The First Farm

After 4600 miles, four nights sleeping in airports and a missed flight... we finally arrived at our farming destination on the Big Island of Hawaii. The welcoming from locals was one of warm words and hospitality that could almost rival a southern town.

Then when we got our bags from the carousel, we did not find our hosts. Traveling with two hungry and sleep deprived women who were ready to sink teeth into the first unknowing victim, made the day of laying in baggage claim a more than exciting experience. After such a journey to arrive, our farm host had the incompetence to hold up their end of the agreement. After 8 hours searching for alternative options from hostels to camping and Craigslist sublets, we picked up a taxi to jump on a bus. We (the girls) decided that we were getting to that farm to make a point of commitment and find out why they did not show up. To make this short, they failed to have a good reason. I stuck with it to see how it was going to work out. Plan B would have been a better choice.

The first day was revealing to the lack of communication between the hosts. She is a New Yorker and has the hospitality of one. So far, I have not told her off, but we are only on day two. The man who works the land is naive to safety. He tells one worker to climb a tree to fix his mistake of improperly sawing down a tree. Saying he will toss up the chainsaw for the farm hand to cut the remaining tree in half. Needless to say, that idea failed. So I stepped in and showed a way to bring it down with out the chance of amputation. At the end of the day, he wants to show off his ignorance by having us toss machetties at him to catch them. Fail. This man is alive is purely by the grace of God.

Needless to say, this farm will be short lived. The lack of safety and gratitude towards the people who make the farm function is its downfall. Lucky for me, I found a better farm on the north shore in an old sugar plantation town... next to a rainforest. Awesome? Indeed.

I will be traveling there on the 1st of March. Possibly sooner if the New York woman says the wrong thing, which is getting close. This would cause me to leave my group behind, but in all honesty, I do not frown at that idea. For now, I'm simply going to enjoy the sun and surf.

Problems in Hawaii are much better problems than most. There are wild chickens, boars and fish. So if all else fails, I can walk into the jungle and be a wild man of nature! This could turn into quite an adventure...