The ants go marching one by one...

Hold on to your hats folks! You are about to be buried in a heaping pile of Darci style literature! Please bare with me, as I am slightly rusty in the writing department. I have an overwhelming amount of thoughts stored in this noggin of mine that will slowly come out chunk by chunk. Even if it's just pure babbling. So patience my friends! I am learning a great deal about blog-ing (it's a fabulous invention) and the inter-web world! I feel like my aspect of it completely changes when I am far away from home. I become extremely reliant on it...almost to the point of obsession! It's funny thinking that time isn't frozen back home, life is still in motion and constantly evolving! Like Ken Block and Darci Duncan's lives out here in paradise. With that said, I better fill you guys in. This is my version of the Hawaii "update."

With Ken off galavanting in the deep blue, I am holding down the fort...solo! He is cruising up the islands, and man, is he having a heaven of a time! Who wouldn't? The ropes and wind at your fingertips...pure bliss. Our last chat was short, but I was pleased to hear that they made it across the Alenuiha'ha channel - the water between maui and the big island. It has a dangerous rep, and I'm sure it was a rough ride over. I am thankful they are safe, sound and soaking up the sunshine! They will soon set sail to Molokai and eventually Lanai before he makes his way back to Kailua-Kona.  As for me, I'm content with my fingertips in the dirt. 

The Alenuiha'ha Channel lies between the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui. Maximum depth is 6,100 feet and spans 30 miles

In the peaceful hum of the morning after having my cup o' tea and light breakfast, I set out to the gardens to feed the 3 rabbits (Ginger, Basil and Lemongrass) and the chickens/ducks. Other morning duties include: putting cafe waste on the compost pile, watering, and harvesting needed produce for the cafe. (Oh, I forgot to mention getting pestered by mosquitos. It's a duty in itself. I must have savory blood because they will not stay away from me!) Crucial crops we rely on for the restaurant are bok choy, green onion, eggplant, lettuce, ginger, turmeric, lime leaf, lemongrass, chili pepper, and herbs like cilantro and basil.

A few unknown plants have recently caught my attention and made their way into my plant vocabulary. Galangal plant (above) is grown for the root, and being part of the ginger family it is favored for its medicinal properties. Mainly in aiding digestion. The part used resembles ginger root. The chef at the cafe uses it to flavor curries and soups. I had soup called 'Tom Yam' a few days ago that contained galangal root and it certainly left a piney, slightly peppery taste on my tongue. Delectable AND medicinal! You can't possibly go wrong! 

You may think "organic" farming is much simpler than conventional farming. But in fact, it's not. Having no desire to use poisonous chemicals to ward off pests and insects has its benefits, but it also requires more labor. The weeds grow faster than you can pull them! It's a lot harder work than you think. On the Lotus Farm, we are constantly jumping over natures little hurdles. The peppers grew a white powdery fungus, the tomatoes were invaded by aphids, and this strange looking green bug infested the eggplant (the photo on the left). I have recently learned that copper and sulfur are natural fungus fighters. We spray the leaves of the attacked plant about once a week. For the aphids, neem oil seems to do the trick. It somehow disturbs the aphids breeding cycle and prevents the bug from eating the plant.

The most abundant insects that I've noticed on the farm are ants! Their nests are all over the place, especially in dry areas. One morning were re-shaping the compost pile and there were swarms of ants in certain spots. These were not the nice friendly ants either. RED ANTS. I was bit a few times on the inside of my arm...ay mama! It feels sort of like a light bee sting but the pain doesn't last as long. At least they weren't centipedes. My co-WWOOFER was stung by a centipede right on the hip! Crawled right up his leg and into his underwear! It wasn't very pleasant. Howie always reminds us to "watch where you put your fingers." As an ant fighter, Howie uses boric acid and peroxide. Apparently they collect the acid infested food, take it back to the nest and that eventually kills it off.  Ants aren't always a problem though. They have a beneficial side too! They are decomposers so they help break down waste. One incredible fact about ants is they actually farm aphids and mushrooms for food. They raise the aphids for the nectar/plant juice from inside their bodies and they move fungus spores and bring them to the leaves in order to grow mushrooms. What intelligent creatures! Whew, what a lesson I had on ants! It's amazing that the smallest of organisms can be the most influential. That goes for people too. Reminds me of the inspiring story of David and Goliath.

Ginger is one of the farms most prized possessions. They use it in almost every dish on the menu, and for making fresh ginger lemonade. It is super potent and gives you that  kick-in-the-pants flavor. A pregnant woman came to the booth at the farmers market on saturday and said it has been helping with her morning sickness. Also a fabulous immunity booster, and digestive stimulant. As you can tell from the picture below, all of the ginger plants are in bags. It cannot be grown in the soil because of the lack of bacteria in it. So Howie uses 100% grinded coconut husk...and it works like a charm!

This past Saturday evening, we went up the mountain to set up our booth for the Holualoa Music and Light Festival. It poured on us as we set up, but we managed to dry out incessantly. The entire street was lined with vendors of all types. There were intriguing art galleries, live music, ethnic food, desserts, and most common of all: Kona Coffee. The vibes and aromas all screamed "Christmas!" causing me to feel slightly nostalgic for a white, snowy, sit-by-the-fire kind of winter. But interacting and mingling with people from all over the world gave me a boost of Hawaiian Christmas cheer! Not to mention I ate my weight in our freshly made raw chocolate almond pie. This will certainly be a tropical, out of the ordinary holiday that will stick in my memory for years to come! Hau’oli Lanui to all!


-Darci Duncan

Le'ale'a

Here we are! Three weeks into our stay on Hawaii, sittin' pretty.  Feet up, beer in hand, sun tan, with  thumb and pinky protruding from an otherwise closed fist that so accurately portrays this island's "hang loose" mentality.

We arrived on the island November 3rd. A day later than expected due to an untimely delay that left us in Honolulu, Hi well after the last plane for Kona had flown.  A bit of persistence got us a complementary room for the night.  After a long day of travel, still more to come, we crammed our faces with the best fast food i've ever had. We slept the remaining 4 hours of our "night" before we boarded the final flight to Kona.

Our first stop was The Lotus Cafe where we would meet the owners of  the first farm we chose to work on.  After Meeting Howie and Ladda at their restaurant, we were treated to some of their all organic, GMO free, locally grown Thai and Indian cuisine.   I have never had such easy access to so much amazing and multicultural food.  With the cafe being our main source of food, we have had unlimited access to the full menu that consists of over thirty different full sized entrees - each unique and delicious.  The cafe also offers a full line of homemade Gelato and Juice.  Suffice it to say we have not gone hungry.

The farm exists to supply the cafe with every need in the produce department.  It is a medium sized operation strategically placed in and around the

jungle like terrain of the Western slopes of "The 

Big Island".   Every day we are up with the sun, and most days are finished by one o'clock.  By mid day the penetrating heat of the tropical sun leaves you with no choice but to retreat to the cool blue pacific waters surrounding this giant volcanic land mass.

The farm/ cafe participates in three weekly farmers markets around Kona and Captain Cook.  Darci and I have found the markets to be an abundant source of social interaction.  Every week they are overflowing with characters from all walks of life.   Each one with something new and interesting to offer to the scene.

With the afternoons and weekends open, we have found ourselves with more free time than we know what to do with.  I found a few old bikes on the farm that were in need of some repair.  with a little WD40 and some duckt tape the bikes were on the road again after what looked over a decade of storage.  The bikes have been a great for getting around an we have put a good number of miles on them over the last few weeks.

We have, a little more recently, discovered the power of the thumb on this island.  It has been the same for most of the islands I have been to.  For whatever reason, I have found, a ride is always easier to come by on an island vs. the mainland.

We have rode/ hitched our way along most of the west side of Hawaii at this point.  Coming across breath taking views of ancient cliffsides, and colorful reefs abundant with marine life.  

 Hiking the Captain Cook Monument Trail was a highly recommended experience by which we were not disappointed.  The Three mile hike led us through tall (10') grassy planes, desolate fields of lava rock, and densely wooded underbrush that opened up to an oasis of white sand and palm trees.  complemented by 500' cliffs in the background.    The seemingly endless coastline of underwater lava tubes  covered in coral and brightly colored fish had me forgetting to come up to breathe.                                                                                                                                                                     With new sites being recommended to us every day, we are finding ourselves hard pressed to even scratch the surface of this tropical paradise.

         

Since arriving and settling on the farm I have managed to find my way onto a sailboat called Ariel that will be cruising up the Hawaiian islands over a two to three week period.   She is a 57' sloop, well built fiberglass hull.  I am getting on the boat at the northern most marina on the big island in preparation to cross the channel to Maui, and continue up the island chain.  It is only a short trip, and I will be back on land working on the farm with Darci in a matter of a few weeks.

At this point, we continue to be mystified by every sight and sound that comes our way.  Whether it be snorkeling, diving, hiking, sailing or farming, we are constantly experiencing new things, and meeting new people that will leave a lasting effect on our lives.  Hawaii is a timeless place that will never be forgotten by anyone who visits.

Next stop Hawaii

Here we are, with the third chapter, and second year of the Sloop Layla saga!  A lot has happened since I gave Costco (my last "real" job) the ol heav-ho, and set sail for the San Juan Islands in my 25' sloop, Layla.  We'll start with a quick recap for those of you that are just now joining us.

In the summer of 2009 I, Ken Block, purchased a sailboat on somewhat of a whim.  Knowing nothing about sailing but eager to learn, myself and my "first mate"/ designer and coauthor of slooplayla, Evan P Wolf. We began learning through the saturation method the ways of the water, boat life - oh - and how to sail.  We spent the winter refitting the boat top to bottom and outfitting it with everything we could ever want for a fun filled summer of cruising the islands.  Which is exactly what we did.  After saying adios to the day to day grind of work, bills, appointments, obligations, and of corse our dearest friends and family, we raised sail with no planned course.  We spent the next few months exploring and adventuring to our hearts content, making Layla our home and every island our playground.

Our return to the mainland left me with an appetite for cruising that was only wetted by the previous months.  With the weather waning my sites moved to a warmer climate.   A little searching led me to a boat in New Jersey headed for the Caribbean in need of a cook.  With little experience, but a good attitude the captain gave me the "ok", and in a matter of a few days, I was on a plane to New Jersey.       I spent the next eight months in the hot Caribbean sun on the 115' super yacht, Snow Goose.  I cooked the first four months and deck handed the next four months to help the owner build a house on the island of St Barthelemy.



I returned home in June, excited to be back and see everyone,  but with the continuing urge to ramble I set my sights on Hawaii, this time with company!  This is as perfect a time as ever to introduce the beautiful, and talented Darci Duncan, best friend and girlfriend of 4 years.

With her passion for travel and farming combined with my love for the ocean made Hawaii an obvious choice.   Darci managed to locate a farm that was willing to feed and house us.  With no more incentive needed we purchased two one way tickets for the big island, Hawaii and waited for November.

With what little spare time and money I had, I decided to get my Divemasters certification in diving, with the hope to be able to find work on a dive boat once on the islands.   Over 60 dives, 4 text books, and only two days to spare I finished the course, we said our goodbyes and boarded the plane for Hawaii.

Thank you all so much for your support in the past and I hope you continue reading as this next adventure unfolds!

Cheers,

Ken and Darci

Meanwhile, back at home...

...it was a whirlwind March, and with the bit of good weather that heralds Spring the ever radiant sloop Layla now finds herself back on the water!

A new coat of bottom paint and a good tidying all around has Layla ship shape and ready for the season, and the crew is thrilled for a bit of sailing. Keep a keen eye on Bellingham Bay these sunny days, and you may notice her cruising along.

And with that, we all continue to patiently await the return of Captain Ken and the glorious Summer of San Juan hopping that is sure to follow.

Cheers! ~e.w.

Birthdays on a boat

It has been an eventful two weeks since my last post.  Enough time to work up a new portfolio of pictures and the stories that fallow.  Some of them i'm sure you have seen and heard already but I will share them none the less for those of you who are not as caught up on my day to day.
The first event to mention would be Wayne's birthday on the 18th.  It was his 25th I believe.  Celebrations can at times be a bit subdued when confined to a boat, but we managed to entertain ourselves quite well with a few beers, a tight rope, and a deck of cards.

I won the house of cards competition.

We ended the night with a pizza and a game oh hide and go seek.  Now that I think about it that night resembled my 8th birthday quite closely.
The fallowing night we were surprised by a spontaneous eruption of fireworks just south of our anchorage.  I was told the island hosts random firework shows about once a month during the busy season.  It was an impressive spectacle for such an occasion as the 19th of January.

  
Shortly after Waynes's birthday we welomed a new guest to the boat.  The owner's daughter took a week away from the frigid New York weather to visit her dad and the Caribbean sun.  With a guest on board my work load doubles.  I do however enjoy the oppertunity to make a few deserts I haven't tried before and kick up my cooking to a three course gourmet status.
Last Sunday Wayne and I celebrated both our guest's exit and our renewed freedom with a dive.  It took us a while to decide on a location but after some deliberation we settled on a wreck we had heard about from some locals on the island.  It was said to be a 200ft motorboat by the name of Nonstop.  It sank less than a mile from Gustavia Harbor during hurricane Hugo in 1989.  The exact whereabouts of this sunken vessel was unknown to us but we decided we would splash near a white mooring ball set for dive boats and search from there.  We swam some distance exploring the colorful coral and synchronized schools of fish in the area.   Caught up in wonder at the brilliant underwater spectacle before me, I had completely lost sight of our initial goal of finding the wreck.  I found myself exploring with no objective but to see what was just out of sight.  As were the circumstances, I can not take credit for finding Nonstop, more like she found us.   Intently fallowing a Manta Rey gracefully gliding along the sea bed, I nearly ran into the massive inverted hull of the ship.      

We even crossed paths with a medium sized reef shark resting under a bit of the wreckage!











In all the wreck was an impressive sight, and a reminder of how formidable the ocean can be at time.  The experience was a major highlight of my extended visit to this tropical paradise.

It is now the 26th of January, my birthday!  The last two months have seamed to fly by. As far as birthday plans go, I don't have many.  This last dive was a bit of a conjoined celebration dive for mine and Wayne's birthday.  We have hopes to go on a shark dive with a group on our next visit to St Marten.
As of 10:30am Caribbean time, 6:30am Pacific time,  I have received an overwhelming amount of "happy birthday" wishes.  Thank you all so much for making this day great!
Hope you all enjoyed this one!

Cheers

KB


I'm trying to get the picture of the manta Rey up but it is being quite difficult.  Check back in  a day or two and it should be up.    

I apologize for the wait on this post.  Over the last few weeks the internet connection has proven to be quite unreliable to say the least.  To the point that I have been forced unwillingly into what I consider internet rehab.  With my phone comfortably resting on the sea bed, for reasons I will not discuss, and no internet  signal to be found,  the social withdrawals from the world have been great.   What I am trying to say is the blog is not the only one suffering as a result.
In all honesty, the internet man could not have picked a better week to take off.  The holidays were quite busy for me with guests coming and going, and taking part in the holiday festivities.  St Barts was a swarming hub of super yachts and curse lines.  Some of the most beautiful and extravagant boats make there way from all over the world to this small island for Christmas.

The boat I was most excited to see was the leader of the fleet by far.  A boat I had read about and fallowed for years,  The Maltese Falcon.   At 281ft this $130 million dollar marvel holds the title as the largest sailboat in the world.

I have a link to the boat's web page and bio in the links section of the blog.  It is defiantly worth looking at.

    With the departure of our guest came a little free time for me and a chance to get off the boat. Sunday was our day off and the wrest of the crew were just as anxious to get off the boat as I was.  We discussed our mutual feelings and set our sights on one of the rock islands protruding  from the ocean surface about half a mile from the boat.  We filled a nap sack with all the essential for a day on a rock, beer, snorkel, and camera.

 

After scaling the rock walls to get to the top the only thing left to do was explore the bottom portion of the island.

During our exploration of the submerged half of the island we happened a cross a small reef shark!  Or should I say it happened upon us.  Being my first time swimming with a shark I was too excited to even think about taking a picture until it swam away.

Well I think that about catches you up with the latest and greatest that's happening in my life.  The remainder of this month should be quite enjoyable. Two birthdays on the boat including my own!  And we're not expecting another guest till the beginning of February.
Hope you all enjoyed the pictures!
A belated happy holidays to everyone back home!

KB