Home on the Roam

Mauna Kea

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2020. Mauna Kea, Big Island of Hawai’i.

Realm of the gods.

Being on the summit of Mauna Kea is a privilege. Its a privilege to be in Hawai’i. To have the weather cooperate so the road is open. To have the required four wheel drive, and healthy lungs for the thin air at 14,000 feet.

The moonscape that greets us is spectacular, especially given the lushness of so much of the rest of the island.

In contrast to Mauna Kea: The beach in the Hawaiian-only Waipio Valley. We were lucky to experience this taste of old Hawai’i when it was open to outsiders.
Astronomical observatories on Mauna Kea: Desecration in the name of science.

There is also a very real and profound moral issue. Descending from the realm of the clouds I recognize that Mauna Kea is a sacred mountain. I should not have been there. It was an opportunity to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with my wife and kids. But in doing so I drove across someone’s church. I desecrated a holy place, perhaps the worst of insults. I was born in Hawai’i. It will always feel like home. I should have known better.

Above clouds, but not responsibility.
Looking to the sky for discovery, but missing the meaning of being human right here on earth.

Moments like this make me recognize the importance of ethical, considerate travel. To tread lightly and respectfully.

A reminder of what Hawai’i once was, and could be if native practices were in charge..

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