Kama Aina translates as “people of the land. I think of it as the equivalent of “locals” because in practice it includes more than the indigenous people of Hawaii. For tourists, even those of us staying several months, it also translates as “you pay full price” which can be difficult to predict in many cases until you see the bill. There can be fees you don’t expect or at least are not part of the stated price. One of my favorite Kama Aina stories is from an earlier stay on the Big Island. I frequently visited the Green Flash Coffee Shop and became familiar enough to the baristas that I was granted Kama Aina status and received the local rate. It could also have been my advanced social skills and witty humor which I expect brought in additional customers, but that is only the way I choose to remember the special treatment.
Tourists shouldn’t complain. This is a very expensive place to live for many reasons and being able to stay here is a privilege. We feel very lucky and hope others have similar opportunities at our ages. You really learn a lot about others and yourself when you travel.
We are back in Kauai for our winter retreat and I am back writing on my Grabe Travels blog. I have little to say because of extreme jet lag and a messed up sleep cycle that caused me to wake at 4 even though I missed my nap yesterday. So, this will be short. We are staying at Waimea Plantation Cottages for a few weeks until our favorite rental in Princeville opens up. The sun just came up, but it looks like a very interesting place and I will have more to describe after I have had more coffee and had a chance to look around a bit.
Oh ya - ALOHA
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