Thursday, August 23~Kalaupapa Mule Ride~

 Buzzy who is the mule trainer extroidinare!

 Here is where the fun begins

 Switchback #3 of 26

 Finally on the beach

 Sharon's first day of retirement!  Well, really her second day.

 Look closely on the side of the mountain and you can see the switchback trail we just came down.

 St. Francis Church

 Father Damien, who is now Saint Damien

 The road to the old settlement.

 The beach where the first patients were dropped off.

 On days when the weather did not permit the ships to get close enough the patients were sometimes forced to swim to shore from these rocks.

 The lighthouse of Kalaupapa

 Mounting up for our return trip to the top

 It's all uphill from here

 Views of Kalaupapa are breathtaking all the way up

Our Columbus Dispatch Travel shot

Last night our plan was to drive to the west end of Molokai for the sunset.  What we did not check on before we left was to see if there was any place to eat once we got there.  We assumed, and you all know what they say about that, that there would be some place to eat in Moanaloa or at the lodges at that end of the island.  WRONG!  Even the general store was closed so we thought perhaps we could make it back to the Cookhouse Restaurant to eat and then back for a sunset.  Once we ate we noticed that it was really pretty cloudy and decided to head back to the room to get a good nights sleep before our mule ride down to Kalaupapa.  (unfortunately, Sharon and I are both catching a cold!)
Early to rise this morning, it is the day of our long awaited Mule Ride to Kalaupapa.  We stopped at the Coffee House for a breakfast croissant before checking in at Buzzy Sprouts Mule Ride.  We were briefed and then matched up to a suitable mule (Buzzy said they try to get a mule that looks like you!).  I was put on EB while Sharon drew Elvira who spent the entire trip trying to eat along the side of the trail.  Going down was definitely the most difficult because of the steep angle of the trail.  The trail was 3 1/2 miles with 26 switchbacks but once we opened our eyes, the views were spectacular.  At the bottom we were met by another tour guide who drove us through the colony itself and gave us a wonderful account of Hawaii's department of health's attempt at stopping the spread of leprosy.  Unfortunately, there was not enough known about the disease at that time and many people were exiled here who had other skin conditions or with a milder, non-contagious form of the disease.  At present there are 14 patients who still call Kalaupapa home even though they are free to come and go as they please now.  Until 1969 they were forced to live out their lives on this small peninsula.  We visited several of the churches that Father Damien established while he lived out his life there among the lepers only to contract the disease himself and die among the people he loved.  Our tour guide, Norman, was very knowledgeable and we spent a very pleasant afternoon learning more about this once dismal place.  It is quite a testament to the people who were sent here that out of their adversity they formed a community of love.  We also were taken to the far side of the island where the original settlement was.  It was called Halaewa and the weather was much colder and damper and many of the early patients did not survive more than 2 years after their arrival.  Most did not die from leprosy but from complications of pneumonia or tuberculosis.  Leprosy is now known as Hansen's Disease named for the scientist that found a sulfur compound to cure the disease.  Our ride to the top side of Molokai was quite a bit easier and only took about an hour as compared to the hour and a half on the way down.  We are thinking we may try to catch the sunset tonight but will eat first tonight!  Scratch that idea, the sun set before we got there but we did see several of the island's Axis deer.  Ate a late supper at Molokai Burger.