer some incredible sights. Do not attempt these hikes in sandals or sneakers. Invest in some basic hiking boots and get ready to sweat!
You are going to want to take some photos. Make sure they aren’t exculsively selfies with this slim, easy-to-carry phone stand. Just set it up, enable your camera’s timer, and say hello to this year’s Christmas Card!
