Big Island Brah Hippy Trail

August 13, 2008 I met my Christopher McCandless. No he wasn't on his way to Alaska to die in a bus, but on his way to Santa Cruz to sell the flutes he made out of the high mountain forests on the Big Island of Hawaii (Ha-Why-eee)....yeaaaaa.

So there he is in my living room with a huge smile on his face. Never met the guy before but after backpacking 6 months in Europe, I know that comforting feeling that washes over you when a helping hand is extended your way. Let me back up and start the story before I just confuse you with bullet point sentences.

I had just got home from playing with the out-of-control black dogs. This is what they really look like when they play ball... Tales at light-speed, slobber and happiness spewing off their faces...

Anyway, so this 4Runner pulls over in front of my house about 7 o'clock last night. I'm curious because there's two frat boy looking d-bags that get out and one hippy that looks like he fell out of a tree in Berkely. The Betas took off in their truck hardly saying bye to this guy and me being me, I had to catch what this traveler was riding.

"Hey man, you walkin' somewhere?", I says.

"Yea man, headed to Santa Cruz. I'm from the Big Island," haole says.

"Of course your are."

So I invite the wayward traveler inside to get comfy and get this kid's amazing story of peace, cheer, medicine, women with exotic names and flutes. I guess I was in awe of this guy and had so many questions for him about how the fuck he got from weird-ass Florida - regular kid, well-to-do family with beach house - to living 'Maulka' on the Big Island.

Maulka means 'mountain' in Hawaiian. It is one of the key words he mentioned that would help me get around in Hawaii. The other key words are Kona meaning 'dry side', and Makai meaning 'ocean'. For example, "Dude came maulka on his way makai and left for the mainland from kona."

Johnathan Wolf, kept saying he came from a community in the mountains. I asked him to elaborate and the hippy hawaiianly said that it is a peaceful group that lives simply in the mountains on the big island. He only left the community for the mainland to sell his flutes in yoga centers along the pacific coast and expand himself...

check out the stone necklace and 'SPACE' shirt. Hemp belt and black Kung Fu pants were just the icing on the cake for this guy's gear.

Santa Cruz is actually just a stop on his journey so that he can get a little flower out there that he met on the Big Island and invited to the community. Speaking of 'pua-nani'... that is the Hawaiian name for flower, triangle, fresh water spring, or vagina, or small child - go figure. ... these were two ordinary flowers he was meeting in Santa Cruz. When he called them, he says, "Hi there Firefly? What are you and Lulu up to?"

In some weird alternate space/time continuum, I wanted to relate to this guy and see just what's out there in that jungle he lives in - Like Ray Kinsella wanting to go into his corn field and see what Shoeless Joe was keeping from him out there.

Mr. Wolf has been studying yoga maulka in Hawaii for the last 5 years and practicing yoga for the last 10. Just recenlty he got into Capoeira and had plans to meet a Mestre, Capoeira master, in Seattle in about a month. So he's got this staff looking instrument and a gord that somehow makes adds to the staff used in Capoeira circles. I thought it was a walking staff, what the hell do I know about cool shit though.

So many stories later and I found out he's been in this community for quite some time - no shit hippy. He respectively took his sandals off before entering my domicile and was very thankful for my assistance on his adventure to the mainland to find Capoeira gurus and a couple minxs that go by Firefly and Lulu who are part of the community.

The man was SOL on transportation from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz, apparently there is none? Go figure for the sheeshy town. So out of the continuing good graces of my lack of other things to do, I gave him a ride to dt San Jo to catch the 17 Express to his pua-nani. Along the way he played me a song on one of his flutes that really set the comfy mood of the ride and brought laughter and smiles to my insides. I will most likely never forget this soul who abandoned civilization to live without phone, television or refrigeration in the mountainous areas of the Big Island of Hawaii. This picture ending my time with my personal Alexander Supertramp. Best luck on your journey Johnathan Wolf.