Kalaupapa

This trip to Maui I wanted to do something different and since I'd just finished reading the novel 'Molokai' about the old leper colony on the nearby island we made plans to fly over and ride mules down to the settlement. The flight was only 25 minutes on this SMALL plane.

Seriously small! This is my view of the pilot. It was just like sitting in the back seat of a car. I could have reached out and touched the pilot.

I think it was an 8 passenger plane! Here is a shot looking back from my seat.

From 1865 until the 1940's when sulfa drugs were invented, people with leprosy in the Hawaiian Islands were sent to this isolated peninsula to live. Children were checked at school and if they had leprosy they were taken from their families and raised in orphanages here at Kalaupapa. All the patients arrived by boat from other islands. The huge cliffs up to the rest of the island made this a virtual prison. About 17 elderly, former 'patients' continue to live here because although they are free to leave, this island area is home.

We rode mules down the 3 1/8 mile trail that has 26 switchbacks and a 1664 ft elevation change. The mule skinners said that they matched us with our mules based on looks, personality and karma! I'm not sure about 'in looks' but my mule EB and I both like being first in the line. She only has two speeds, slow and slower but she managed to always be in the lead! Since the trail was rocky and steep, I was happy for her to take her time. We were told to sit back and hold on and that is what I did. No need to steer, the mules knew where to go. Do you see any resemblance between EB and me?Here is a sample of the rocky trail! It was pretty difficult to take a picture while holding on for dear life!

In some places there are stairs but they are rocky and uneven. George is on the 2nd mule. EB and I were way in the lead, naturally. Although at this particular moment she was stopped having a rest break.

The cliffs in the background are what we rode down. You can just barely see the trail if you look carefully.

The peninsula is stunningly beautiful. This is the area where the patients were brought ashore.

There is an LDS church in the colony. The last LDS 'former patient' died only a few weeks before our visit. Most of the 'former patients' are in they 80's.

The graves that you can see are for priests and nuns who made taking care of the lepers their life mission. The area behind the stone fence is a grave yard for patients. Most of them were too poor to purchase a gravestone.
This is Father Damien's grave. He is the priest from Belgium that made such a difference here. The quality of life improved dramatically under his leadership. He eventually died of leprosy and was buried here until his remains were sent back to Belgium. The vatican is in the process of making him a Saint. I think he deserves the designation.
Such a unique experience from start to finish!