No Love in Hawaii!

Now Monday, day after the 'party' last night. It was in aid of Sam's Birthday who is Suzies nearest neighbour, he's from the south he did tell me where but I've forgotten but he had a real southern drawl and couldn't understand me when he asked me my name and told him Simon, he heard Thomas!! and I had to repeat it several times before someone else told him what I said. He lives alone because his wife has recently left him. He has a lovely big house grows all sorts of stuff and breeds Samoyeds. I also met the other neighbours, Dave and Camille who live in Yurts and grow Cacaoa amongst other things and have 3 wwoofers staying with them, all young american kids. Dave was pretty laid back but Camille was a complete over the top nightmare, so affected and talked like a crazy person. John another neighbour showed up later he is really into this thing called IMO which is some sort of natural enzyme that is supposed to be fantastic for plants, Suzy has adopted the idea and we are in the process of making some ourselves. There were a few Hawaiins there as well but I didn't really talk to them. It was very low key, food wasn't great and I wasn't offered a drink and I was ready to leave after about 3 hours and as it's a treachorous road back to Suzies place and there's no lighting we left early. I'd decided to go for a walk Sunday morning and Suzie suggested a couple of places to see. So I set off into Papaikou which is a 2 shop town where she said there was a nice beach nearby. Suzie said Papaikou was about a mile down the road it turned out to be 2, good bakers there which was great as Suzie doesn't eat Bread so I treated myself to a cinammon doughnut and iced coffee and set off for the beach. I walked down a small resedential road and towards the end saw 2 Hawaiian guys and a little girl the guys were carrying spear fishing gear so I asked them if I was going in the right direction for the beach. The reply came that the beach wasn't a public beach and the tone was very unfriendly. I explained that I had been told that it was and then got some garbage about how it was a secret local spot, the guy saw that I had a camera on me and said he didn't want the place publicised and any pictures being put in a magazine. I told him I was a tourist from the UK and had travelled a long way and wasn't a professional photographer. I decided that if he was going to get aggressive then so be it but I was going to see the beach. He and his friend walked a bit further on and I slowed down to create a gap between us he then turned around and said it was OK for me to come and take pictures but that I wasn't to tell anybody about the place. After all that build up I was expecting something glorious. It turned out to be the most crappy black stone bay I had ever seen, it was backed by a falling down sugar cane plant and at one end was a graffitti covered wall. Who he thought I was going to tell about that place God only knows! I then continued my walk down through tropical forest that was quite impressive with a river flowing through and small waterfalls but was ruined by areas where people had dumped rubbish. I was told by Suzie that at the bottom of the road there was a viewpoint which led onto a track that followed the coast, which edged the Botanical gardens. I traipsed all the way down to a really rubbish view and then was stopped by a bloke who said thhat I couldn't take the path because it was part of the Botanical gardens and I would have to pay to get in at the main entrance which was way back on the main Highway! Very disappointed and underwhelmed I retraced my footsteps and decided to retun to Suzies. To cap it off as I was walking up Puumoi road where Suzie lives her neighbour who has horses saw me coming and went into her property with her 2 dogs and shut the gate to let me pass, I suspected that her dogs weren't friendly. As I passed I said Hi and continued walking as I was nearly at Suzies I heard a low rumbling then a screaming voice, I turned to see the 2 dogs tearing towards me with not too friendly an attitude, the neighbour was screaming at them to return but they weren't taking a blind bit of notice. I decided to not look at them but just turn my back on them and hope they didn't attack. Luckily it was all bluff and as soon as they reached me they turned tale and ran back. But all in all, the morning sure wasn't the friendly welcome I was expecting from Hawaii.