Halawa Valley
OM-2S, Sigma 21-35, Fuji Velvia
Halawa valley is at the easternmost end of Moloka'i. At the Ho'olehua airport a home-made sign greeting new arrivals to the island declares Molokai "the most Hawaiian" of the islands, referring perhaps both to the percentage of persons of Hawaiian ancestry that make up the population as well as the measured pace of life there. Halawa valley was once a bustling center of native Hawaiian civilization, as were the nearly inaccessible valleys along the northern coast. Most of the population on Molokai now resides along the south shore and central plains of the island.
Moloka'i is a very spiritual, even sacred, island in the Hawaiian religious tradition. The mythic birthplace of hula is Mauna Loa, on the west of the island. As with all that is sacred, Moloka'i does not always yield her beauty superficially. Perhaps the most beautiful views of the island are from the peninsula of Kalaupapa, a natural prison for lepers made holy by the ministry of Father Damian.
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