Hawaii has long ranked near the bottom on our list of places to see. But, when longtime Texas friends, ten of them, invited us to join them for a week’s stay on the Big Island, how could we refuse? We are grateful for the invitation and for the adventure itself.
The wife of the couple who initiated this trip celebrated her retirement. Another couple, who had spent the early months of their marriage in Hawaii while he was stationed there in the armed services, commemorated their golden wedding anniversary. And all of us viewed this journey as a time to celebrate life itself. What a motley crew we made as we kept dinner reservations for 12 each evening.
Color - brilliant, unrelenting, almost phosphorescent - was my first and will be forever my lasting impression of this island paradise created by centuries of volcanic activity.
Blue - as we approached for landing, I saw the blue. I’ve long heard of Blue Hawaii - Elvis made the term popular with his song. But Hawaiian Blue of sky and sea belongs exclusively to this people surrounded by the blue, blue Pacific Ocean which constantly tops off its richness with white caps beating against the shoreline. The water is constant in its clear, deep blue - not royal nor sky nor ultramarine - but uniquely Hawaiian Blue, unrelenting, almost phosphorescent. At times, the visitor cannot determine the horizon because here the pale sky blue, which we recognize elsewhere, reflects this most distinctive color of the sea. Against this blue backdrop, all other colors add to the spectrum that is Hawaii.
Gold - The first night we arrived, we witnessed the most spectacular golden sunset from our table in the dining room. Again, the Hawaiian royal colors of gold and red not only lit up the sky, but overflowed onto all of the surrounding blue water. Almost every evening at home, I witness equally glowing sundowns. However, in Hawaii, I felt as if I could reach out and actually touch the sinking sun. With each one, the words of an old TV ad echoed in my mind. Remember the child watching the sunset with her grandfather and as the sky grows ever darker, she reverently whispers, “Do it again.”
Black - Of course, an island composed of lava rock makes black a stark contrast to all other colors. Where the lava flows occurred within the past two hundred years, the ground is harsh, rocky, rough, black and barren of all vegetation. However, where the flows occurred thousands of years ago, the ground takes on a reddish brown hue and heavy vegetation almost hides all signs of any eruption.
Green - In the rainforests, on the ranch lands, verdant greens cover the landscape with the same ferocity of kudzu. It boggles the mind that once barren lava land can eventually support such heavy growth. And with the green, green trees also comes an abundance of tropical flowers, each spectacular in its own color and size. When I saw orchids, especially those purple ones the size of giant grapefruits, my memory immediately transported me back to my prom nights when receiving one was such a status symbol.
Equally incongruous to me was the fact that the entire ground floor of our hotel had no exterior walls whatsoever. If a major storm comes, hotel personnel must cover the computers; otherwise everyone enjoys the outdoors inside. Anywhere we sat, we could always feel the cool ocean breeze. Although small birds often flew into the dining room seeking crumbs and a mongoose ran through the lobby, insects like mosquitos and gnats are nonexistent. Even with all the surrounding water and frequent rains, there is no oppressive humidity to slow us down.
My greatest disappointment came in seeking souvenirs for family members. Very few items are still made in Hawaii. Most bear the labels of China, Thailand or the Philippines. When I asked about places to find authentic Hawaiian crafts, I was directed to formal galleries displaying original art by resident artists. One craftsman in the Alli’i Gardens, where local merchants operate daily out of side by side booths resembling arts and crafts fairs, told me that she could not afford to pay locals to string beads. She had to rely on cheaper labor elsewhere.
On our 12-hour bus ride around the lone road circling the Big Island, we saw the monkeypod tree that Mark Twain supposedly planted in 1866. This American author, before he was famous, came on a one-month’s assignment as a journalist from The Sacramento Union to report stories about the Sandwich Islands as they were once called. He stayed for half a year. Our bus driver credited this usually cynical writer with the quote: “The eyes see many things; the heart hold but a few. Pursue those.”
In Hawaii, our eyes were satiated daily with so much beauty, but our hearts were renewed once again by the long lasting friendships which had led us here. We are so glad that we said yes to the trip that we had never planned to make; even more, we appreciate the thoughtfulness of friends who still hold us in their hearts.
Aloha.
2005
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