I am!!
I recently returned from a visit to the Oregon coast and realized how nice it would be to be great at directions--Right, Left, East, West, North, South. I just plain struggle with it all!
If you’ve ever visited the islands you may have heard someone describe a location as being mauka or maybe makai.
Mauka means toward the mountains, so wherever you are in relation to the mountains, the direction you need to go is toward them. So, sometimes it may be east, sometimes west, or sometimes north or south. Confusing? Maybe at first, but soon you get used to it.
Makai means toward the ocean. Wherever you are, if you need to head makai, it’s toward the ocean! Simple, huh?
And to confuse things a bit more, Ewa is a city on the west side of the island and is sometimes used to indicate going west.
Of course, there has to be a directional term to indicate east, right? Diamond Head (the volcano crater you can see from Waikiki) is sometimes used as an indicator for east.
So, when in the islands, go mauka to experience the lush vegetation and go makai to get your toes wet!
See my stuffed Doggie?? He's donned some flip-flops and is ready for some beach time--headed Makai!
Enjoy your trip--whichever way you're headed!
Aloha, and Mahalo for visiting!
--Cheryl
The Hawaiian Island Detective Club
Book One—Pineapples in Peril
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Book Two—Menehunes Missing
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Book Three—Ukuleles Undercover
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cheryllinnmartin@yahoo.com
Cheryl, I've never heard of wide-spread (or island-spread) use of landmarks for directions, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. In fact, it helps folks like you (and me!) who are lost, literally, when it comes to knowing north, south, east, and west. I've often bemoaned the fact that I can't tell which way I'm going, unless the sun is going down or coming up :-) Great post!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Deb
Glad I'm not the only "Directionally Challenged" person out there. Thanks for your visit and comment, Deb! Aloha --Cheryl
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