Locals Were Hostile To Hippies

Kalalau

The Other Side Of The Island
Aug. 5, `73

I stayed at Kalalau for a couple days. When my serenity was broken by
a troop of hikers, I decided to leave. I had heard of another hiking
area on the island, but strangely enough, nobody that I had talked
with knew anything about it. While 99% of the hippies in Hawaii were
hanging out at Hanalei, I stuck out my thumb and headed over to the
other side of the island. Before I left, however, I was told that the
reason nobody went over to the other side of the island was because
they weren’t welcome. The locals were hostile to hippies. After
living in Hawaii’s ghetto for eight months, I figured I could deal
with the bad vibes.

It was remarkable; after being in “hippie heaven,” once I got a ride
passed Lihue, Kauai’s main city, there were no hippies at all. I did
experience some nasty glances from passing motorists, though. A beer
can was even hurled at me from one of the passing cars. From the top
of Waimea Canyon, the view was spectacular. The canyon looked like a
miniature Grand Canyon, but a Grand Canyon filled with jungle. I
immediately started hiking down the trail. The farther I got, the more
beautiful it became. At the bottom, I found a wonderland similar to
the one that I had experienced on the other side of the island, only
here I was definitely alone (or at least I thought so at the time).

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