Ep 210 - Hawai'i: Mana, Lava, Aloha

The islands of Hawai’i have captured the imagination of travelers for centuries, and Ernest gets to experience just a tiny bit of the spirit of aloha as he starts off on O’ahu and takes a hula lesson with Kumu Hula (hula master) Nalani Keale and his young pupils.

After that initial workout, he joins his friend Dylan Ching, beach boy and manager of Duke’s Waikiki, for a hearty lunch and conversation about the surfing history and culture on world-famous Waikiki Beach. Then, Ernest gets his second workout of the day when he and Dylan head out on an outrigger canoe for a bit of wave riding off Waikiki.

A short plane ride away, the Island of Hawai’i dominates the archipelago and remains one of the few places on Earth that is still growing! Ernest does a little volunteer work at the Halolono Fish Farm in Hilo with educator Luka Mossman, before exploring the culinary diversity of Hawai’i with Tracey Apoliona and Chef Bright of The Feeding Leaf Kitchen & Okazuka in Kona. Back on the eastern side of the island, Ernest joins educator Kapuaokalani Ka’au’a for a powerful walk in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, learning the story of how ancient Polynesian deity Pele settled in Hawai’i and experiencing the potency of the mana flowing through the islands.