Hawaii – paradise lost?

Everyone can agree that Hawaii is perfect direction for holiday. Crystal- clear water, beautiful beaches, waterfalls, cliffs, canyons, lush vegetation, outgoing people, all of these capture the imagination. The prospect of living in paradise Islands seems like a dream come true, but is it really a good idea?

 

Cottage with the views of …

What is the average cost of renting a studio, well… in O’ahu you must be prepared for average expenses reaching from 700 $ to  $ 1200 $ a month or more depending on the location and standard. The cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment starts at $ 1000 and  unfortunately, it’s not the end of the expenses.

You must add electricity and water bills which amount to about  300 $ a month. A large part of these fees are electricity bills since the electricity in Hawaii is based mainly on the oil. It is estimated that the kilowatt of the electricity in Hawaii is three times more expensive than in other states.

Skyrocketing housing prices are caused by the large demand, is there anybody who doesn’t want to live here? The situation is aggravated by a small amount of land for building because a large part of the island is covered with mountains or nature reserves. Not everyone has a possibility to buy a house or apartment in Hawaii. However, there are also some who want to live in Hawaii so much that they’re able to endure any inconveniences.

So would you consider buying the house situated on the barren land, on the area endangered with volcanic lava, without water and electricity supplied?

Cost of living

Foods is about 30 % more expensive than in the rest of the USA. You would think that the main reason for high prices are transport costs of goods to the islands. But in reality this factor has minimal impact on the price of the goods. The main reason is the need for large quantities of food storage, any problems with the continuity of supply, and therefore the final price is due to the high cost of living magazines and cold

Tents on the beach

Life in Hawaii isn’t cheap. Some people can’t afford even to rent a flat. It’s true that the biggest social problem in so called Aloha State is homelessness. Did you know that Hawaii is the largest percentage of homeless compared to other states? On the beaches you can meet whole families living in tents or in their cars. It is estimated that in the year 2016 for every 100000 residents of Hawaii, there were 487 homeless people (according to the Los Angeles Times). In fact, it’s the biggest rate in whole USA.

 

Traffic

Congestion and a large amount of cars result in huge traffic, particularly in O’ahu. Despite all appearances, Hawaii doesn’t have so many roads. This is due to protecting the landscape and the topography, mountains are a large part of the islands.

Believe me, travelling during peak hours can be really unpleasant experience.

Looking for car parts, come to Hawaii..

What’s more on cars topic, I’m really confused by the Hawaiian policy regarding littering. Throwing paper on the street would cost even 500$ while on the other hand, a popular view on Hawaiian roads are abandoned cars.

These cars are in fact the entire periodic table in one place! What’s more, they can be found in popular tourist places like: the roadsides, abandoned in the woods, somewhere on the cliffs, and even the famous, spectacular Road to Hana.

Abandoned cars are marked with the letters AV (abandoned vehicle), what is the clue for police to scrap them. Unfortunately before a car goes to the scrap yard, it takes years….

According to Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, annual quantity of abandoned vehicles ranging from 350 to 450. Of course, in a large part, these are the cars abandoned by locals but tourists also are not blameless. Some tourist in order to save some money  buy old cars, instead of rent ones, and abandon them before leaving.

To sum it all up, I can say that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but while looking out the window, I wouldn’t mind just for a moment to be there 😉