Molokai is changing in so many ways, but in its heart, it remains Molokai.
Consider the main street of Kaunakakai (okay, pretty much the only street of commercial activity)...
Walk down this road and you can still find fresh roast pork at Oviedos and bread at Kanemitsu's Bakery, but for the first time, gift shops are springing up. It appears that this tiny little island has finally been discovered by wealthy mainland tourists and they are buying up property like crazy.
So new sets of services and shops are slowly starting to appear to service these very wealthy families.
Rather than just sweet bread and Molokai Bread, you can find stuff like this for the very first time...
Bagels, crossoints, and low-fat blueberry muffins.
When I was a kid, the only thing low-fat to eat on Molokai was my Uncle Fred's boot.
They even have their very first fast food chain -- seriously, there is only one, and that is a brand new Subways.
You can even find a "tita" version of a barista serving gourmet coffee...
Something is so odd about sipping a mocha non-fat latte while sitting in front of a cart pulled by mules.
Then again, some things are the same as always.
When the gas station runs out of gas, well, you have to wait until the next barge arrives from Honolulu...
Food, particularly cold foods or produce, are still outrageously priced on this island...
Yes, you read the sign correctly. A gallon of 2% milk costs $6.39 a gallon!
Friendly Market is still a very small grocery store with too much stuff and not enough space. This causes two very diffent types of products to be placed next to one another...
Liquor on one side and kid's cereal on the next.
Perhaps because it's cheaper to have the kids eat cereal with Jack Daniels instead of milk.
And Molokai still isn't high tech. Most grocery stores have those fancy discount club cards that you scan in when buying groceries -- or even just type in your phone number at the register to get your discount.
Not on Molokai.
They still use these...
Gold Bond stamps! My sister still collects them in those little books and saves up for lots of wonderful prizes!
And at its heart, Molokai is about family. Dawn pulled out her uke and started to get the girls going...
Malia and Nalani were dancing away as a tuckered out Daddy watched from the floor...
And being a family place, everyone is accepted no matter who they are...
Even if my son Kekoa when he wants to wear a flower behind his ear like his sister Nalani!
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