Looking back at old photos made me want to start planning our next surf trip. This trip was in the Philippines a very long time ago but I still remember the barrels, the food poisoning, the Jack Daniels, and this boat trip to a little island.
Then I came across this photo and realized exactly where the next surf trip should be. This is not the Philippines, this is somewhere else. Getting barreled, no food poisoning, cheap massages, best food night markets, and empty lineups. I’m going to check the flights right after this.
Going to Mauna Kea during the protests was a great learning experience. The government is supposed to be for the people, but if the people don’t like what the government does, they have the right to speak out. The Hawaiians stopped a multi million development that only could be stopped like this. Any other way wouldn’t have worked. I respect the people of the Big Island because they spoke up and stopped the development that they thought wasn’t right.
Seeing the elderly, working class, kids, and so many people come out to stop the development was pretty amazing. I had chicken skin the whole time. It was the Hawaiians protecting Hawaii. I’ve never seen that before so it was very emotional.
I took Mateus with me because I wanted him to see with his own eyes the difference local people can make. The sight of thousands of people, the sounds of traditional Hawaii music, and most importantly, the feeling of the Mana (power) in the air. My hope was for him to make up his own mind on how he feels about Hawaii and the people.
