This morning we landed in Houston from Quito, Ecuador. Our flight on United was scheduled to take off at 9:00 am, giving us adequate time to find a spot to eat breakfast and grab a liter of water. Just as I was about to charge my phone from an outlet near our gate, an announcement came on saying that our flight had been delayed by half an hour. I didn't think much of it. I had experienced many short delays before. I assumed that it was just a scheduling error. Unfortunately, another lady came on the P.A. to tell us that we were looking at taking off closer to noon which would mean that we wouldn't land until 5:00 pm.
We made our way to our new gate, which was all the way at the end of the terminal just in time to get reticketed. Those of us in boarding group 3 decided to stand, or rather sit, in line as soon as we got there to try to get on the plane as fast as we could. This plane looked the exact same as the previous plane that we were on aside from the now 3-4-3 configuration of chairs compared to the previous 2-5-2. At first I had an aisle seat, but it got stolen from me by Mr. Hutch in accordance with that they deem the "teacher rule," which gives teachers the right to boot students from chairs if they have the window or aisle. So now I was sandwiched between Mr. Kamalu on my right (window) and Mr. Hutch on my left (aisle). By the time the plane got moving it was now 4:00 pm in San Fran., meaning that we wouldn't land until 8:00 pm Hawaiʻi time. All I wanted to do was get back home. Right before we began taxying I noticed that there was an empty seat next to Keo. Immediately I grabbed all of my belongings and moved there. There was no way that I would last a flight between these two snorers. As I began to settle in I plugged my laptop into the socket and tried to turn on my reading light. After a few attempts I figured that they didn't work during take off or landing, so I waited. Shortly thereafter, a man came on the P.A. and said that there would be no outlets, wifi, or reading lights available during this flight. My laptop was on 15% from the previous flight, so I was hoping that there would be an outlet on this one. I put my laptop back in its case and back into my backpack. That's when I saw my headlamps that I used to walk to the CDRS where we looked at the stars with Uncle Nainoa. Knowing that I had to get at least some homework done on this flight I whipped it out, placed it on my head, and grabbed the book I needed to finish from English class. In my opinion it actually worked better than the plane's reading light because it was closer to the page without shining in everyone else's eyes. I'm sure that a few people around me thought that I was crazy, but you have to do what you have to do when you go on lengthy school field trips.
Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis
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Alejandra came by this morning to not say goodbye, but see you later. She reminded us that the door will always be open and that we have to meet up when she comes to Hawaiʻi this summer. Around 9:00 the Hālau Kū Māna left on a bus to take them to Baltra. It was easy saying bye to them because we knew that we'd see them one more time in Quito. We cleared all of our things out of the rooms and brought our bags down to the lobby. Being the last minute people that we are, we didn't get our shopping done prior to today, so as soon as the HKM students were gone we booked it down the street to stop at a few more shops and pick up some chocolate from Chocalapagos. On the way back to the hostel I stopped at one of the many Galapagos Jewelry stores. I saw a blue-footed boobie ring and immediately knew that I needed it.
Once we got to the airport we checked in, got our boarding passes, then made our way through security. No matter how many times I fly to other countries, I still find it so funny how lax other countries airport security is compared to America's. Our flight took off and landed in Quito around 6:00 pm. I swear all we did this trip was eat. Around 7:00 we had a bunch of appetizers at T.G.I. Friday's, then at 11:00 after we got to our gate we ate a real meal this time at Outback Steakhouse. Sierra and I got lucky on this flight as I had the aisle, she had the window, and there was no one between us. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis This morning we walked to another school just around the block from we were staying called Gallo de la Plaza. Unlike the other school that we went to, Tomas de Berlanga, the students at this school were not bilingual. I was glad that Alejandra was there to act as our primary translator. We did our normal protocol, but instead of them responding with something cultural back, they just said “aloha.” Afterwards the of students was split in half. The first half went with Mr. Kamalu’s celestial navigation students to a room to watch the video that PVS put together with Spanish subtitles followed by a brief overview of the star compas. The other half of the students remained in the gym area to learn the haʻa from the rest of the Hawaiʻi delegation students. Unfortunately, Shaye and I were feeling a bit under the weather, so we sat on one of the bleachers and watched everyone else try to teach the haʻa.
Because there was no bathroom at the school for us to use, a group of us went back to the hostel a little earlier than the rest of the group. After freshening up a bit we refilled our water bottles and made our way to the pier to head out to Hōkūleʻa one last time. We performed all of the mele waʻa that we had learned and ended with Oli Mahalo. ʻAnakala Lehu said ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi how proud he was of us and that we were part of the reason that he sails. We have had multiple important people tell us during this trip that we are the reason that they sail. Hearing these words come out of their mouth, I can feel the kuleana accumulating, but I know that I stand on the shoulders of my kūpuna. We said our goodbyes to the leg 28 crew, then prepared to hop onto the shuttle boat to take us back to the pier. Just as I was about to step onto the shuttle Mr. Blake stops me and tells me to wait on the waʻa while the rest of the shuttle could return to the pier. I turn around to see ʻAnakala Lehu pulling out a humongous camera and a headset. He asked if I had ever seen one of their updates from sea, and I replied, “yes, of course I have, I follow you guys on instagram.” He handed me the headset and began feeding me lines. I started off speaking ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, then switched into English because I couldn’t think fast enough. Luckily I had captain Archie Kalepa next to me for moral support. I messed up a couple of times, but I could honestly care less about how I sounded - I was giving an update on Hōkūleʻa! After I was done with my little update Mr. Blake and I waited for the shuttle to come back and pick us up so that we could go to lunch with the rest of the group. After fifteen minutes Mr. Blake ended up texting Aunty Bunny asking if she had asked one of the boats to come back for us. He then proceeded to text Derek, who was the one Mr. Blake initially asked to send a boat back. While waiting for what now seemed like half an hour ʻAnakala Lehu wanted to know if we would like to have some ʻawa. Without hesitation I said yes. I could not believe how many things I was checking off my bucket list on this trip. I got to feel a little special because I was the only student taking part in this. Still without a shuttle, I got to ask the crew a bunch of one on one question. I sat and talked to Tomiko about food and how she provisions for the entire crew. I got to peak into her binder and saw what each days four meal looked like. Eventually a shuttle did come for us and with tears in my eyes I stepped off of Hōkūleʻa for the last time in the Galapagos. By the time we got back to shore everyone had finished eating, so Mr. Blake and I got to venture down the road from our hostel to find a quick place to eat at. I've been loving all of the food that we've been eating - especially all the seafood. When we got back to the hostel all of the groups were working on their projects, so pulled up a chair next to mine to make sure that my slides were done. Once Alejandra showed up we began our presentations. After all four watches had presented Mr. Blake showed the quick slideshow that he made for Alejandra showing that contrary to her belief, the Galapagos does have a culture. Being that this was our last night together, all of the school groups decided that it was a good idea to eat together. The seating at dinner was kind of cute. The boys had a table, the teachers had their own table, and the girls had a table. It was crazy thinking that just ten days ago we were complete strangers and now here we are sharing dinner plates and playing cards. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis today we went to an elementary school to go talk to they and teach them the hokulea chant and it was very hard to teach them because they didn't speak english but there was this one girl that did speak english which help us out and made it easier because we where trying to talk to them and they didn't even understand. then we all didn't know that there is a word in there country that sounds like hokulea but theres on started with a o, so overtime we said hokulea they taught we were saying sex so they would laugh every time we said it. but then after a while they found out that we was saying that and then they started to get the chant and then we all did it after everyone knew it. thereafter that we went back to the hotel to just hang out for a little while until the crew members was back on the hokulea so that we could just hang out and just help them work so that they would be ready for when them leave. and when it got darker that is when they was talking to us about the stars and how they do it when they don't see certain things in sky but i really like it when we go on the hokulea because like it just fells like home when I'm on there working and just hanging out but i always like going on hokulea cause it just bring you closer and makes you stronger with your hawaiian culture. then after that we was saying our last good byes because we don't know when we would see them again but we always said until we meet again. today we got up and had breakfast like we always do but today was different because we were going to isabella which was one of the island in the galapagos. so when we finished eating we went to the dock to go catch a water that would take us to a speed boat then from there we would start to head to isabella, the boat wasn't that big but i tell you it was fast, the boat had triple 200ʻs which is a very big motor and when you have three of it you start moving. the rid there wasn't that bad because we caught the low tide, but on the why back it was pretty ruff for everyone else but i was enjoying hitting the big wavs. but when we got there we had to go around this small island because how hight the reef was and when we started to come into the bay it was very nice because the water was very bright light blue then when we was going to the dock we saw a sea lion just having fun in the sun. but its pretty cool how much things you have to do when you travel between the islands because they make sure all your things are clean with no dirt or anything else. but the we got through the docks we got on to this bus which was just a truck with seats in the back with a shade top, i mean it wasn't the best but it matches everything on the island which i like. then we headed into like the center of the island where the flamingos are and it was a very big area and it was just perfect for them, after that we went to the torts breeding center where there had all the different ages of the tortoises and the cutest ones are the baby ones because they can like fit in your hand. after that we went to the beach and it was like this cove area then at the point there was this tall platform where it had a look out and then we saw the giant ewa birds and they were just soaring through the sky. then after that we wen to go eat lunch right around the corner and when we got there it was pretty hot because where the wind was blowing they had a wall there so no wind was coming through. and what even mad it more worse was that they gave us hot soup on a hot day so that was pretty deadly. after that we went diving in this bay area where there was a lot of fish then on the other side the was this valley that was about 7 feet deep. and i found like a small con shell it was pretty cool cause it was just sitting there at the bottom so i had it in my hand and i was swimming with it but we couldn't take it. after that we headed back to the dock so that we went back to the speed boat so that we could go back to the hotel and on the way back that is when everyone was catching cracks. but it was pretty fun toady and then right when we got to the front side of the bay we died out of gas which was even more funny cause everyone wanted to go back to the hotel already. so then we waited for an other boat to come buy and tow us back in to the bay . all and all today was a pretty cool day and i would do it again but with a bigger boat that has a lot of gas. It's been how many days now and people still don't know what on time means. We gathered upstairs for another quick breakfast before we headed out to the pier to hop on a shuttle to take us to the speedboat that would be taking us to Isabela. I was surprised that this boat that was supposed to take twenty-seven people to another island was significantly smaller than the boat that took watches C and D to Bartolome. Nevertheless, I claimed my seat and got comfortable for the two hour ride there. I had never been on a speedboat before, so I had no clue what I was in for. Being the lucky person that I am, I got sandwiched right next to Mr. Kalamu. For the first ten minutes of the ride he was telling me how loud the three engines were and how bad they were for our ears. I got up and holding onto the overhead rail made my way to where all of the bags had been thrown. I grabbed my earplugs, water, and pareo, then began the journey back to my seat. Once I sat down I covered myself with my pareo to act as another layer on top of all the sunscreen that I had applied, then popped my earplugs in. It not only blocked out the sound of the engines, but also deterred Mr. Kamalu from trying to continue a conversation with me. I closed my eyes and took a nap for the next hour and a half or so. I would have slept longer, but the bumpiness of the boat made it a bit hard. When we got closer to Isabela we all began collecting our belonging and got ready to hop on yet another shuttle boat. What I don't get is why the boats can't just pull up to the piers here because the water is deep enough. It's as if the shuttle boat drivers were put there as an intentional middle man just to collect a few more dollars from tourists who don't question their system of business here. When we got to the pier we had to get into our school groups again because we had to pay $5 per person stepping foot on the island. We then got on what they called a bus, but looked more like a flatbed truck with benches and a roof on it. Keo forgot her water bottle, so Mr. Blake got her one but also came back with ice cream. When we asked if we could get one, he said no because we had to leave already. However, I'm sure that even if we would have asked him earlier he still would have said no. I'm telling you, I'm not sure if we're the kids or if he is, especially after he ate ice cream for breakfast. Our first stop on the island was at a man made hole turned flamingo paradise. Our guide, the same one that came with us to plant scalesia, told us that this species of flamingo is the same as the ones that are found in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Belize. I had seen flamingos many times at the Honolulu Zoo before, but seeing them in their natural habitat was pretty spectacular. What put the cherry on top was seeing one flying in from up above and landing so perfectly in the little lake below. From there we made our way to a tortoise breeding center. Thanks to our first experience with tortoises, Mr. Blake was super excited to see more.
After that we got back on the not so sturdy bus to take us to a beach where we could take lots of scenic pictures. The beach reminded me exactly of Kaʻōhao - fine white sand, clear blue waters, and tons of people. The only difference here was that there were numerous squiggly lines all across the sand. If you traced the line with your eyes, if the line didn't go into the ocean there was a good chance that you would find a marine iguana sitting at the end of it. A number of students went up to a wooden lookout to take pictures from a higher vantage point, but Malia and I stayed below, afraid of the not so sturdy structure giving way. I would have loved to swim in the water here, but we were already short on time and had to go to lunch. Lunch was another hot soup. Although the science teachers tell us that eating and drinking hot things are supposed to cool your body down, I don't think that it seems to be working. Following lunch we broke up into our watches again and headed to separate snorkeling spots. On the way to our first spot we had to walk down a boardwalk. Laying across the boardwalk were a number of marine iguanas, which I had no problem stepping over or around. However, when we got to the end of the boardwalk there were a number of sea lions laying under the benches where we were supposed to place our belongings. After the experience that Jonah had, I was scared to say the least when approaching the bench to place my things down. I quickly grabbed my snorkel and fins, but forgot to grab my sunscreen. I told myself that I would rather burn than risk getting the sunscreen. I put my snorkel on my head, plopped my fins on my feet, and hopped in the water as fast as I could. The water was clear, but I expected it to be clearer. We made our way to the mangroves and got to see some fish, but like the water, I had higher expectations. The one cool thing that I saw in this area was a crown of thorns starfish. Prior to this I had only heard negative things about crown of thorns, but seeing that there was only one, Mark explained that things were in balance; population explosion had yet to, and hopefully won't, happen here. We met up with the other watches at the second of our two snorkel spots. We told them what we saw at our first spot, and instead of going there they decided to stay with us at their original spot. Here the first thing that I noticed were the number of horse flies. I started feeling not so well around thing time, so after hoping in the water for a little while I got out and sat next to Shaye. I immediately wrapped myself in my pareo to try to mitigate the bites, and fortunately it worked. While sitting on the rocks I got to get a closer look at all the little organisms that call the rocky intertidal zone home. At one point I looked up for a second to talk to Mr. Kamalu, and low and behold, a marine iguana was swimming towards him about to make his way out of the water. As our time here came to a close we all got back on our respective shuttle boats to see the last of the wonders that Isabela had to offer us. I got giddy as our tour guide told us that we were about to near an area where blue-footed boobies frequent. As we turned a corner it was so easy to see their blue feet against the black rocks. I was so enamored by them that when we got back to Santa Cruz I went to a Galapagos Jewelry store to buy a blu-footed boobie ring. Eventually, we had to go back to the Isabela dock to catch a different water taxi to take us back to the speed boat. After eating a peanut butter and mora jelly sandwich I grabbed my bag, plopped it on the ground, put my head down, and went to sleep. When we got close to Santa Cruz I finally woke up from my nap. Supposedly everyone else on the boat had a miserable ride back to Santa Cruz. Keo claimed that it was 100 times worse coming back compared to going out. Kamalu said that she got lifted off of her seat multiple times and that she nearly hit her head on the roof. I felt like I had such a good nap, but Mr. Kamalu said that my head was lifting up, then pounding back down on the floor of the boat. I assume that I was just so tired that I never noticed it. Around the time that I got up was when we ended up having to be towed back to the dock. Apparently we had run out of gas due to how fast we were going and the number of motors running. I told everyone else that maybe if they would have been smart and taken a nap like me then they would have had a more enjoyable ride back. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis today we got up regular time had breakfast then we went shopping all over the town and the things that they had for sell was really good and every one almost had the same things but some of them coast to much and some of them coast just right. then when i came to this one jewelry story they had this perfect turtle with blue diamond earrings so i got it for her. then we went to go eat at this one coffee shop they had ice cream and and like they had like this hot pocket sign but it wasn't a hot pocket but it was really good. then after that we went back to the hotel did couple things that we needed to do then we went to hokulea to go take picture then we where talking with the crew members about what they do on the boat and how they live until they get docked on or which everyplace they end up going. and it was just how cool the story that they told us about they selves and a good one was rex because he was from samoa and when hokulea went there he just feel in love with doing what they do.
Praise the lord that the teachers finally let us sleep in for once. After the long day that we had yesterday, everyone needed the sleep. Unfortunately, when we all finally gathered upstairs in the common room, they said that this would probably be the first and last time that we would sleep in this long. But we understood; we'd been on a tight schedule since we arrived in Baltra. Because of the late wake up call, instead of the housekeeping ladies coming in to make breakfast, we split into school groups for brunch. KS ended up heading to OMG Coffee towards the end of the main road near the CDRS. I had an iced black coffee from here a few days earlier, which was really good, so I was excited to eat here. Because there were ten of us and Aunty Bunny only had five twenty dollar bills, we broke up into pairs to order brunch. Me and Malia, being roomies, automatically went together. We knew that we wanted to try empanadas because we had to try authentic Ecuadorian/Galapagos ones, but we still had extra money, so we decided to split a bowl of make-your-own frozen yogurt. It was good that we got frozen yogurt because the lady at the counter told us that it would be a little bit of a wait before we would get our empanadas. The food here was really good, but what was even better was the wifi; it had to be ten times faster here than at our hostel. We honestly contemplated coming back with our laptops to do work because it was so fast. After brunch we began making our way back to our hostel, stoping every couple of stores to see if there was anything we thought we might want to buy. By the time we got back it was 12:00, which meant that it was time to get into our watches and actually begin working on our dreaded presentations. My watch consisted of me (KS), Shaye (KS), Chase (Castle), Kamūaliʻi (HKM), Mr. Blake (KS), Mark (PAF), and Kumu Kristi (HKM). The project/presentation was supposed to be student driven, so the teachers literally sat us on a table then left us. Shaye and I began throwing around ideas, but the boys didn't seem to respond to any of them. At one point I got so frustrated that it was just me and Shaye talking that I had to catch a breather out on the patio. When I came back Kumu Kristi was sitting with our watch. She asked me and Shaye what we wanted to do and said that we would go with whatever that was. I said that I was drawn to the idea of tourism, specifically ecotourism, and Shaye agreed. From there Kumu Kristi suggested we all take an angle that we could present on so that (eco)tourism was our focal point, but we could all talk about whatever we wanted. This was still just a starting point. I knew that I wanted to touch on the rules and regulations with ecotourism here compared to in Hawaiʻi and Shaye wanted to talk about how tourists affect sustainability. But what about the boys? We agreed that we would leave things at where they were for now and pick up later once everyone had more time to think. After changing back into our orange mālama honua shirts for what seemed like the one hundredth time we all gathered downstairs in the alleyway to head to the pier to go out to see Hōkū again. This time because they were doing actual tours, not all of the students could go on at the same time like before. We broke up into KS and non-KS groups, letting the non-KS group go first. It was actually kind of nice waiting back because we got to hang out with Uncle Nainoa for a little while while he was actually waiting for people from the National Park to take out. After talking to him we finally got to play on the jungle gym right next to the pier. While we were playing a random man came by and said that we had to get off because the jungle gym was for children. We told Aunty Bunny and of course she told us to continue playing because he was a nobody. When the first group came back we boarded our shuttle boat and headed out. My goal this time coming out was to talk to a crew member I didn't get the chance to before. Last time we came out I talked to Haunani and JP, so this time I could talk to anyone but them. Once on Hōkū the group got divided to help distribute weight evenly. I got placed in the front one and got to talk to Uncle Max and Rex. Uncle Max was on the last voyage to Rapa Nui and was the first one from that crew to pull up the island, so he's hoping to do the same on this voyage. I talked to Rex a little, but listened more to the conversation that he was having with Mr. Hutch. It's funny how all of a sudden everyone is quoting and giving credit to Mr. Blake for the line "Hōkuleʻa is a magnet who pulls the right people together," because even Rex said that. He also talked about wanting to start something like PVS back in his home of Sāmoa because right now all they have are inter-island sailing canoes, nothing really built for the open ocean like Hōkū. It's inspiring seeing other communities trying to rediscover their past just like we continue to. Of course before catching the water taxi back to the dock we had to take a picture in our KS uniform shirts so that they could post it on the school blog. It's kind of funny how all of the girls except for Kahulu wore black leggings. We refused to wear our school shorts, but we still ended up looking identical. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis I had so much fun spending time with kids our own age for once. We went to Tomas de Berlanga school this morning and started off like we normally do with protocal. We chanted Oli Kāhea and Auwē Ua Hiti Ē, then they responded by singing their national anthem. The first thing I noticed was that one of the teachers stood in front of the group of students and directed them. It reminded me of Song Contest and how we’re missing a couple of practices. Following that we performed Hōkūleʻa Haʻa and sang Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī. I was glad that instead of “project sharing” with the students we got to teach them the Hōkūleʻa Haʻa and about the star compass. The school students were broken up into two groups so that they could rotate through our two stations. Most of the students from the Hawaiʻi delegation taught the Haʻa while just a handful assisted the PVS guys in teaching the star compass. Teaching the students the Haʻa was much easier than I expected it to be, mostly because they spoke such good English. It made me wonder why so many other countries teach their children their mother tongue and English, whereas in America English is really the only language taught. Walking around their campus made me appreciate all that Kamehameha has to offer us, but also made me question some of our practices. I liked the openness of their classrooms because it allowed fresh air to constantly be flowing through it, no matter how humid it is. At Kamehameha I do not understand why teachers turn the A.C.’s on when it’s just as cold, if not colder outside. I also liked the idea that at Tomas de Beralanga school all of the students participate in taking care of their school, especially in the garden. Unfortunately this school year they are not utilizing their garden as much as they did in previous years due to the last El Nino, but from the students it sounded like they used to take care of this area daily and would actually eat from it, kind of like how we’re trying to feed our Mālama Honua class from our aquaponics and hydroponics systems. Instead of sticking with the topic that we were given for the little forum, my group decided to ask our own questions and play a couple of games. I learned that we’re a lot more alike than I once thought. In a short period of time I became really good friends with a girl named Kiara whose dad helped get the permits to allow Hōkūleʻa to come and set anchor in the Galapagos. She told me what a typical day like is for her, and it almost mirrored what I would do in any given school day. The only thing that was slightly different was what we do on the weekends. She explained that most weekends she goes with her friends to the beach and surfs, whereas I prefer going up ma uka to hike and swim in waterfall pools. Before leaving we all took tons of pictures and made sure to exchange social media handles so that we could stay in contact even when we get back home to Hawaiʻi. After that we made our way to a sustainable home and farm just down the road from the school. While sitting on the bus I overheard the teachers talking about how this visit came to be. So supposedly a man by the name of Roberto Plaza showed up at the presentation at the municipal building two nights ago and said that he wanted to show us his sustainable farm, and today here we are on our way to his farm.
While walking around the farm Roberto told us that the way that they make compost so fast is by spraying the piles of organic material with microorganisms that break down the nutrients quicker. This alone cut down the time it took for them to make one bach of compost from a month and a half to fifteen days. When we got back to the house we sat outside for a little while and talked about the environmental variable that they needed to consider when trying to construct a sustainable house. Like in Hawaiʻi, they took into consideration the direction that the house should face in order to take advantage of all the natural elements. By having the house face south, winds coming up from Tortuga Bay drive air through the ventilation chambers to help get rid of the humidity. They also purposefully positioned their water catchment system on an elevation so that the energy required to pump the water is minimal. At the same time, they save about 50% of what a typical house would use in water because of they have adjusted to using lower water pressure. These people were tired of being dependent on a grid and the government for so much that they did what they said they were going to do and create a sustainable house. This gives me so much motivation to one day too be off the grid and only depending on the sun to shine to provide me with energy. Then surprise, as soon as we got back to our hostel, Mr. Blake made an announcement saying that instead of going shopping, those of us who were still “alive” would be appreciated to walk down to the PVS hotel to catch a shuttle bus to take us to a site to do outplanting of scalesia trees (Scalesia pedunculata) with the National Park Service. I rallied up all the energy I had and walked to the PVS hotel. Fortunately, the road to the plant nursery that we were going to was flat enough that many of us took a nap on the bus. Once we got out we were welcomed by a naturalist guide and a few people from the National Park. Our guide did his best to describe to us what we would be doing, but even he was a little confused at times. We made our way to the back of the nursery where we were each handed two scalesia seedlings. We then walked to a designated spot a little ways up the road from the nursery to plant them. As soon as we got to the spot to plant them I understood what kind of event this was. The holes were pre-dug in nice straight lines and nearly ever person who wasn't holding a seedling was holding a giant dslr camera. Yes, we were here to give back to ʻāina, but more than that, it was a photo opp. Once I got over that fact, I made sure that I had a pono mindset before putting my two little guys into the ground. After I planted the first of my two seedlings my hands began getting itchy and so did a number of other peoples. Only as I began planting my second seedling did I begin noticing little red things crawling out from the mounds of dirt next to the hole. Our guide referred to our red ant bites as the "traditional Galapagos welcome." I was just glad that Aunty Bunny saved the day with baby wipes and itch relief cream. After everyone was done planting their scalesia seedlings we all grouped up towards the top of the hill. I was head over heals excited to get to stand next to Kumu ʻOhu as we chanted E Ulu over all of the plants. He then proceeded to do another chant, again simply asking that the plant be protected and grow well. This whole experience reminded me of going up to Keawewai to do koa outplantings. The only thing is, scalesia supposedly mature faster than koa, meaning that if we come back in twentyish years, we may see a full scalesia forest that we helped plant. This was such a long day, probably the longest that we will have here in the Galapagos, but I would do everything all over again in a heart beat. There's not a thing about this day that I would change, and am happy because of that. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis after we had a chill day and all the sleep that we got i was ready for an other day in the Galapagos and today we had planned to go to a school and talk with the students to get to know them and just to them about hokulea and our culture. it was kind of easy to talk to them because they knew how to talk english so we were able to have conversation and we could understand each other, and one thing with the school was that they the students are like building there own classrooms from ground up without any teacher help but there is a teacher there to supervise. But it was really cool because some of the students and us could relate to some of the problems that we had in our community and it almost the same things. but like some things that we don't want here in hawaii they need to protect it there in the Galapagos for example the mangrove. so after we was done with the school we got on the bus to go to an eco friendly house the was onto of a mountain in the Galapagos it was really ice because all of there things that they had in there house was like low voltage things and they don't have a lot of house supplies that most homes have. and there house is run off of entirely of batteries and they have to do water catchment system for a house like that the said it coast millions, but that house was really nice and the people that own the house have like a giant coffee farm. after that we headed back to the hotel then when we got back we found out that we are going to go plant trees with the hokulea crew members so some people stood back and some of us went to go plant and when we got there there was this big tarp building and when you walked inside there was plant to your left and to your right. and they are doing this so that they can replace all of the native plants that have been eaten or cut down, and they said that there success rate was a 75-85% and the is a very good process that i thought of bringing back to hawaii. then after that we went back to the hotel had dinner then we all took a shower and then just crazed and went sleep so that we would be ready for the next day.
It was too murky to snorkel in the bay, so instead I just walked to the rocks where Mr. Kamalu, Dre, Kamalu, and Mikaila were hanging out. I was about to take a step up when I noticed all of the not so little shells scurrying across the rocks. I picked on up and to my surprise it was a huge kūpeʻe/pipipi. I picked up another, but instead of being a kūpeʻe it was an unauna or hermit crab. They had to be at least five times the size of ones we find back at home. Mr. Hutch came up behind us curious to see what we were looking at. He told us that when he was younger there were kūpeʻe and unauna of this size all over Kāneʻohe Bay and that he was glad that we finally got to kind of see a piece of old Hawaiʻi. It made we wonder, if kūpeʻe and unauna were once abundant at this size back in Hawaiʻi, what else used to be big that we now associate with being little or smaller. Many of us also saw our first marine iguana here. I was surprised at just how fast they swim and get from rock to rock. It seemed as if they were attracted to Mr. Kamalu, but afraid of Mr. Blake. After lunch and a quick outfit change we made our way down to a shop by the end of the road, somewhat close to the CDRS called Chocalapagos. We walked in and this man has a spread of little tortoise shaped chocolates in front of him on a table with a big bowl of tempered chocolate next to him. He said hello, but it took me a second to register it. He said it clearly enough without an accent that he could have been an American, but his physical appearance looked quite local. The chocolatier said that his name was Juan, he was born in the Galapagos, moved to Kauaʻi at 16, graduated from Kapaʻa High, then moved to the US for a little while before deciding to go to a culinary school in Argentina to study to become a chocolatier. Honestly, what a small world. He showed us what he does everyday, let us buy a few pieces, then kind of just let us hang out in his nice air conditioned store. The two pieces of chocolate that I bought were so good that I want to make sure that we stop here before we leave on Tuesday so that it won't melt. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis today we woke up late and it felt good because everyone had a hard couple days so this was like the relax type of day and even though everyone was burnt (i wasn't) they where all happy. so then we all went to go eat breakfast then after the we went on a hike that took us to this giant crack that was a mixture of slat and fresh water and they said that i ran from the mountain all the way to the sea and where we was is like the half way point. and on the way there and back there was a salt farm and it was pretty cool because there farm is like a red-is pink kinda color but is was cool and next to the farm was a lot of cotton trees and that was cool because that was my first time seeing and touching a cotton tree. so on the way back we went to this bay area where we was just chilling and swimming and we were looking at all of the fish that was there and for a small area there was a lot of fish in just that area and i got to see a marine iguana go from swimming to climbing up a wall and that was cool. after that we headed back to the hotel so that we can eat lunch and we had like this type of sub sandwiches and after such we changed and got into a pair of clean clothes so then we had study hall to work on our homework and to work with our group for our projects that we had. then after that we all went to go et the street and let me tell you that place is always good because there are different places to eat in just one spot and after that we went and got ice cream and then we headed down to the dock to just see the night life and we saw a lot of baby sharks and one baby shark tried to eat that seagull that was chilling on top of that water. and after that we went back to the hotel to go shower and head to bed for the next day.
To day my group went on a hike in to the mountains on the island of santa cruz even thought we didn't go as far as the other group so that we where able to do other things we still learned a lot and saw many beautiful things. On this hike we were able to see the different types of darwin finches and we also saw how they are getting rid of the rats because they are the ones who are killing the birds that are more of a ground bird then a flying bird. And there way is a simple pipe with rat poison inside and the reason for the pipe is so that the birds don't see the rat poison and think its food and eats it, they also said that this method is very effective with the decreasing population of the rats on the island of santa cruz. then after that we headed back to the bus so that we can go to the tortoise mating grounds, and when we where arriving there we ran into some of them on the road because they were in the middle of the road. when we got off the bus there was this sign that said you have to stay 2 meters from the tortoises, it because everything there is like protected so that they don't go extinct. then after that we went on a hike through a lava tube that was made and when we started walking down the stairs the air tempter got colder it was like an underground AC. then after that we went to go eat at this one local owned restaurant and it was really good they had like this fried banana it was so good because it was sweet and it was soft, if i could take some things back with me home it would be that just because of its unique flavor its just having something different. after that we headed back to the hotel so that we can rest up for our meeting that we had with the Hokulea crew and like the head people of the Galapagos, at the meeting we talked about what was the porous was for Hokulea going around the world and most of it had to be in Spanish because they kinda didn't understand English we also did our chat to them and the crew members help with chanting along. then after we went to go eat then headed back to the hotel showered then we to sleep.
It was nice being able to sleep in for the first time in many days. We woke up around 7:00 am for a breakfast call around 7:30 am. It was grateful for having an actual breakfast, unlike yesterday when all we were given was a Cliff Bar. My favorite food that we’ve eaten has been mora, especially this morning when I put it on my toast. The hostel situation is kind of interesting. Most mornings all of the students gather in the "common area" (which is really just two couches next to the eating area), we wait for all of the teachers, we pule, then eat. Once we leave the two nice housekeepers wash all of our dishes from breakfast, then go down and take care of our room. They occasionally try to ask us questions, but the language barrier makes it hard for us to respond and them to understand the response that we give.
By the request of Mr. Blake last night, Kumu Sam ʻOhu Gon agreed to come with us up ma uka, even though he was supposed to go with watches A and B snorkleing. Our tour guide met us outside and Kumu ʻOhu made us all introduce ourselves again. Before embarking on our journey we said E Hō Mai and Kumu ʻOhu offered up a pule pale asking for guidance and protection for the day.
When we arrived at our first destination of the day we got off the bus and a few students from Kamehameha and Hālau Kū Mana, as well as Kumu ʻOhu offered up Pule Pale No Laka. Everything went silent, then all of a sudden birds started chirping again. It was if it was the hōʻailona that we were waiting for. I was estatic that I got to hike up with Kumu ʻOhu; I got to ask him a number of questions about the scenery and how it compared and contrasted with what we see back home in Hawaiʻi. The first plant that I noticed in the non-native lower reaches of the forest were Blue Virvine. Our tour guide, Nicholas, said that although it is not a native plant, it has yet to become invasive.
Nicholas also pointed out one of the many mouse/rat traps that they have set up throughout the native miconia forests. He said that it is pretty much just a pvc pipe with food and a sticky substance inside to trap the animals. Although it is effective in doing its job of mitigating the mouse and rat problem, these are single use traps. I mentioned to him that this summer with KUPU I help set up a number of GoodNature traps in Hawaiʻi. The cool thing about these traps is that they are multi use and last a fairly long time. The down side however is that they are expensive. When I mentioned this he said that he had never heard of the brand and that it sounds like a good idea, but he didn't think that the government would shell out so much money when the system that they have in place is doing it's job.
Along the trail Kumu ʻOhu grabbed a fern, turned it upside down so that it's spores were showing, and asked me what the genus and species was. I knew that I had seen something like it back home this summer, but instead of yellowy-gold, these spores were silvery-white. He told me to place it on my black leggings, and I instantly knew what the genus was - Dryopteris. He counted to three then slapped it, leaving a silvery-white spore tattoo on my leggings. Kumu ʻOhu said that I was right that the genus was Dryopteris, but presumed that the species was either filix-mas or affinis. He checked with Nicholas, and low and behold he was right, it was Dryopteris filix-mas. However, we got warned by Nicholas not to pick anymore flowers or plants because we were in the National Park.
We then hopped back on the bus to go to El Chato Tortoise Reserve where we would see the first of many giant tortoises during our time in the Galapagos. Before we were allowed to run amuck to find tortoises Nicholas warned us that tortoises mate all year long, but January to March are the peak months. Confused, we began making our way to the forest. Shortly thereafter we understood what he meant. Before seeing the tortoises we heard them - the noises the males made as they were getting it on. I thought that they sounded more like cows than what I expected tortoises to sound like. Aside from the sex and Mr. Blake cheering "Hoʻomau!", it was pretty cool getting so close to these gentle giants, many of which were probably 50+ years old.
Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis Tonight we went to the community municipal building to listen to Hōkūleʻa crew members share about what the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage is all about as well as what they have gained from this truly remarkable experience. Before the crew members began sharing we got up on stage with them to do Oli Kahea. Towards the end of the program we got back up on stage to do Auwē Ua Hiti Ē, Ia Waʻa Nui, and Hawaiʻi Aloha. It was as if with each mele or oli that was said the mana in the room grew. So much so that by the time we grasped eachothers hands to sing Hawaiʻi Aloha many of us were crying. By no means were we crying from sadness, rather I was brought to tears because of understanding – undersanding of why I was put on this journey and what will forever remain with me. Below are some of my takeaways from just a handful of the crew members and notable Hawaiians who were wiling to share their story. Nainoa Thompson
Sam ʻOhu Gon & Aulani Wilhelm
Archie Kalepa & Billy Richards
Haunani Kāne & Jason Patterson
Under the Stars
Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis Today was really the first day that we split up into our different watches or huis. Watches A and B went on a tour of the uplands of Santa Cruz while watches C and D snorkeled and went on a short hike on Bartolome Island. Being that I am part of watch D, we had to get up at 6:00 for a 6:30 breakfast (which was more of a snack than an actual breakfast), then headed off to the bus at 7:00. From there we rode a bus back to the same dock across from Baltra Island to hop on a boat to take us to the spot that we would be snorkeling at. Shaye, Emily, Kainoa, Mr. Blake, and I sat on the front of the boat, trying to make the most of the two-and-a-half-hour ride. We got a little tired and ended up taking a nap. Derek ended up snapping a picture of all of us which accurately depicted how tired we were from waking up so early. I felt fine on the boat until the captain let some of the students test drive it. At one point it felt like students were trying to spell out their name with the steering wheel. Once we got to the spot we hopped on the dingy to spot that we’d be snorkeling at. After snorkeling for some time we got back on the boat to head to Bartolome. Our guide Venus told us that this island is the one that pops into most people’s minds when they think of the Galapagos and that we would understand why when we got to the top. On the way up she pointed out the different lava forms – pāhoehoe and ʻaʻā. I was surprised that she had called them this, being that they are Hawaiian names. Uncle Mark Ellis told me that it is because these have become official scientific names and that all around the world people call smoother lava pāhoehoe and rougher lava aʻa.
When we got back down to the area where the dingy had previously dropped us off Kainoa sat and put his feet in the water. As the dingy neared to pick us back up the skipper began yelling at him in Spanish. Venus told him that he had to get his feet out of the water because everything around here is so highly protected and that the only permit that they have is for access to the island and not the waters surrounding it. There was not enough space on the dingy for everyone to go back at one time, so we broke into two groups. I stayed back with the second group and got to talk a little more one on one with Venus about all the things that we were seeing. Mr. Kamalu was in awe of all of the red-orange crabs. We asked whether or not they eat them, and Venus said no because there is so little meat on them. It was interesting because in Hawaiʻi we eat crabs that size and even smaller sometimes. When the dingy came back for us, instead of heading straight back to the boat we went around a bend to see some sea lions and blue-footed boobies. Being the child that he is, Mr. Blake shouted “show me your boobies” the whole way because the birds were somewhat hiding behind the sea lion. I hope that during our time here that we will get to see the birds closer up because from our vantage point you could barely see their blue feet. We got back to the boat and prepared ourselves for the long ride back to Santa Cruz. The lunch that they served us was absolutely amazing; I could hardly believe that they prepared it on a boat. Each of us had two prawns, a piece of fish, mashed potatoes, rice, and a piece of chocolate cake. Some of the students couldn’t finish their plates, so the dads – Mr. Blake, Mr. Kamalu, and Uncle Mark – did what dads do best and ate the rest of the food for them. After lunch instead of sprawling out on the front of the boat, we switched it up and layed in the shaded on the back of the boat. We talked for a little while before we all fell asleep again (but this time no one took our picture). I thought that it took longer for us to get back than it did for us to come out, but Shaye and Emily disagreed and thought that coming back was faster than going out. When we got back to the hostel groups A and B where already there. We quickly washed up and got ready to eat on the street again.
today we got up early to get on a boat and head out to bartolome to go diving by the reefs of the island and one thing about the reefs over there is that it is really really nice there are a lot of fishes and the fishes are really big like super big. while we were diving we also saw a sting ray, sharks, baby black tip sharks, and sea lions and just looking and diving by there reefs i would saw that there reefs would put our reefs to sham. and the reason for this i think is because over at galapagos it it all protected and you only can catch so much fish, but here in Hawaii there are some protected areas but the still over fish. But back to the trip it was like a 2 hour 45 mins trip to bartolome and when we got there they talk to us about staying together and about watching your partner because something could happen so they just wanted to make sure that they will be ok. so other then that we got into the water and when i got into the water it was outstanding just to see how much life could be in one area. so we was maybe diving for like an hour just looking at the reefs and just so beautiful and like the type of fishes that we would see would be like the ones on national geographic, so after like a good hour of diving we got back to the boat and head to one of the island to go hike to the top and it took maybe about 30-45 mins but when got there the sight was beautiful cause we could see all of the neighbor island. then after that we got back to the boat and when we first got back on the boat we could smell this satisfying see t of food and i was so happy because when they brought out the food it was fried shrimp, steak, rice, and mash potatoes it was really good. so after we ate we started our two 2 hour and 45 mins journey back to santa crus and on the way back we where all out cold like our teacher said anywhere you could lay down there was a student there, but today was really fun and if i could do it again i would because it was really fun and this day was one to remember. This morning we made the short trek from our hostel to the Charles Darwin Research Center where we greeted by Paula and Alejandra. They gave us a brief introduction to the place and what they do here. We split up into our watches - A and B together, and C and D together. Watches C and D went into the small viewing room and watched a video about conservation efforts being undertaken by individuals working at the research center. Following the video Denise talked to us a little about the costal protection work that she is involved in. It was interesting to hear her speak so highly of mangroves when back home in Hawaiʻi everyone is trying to get rid of them, especially because of the degradation they cause to our loko iʻa or fishponds. She said that in addition to serving as habitat for the mangrove finches, mangroves provide protection for juvenile fish as well. Following our time in the viewing room we went back into the main area and toured the exhibits there. Alejandra reminded us that the reason why everything still looks so nice is because the exhibition hall is only 9 months old. It was fun seeing some of my classmates and teachers try to climb into the tortoise shell for pictures. While in that area Alejandra told us that after Lonesome George's death four years ago, his species of Pinta Giant Tortoises has become extinct. When I think of extinction the first thing that comes to my mind are dinosaurs, but then I think a little harder and realize that extinction is imminent all around us. We have so many birds and plants back home in Hawaiʻi that if not for a number of conservancies would be extinct both in the wild and in research centers. The same situation is going on here in the Galapagos. If not for the CDRS, I'm not sure there would be many tortoises freely roaming the islands.
Once both groups had watched the short movie and toured the exhibition hall we all went outside on the lānai. What interested me the most outside was what they were doing to help assist the plants in growing. Denise said that the technology that they are using is called "Groasis." It is either a multi-use plastic container or a compostable cardboard one that has ridges in the top to direct water down to a catchment tank. From there drip irrigation makes sure that the water that is there is used as efficiently as it can be. This technology reminded me much of what we did in Kahoʻolawe. From Maui we brought broken plates from hotels with us to the island. After all the outplantings we did, we placed the plates around the plants kind of like the top of the the "Groasis" box so that the water could be channeled to the struggling little native plants. The whole time that we were there Alejandra kept mentioning how unlike Hawaiʻi, the Galapagos is still trying to find its culture. To her or really any outsider, it may seem like Hawaiʻi has it all together, but from the inside ask any kanaka and they can tell you where we came from, but not where we are going. At the moment, we are searching just like the people of the Galapagos. At one point in time we had a vibrant, rich culture, but for a plethora of understandable reasons, we've turned away from it. Today, we are on the search again. Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis today we went to the chapels darwin research center in galapagos and they had some very nice facilities like most of there buildings where brand new, and the exhibits that they had on display for us was awesome. they were talking to us about how the flyʻs in the galapagos go into the finches nest and leave larva and then the baby birds end up eating them and end up dying. but they were talking to us and telling us that they have a solution that could put an end to the deaths of the birds. then after that we went back by the hotel where there was a pizza place and we had chicken noodle soup, then after that we headed back to the research center to be apart of a meeting about the darwin finches and that meeting was very hard because it was mostly in Spanish. and after that we went to a beach by the research center and we were diving just looking at the reefs to just see what they had.
Instead of swimming out to meet her we took a water taxi. Once aboard, all of the students from Halau Kū Mana, Kamehameha, and Castle chanted Ia Waʻa Nui. Kumu Noe explained to us that our task for the day was to move the lowered boom to the catwalk and re-raise the spar because they want to change out the sails before the next crew heads towards Rapa Nui. For many of the legs of the Worldwide Voyage Hōkūleʻa sailed with a crab claw shaped sail, but unlike many other sailing vessels she is able to sail with a regular triangle sail too. Noe's reasoning for changing the sails was that it is generally easier to sail with a triangle sail.
Towards the end of our time on the waʻa I asked Uncle Nainoa about if and when we may have a traditional double-hull voyaging canoe made out of 100% native Hawaiian resources. We have Hawaiʻiloa, but her hulls are made from spruce trees harvested in Alaska and synthetic cordage are used in place of olonā because resources just weren't available. I brought up the fact that in the past ten years KS has organized a number of opportunities for students and faculty members to go and plant koa seedlings up at Keawewai on Hawaiʻi Island. Uncle Nainoa informed me that the person who actually initiated this koa planting innitiative was his dad, Myron "Pinky" Thompson, when he was a trustee for Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate.
today we arrived at the galapagos and it is pretty cool because it has a lot of green and a lot of animal life all over the place. this island has a lot of animals just on the way to the hotel i saw a lot of animals, and also the language that they have is pretty cool because like they talk real fast. but my view totally changed when we first landed on the island because the way people was making it sound like we were staying in grass shacks. but the homes on the island are some what like the ones back home so it is very similar, and the hotel that we were staying at was very nice and comfortable like it wasn't the 5 star hotel but it wasn't the worst either. but the best part on the first day was that when we got to the hotel we heard that we could go on the Hokuleaa so we dropped off our things in the hotel and headed out to Hokuleaa, it was pretty cool because i got to help work on the Hokuleaa with the crew members. but overall today was a very cool day after all of the traveling that we did.
We were told to arrive at Honolulu International Airport in front of the United Airlines check-in around 5:00 pm on Friday, January 27. My the over precautions parents made sure that I was there a half an hour before that. I think that they were more nervous than I was about the whole trip, especially because this would be the first time that I would be flying anywhere without them. While my mom paced back and forth across the sidewalk drilling me about only drinking bottled water and never traveling anywhere without the group, I sat next to my dad quietly. As more of my peers arrived, we began saying our goodbyes. My dad helped me lift my bag onto the agriculture check conveyor belt and gave me one last hug. As he pulled away he looked me in the eye and said, "I'm proud of you. I know you'll represent our family and Hawaiʻi well." Being a man of such few word, this meant a lot; it's like I finally had his stamp approval. Slowly, as all of the parents began to leave we made our way to the check-in counters. A not so friendly ticketing agent rushed me through the process of acquiring all three of my boarding passes and luggage claim ticket. Luckily, I was one of three people in the group to get TSA Pre-Check, meaning that I could skip the regular long TSA line and go in a line where I wouldn't need to take off my shoes (which honestly didn't really matter because I wore slippers anyways). Unlike everyone else who didn't get TSA Pre-Check, I didn't feel the need to run to Starbucks to grab a snack and water because I had been spared so much time. By the time that I got to our gate they were still loading passengers in group 2 and I was in group 4. Sierra was nice enough to switch seats with me so that I could have an aisle seat. I took off my slippers, put on my fuzzy socks, and took a NyQuil. I don't even remember falling asleep. When I woke up it was 2:15 am Hawaiʻi time or 6:15 am Houston time. I had a nice and refreshing six hour nap. The stewardess came around to do one more drink service before landing. Before they were able to pick up all of our cups the pilot told them all to go to their jump seats as turbulence was imminent. I was surprised when Sierra said that it had been like this for a good portion of the flight because I couldn't feel anything. Because we were scattered all over the plane we waited till we got off to meet up. I was shocked when Mr. Kamalu said that we were going to a hotel and not waiting at the airport for eight hours before our next connecting flight. While waiting outside for the shuttle Mr. Blake said that Jonah's dad had gotten us a couple of rooms at the Marriot Springhill Suites. After checking in we dropped off all of our carry ons in the rooms and headed straight back downstairs for breakfast; the make your own Texas shaped waffles were my favorite. We then headed back up to the rooms to shower in warm fresh water for the last time, tried to do some homework, but really just ended up taking a nap. Around 2:00 pm we all met downstairs in the lobby and got shuttled back to Houston Intercontinental Airport. Mr. Kamalu teased us about wearing jackets at school, when this is what jackets were made for, 47° fahrenheit weather Me ke aloha,
Kiana Davis on January 27 2017 we left honolulu at 7:50 and we arrived here in Houston Texas around 7:00 then we headed over to the spring hill hotel and are just catching up on rest, eating, staying fresh until we leave later today. so far it is 49 degrees and we are 4 hours ahead of Hawaiʻi, the flight here wasn't so bad it was pretty good so far but the airport is pretty big and when we was outside waiting it was cold. then from the airport we went to and are staying till two here then going back to the airport to go to equadore, and until then i see you guys later.
The papering for this trip was quite a new experience because on all of the other trips that I went on I didn't need things such as a passport or much requirements to go. However, I am really excited about going on this trip because we are going to do many things that relate to the environment. The Hokuleaʻa will also be going to the Galapagos so we will meet them there. Just the fact that I got picked to go is very exciting because I never had an opportunity like this before and I know that it will be a trip to remember forever. I am also very interested in doing environmental and marine type of studies; thats what I would like to go into for my career. Just over all i am very very ready and excited for this trip and i am thankful for Mr. Blake for choosing me to attend and be apart of this trip.
We began talking about the possibility of going down to meet Hōkūleʻa in the Galapagos at the beginning of the school year. With each each Saturday meeting it became more and more real. However, I still have a hard time grasping the idea that tomorrow night at 7:50 pm we will boarding a plane to take us to Houston, TX, the first stop on our way to the Galapagos. I don't think that it will really sink in for me until my feet reach the island. If it was not for this amazing opportunity, I'm not sure that I would ever go to such a place as this. There are so many things to worry about, like how many days of school we'll be missing, but as soon as we get on the plane, I know that there will be nothing I can do but let go.
I think what I am most excited about is to learn about how the people there are dealing with sust(ʻāina)bility issues pertinent to them. At out last Saturday meeting we found out that Sam ʻOhu Gon with The Nature Conservancy will be accompanying us there. I'm not gonna lie, I may have fangirled a little. I am excited to learn from him and the Galapagos locals alike about what is being done by island peoples to mitigate invasive species destruction as well as deal with sea level rise. Although the Galapagos is over 4,500 miles away from Hawaiʻi, I am almost certain that we deal with many of the same issues. I want to be able to take what I learn here and apply it back home in Hawaiʻi. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that Hōkūleʻa is finally back in the Pacific. I think back to the summer of 2014 when my ʻohana and I went to Palekai to see her off. It was sad seeing a piece of Hawaiʻi leave us for so long, but at the same time exciting because of the message that she would be sharing with the world - Mālama Honua. I am grateful to be able to see her once more before she returns home in June and do my part to help spread her message across the seas. Me ke aloha, Kiana Davis |
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