I went to Hawaii with some old friends, John and Marla Polos. Hawaii is calm and detached, and it reflects in the native Hawaiians who seem so nice yet so far away. They call white people, "Haolis", but I can't tell if the term is pejorative.

John's son, Andy, also came with us but he camped out with friends on the Na-Pali coast trail. The temperature where we stayed was beautiful, but when I went with John to pick up Andy and his friends to change camp sites, the volatile Hawaiian weather had left them in drenching rain for three days, (but they told us it was "warm" rain). The three friends were supposed to stay two days at the new campsite we had shuttled them to but they showed up that night at the condo.

"Andy stepped on a sea urchin!" exclaimed Brandon, Andy's friend.

"I need everyone to pee in a bucket," I was surprised to hear Andy tell his friends. "You know what that native said."

It seems a local who witnessed Andy's plight had suggested Andy soak his foot in urine to "heal" the sea urchin's puncture. Neither of Andy's friends seemed too enthusiastic about the plan.

"I don't gotta go," said Nick. "I just went."

Brandon lamely nodded his head, "Me too."

"I mean it guys, this hurts!" exclaimed Andy.

The three friends then each drank seven wine coolers in about twenty minutes. Soon after Nick slurred, "I haven't had this thing out in a long time. I wouldn't use it for just anybody."

They were able to fill a pan about halfway up, into which Andy plunged his foot. "It's warm," he said.

Andy's dad, John, came into the bathroom to see what all the commotion was about. "What's going on in here?" he asked.

Andy started to explain but when he got to the part about why his foot was immersed in a pan of warm piss, his dad said, "I think I've heard about enough," and took Andy to the hospital.

Andy was treated in the emergency room where he explained his "treatment" to the native Hawaiian doctor who attended him. After finishing his story, Andy asked the doctor, "Would it have worked?"

The doctor eyed Andy coolly. "Look around you son, you're in a hospital."

"I know. I know," responded Andy, "but if I'd waited - would it have worked?"

The doctor didn't answer Andy's question, but he answered mine when, as he walked away I heard him mumble under his breath, "Haoli."

Funny. While a group of us were learning to surf there, a friend of ours fell onto some coral...equally nasty. We were told the same thing, due to the amount of acidic acid in one's pee, and it effectively would kill the coral. It seemed to work, but fortunately we never had anyone step on an urchin or go to the hospital.

I heard about the urine treatment when I had a job as a pearl diver for the Sheikh of the United Arab Emirates. That was back in late 70's. Those old local divers knew of this treatment from long ago, before they had any modern medicine. They're even illiterate.

I didn't know about the acetic acid. When the urchin needles poked my knees I just let it go through its course, swelling, redness, etc.. I was fine after three days. No peepee on my knees

A bottle of vinegar will do the same thing...or photo Or ofystop bath (in case you're near a black and white photo lab).

Or if you run out of stop bath in your home lab, then vinegar will do the trick. I suggest not peeing on your prints. Unless you're going for Sepia toned...(there's room for word play on that).

(man, is this veering off topic now or what? See what you started Martin!?!)