House of the Rising Sun
The clouds were beneath us. Above our heads, stars were scattered like the grains of an overturned salt shaker. The white dome of an observatory stood above the twinkling lights of a faraway city. We sat atop a volcano named Haleakala, the “House of the Sun.” And there, just beneath the horizon, the sun was beginning to arrive.
Featured photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6op4roTyWY74Pzom6
December 29th- Hawaii Day 3
The sunrise was a chilly one. My feet grew numb in my hiking shoes, despite our layered clothes and borrowed Airbnb blankets. We did our best to tough out the cold; we knew it would be a sunrise we didn’t want to miss. At 10,000 feet, Haleakala sat well above the line of pillowy clouds. Across the landscape, the nearby volcanoes resembled boulders resting in a white river. When the sun burst through the clouds, the white observatory was painted pink. The volcanic rocks littering the ground glowed with the memory of an ancient eruption. Looking around, we shivered a bit and marveled at the scenery. A Haleakala sunrise is beyond description. You simply have to be there for yourself.
Our descent from the volcano was equally remarkable. The moon hung like a pearl necklace in the brilliant sky. The clouds were level with the road. Without guardrails, it felt as though we could burst from the road and right onto the thick, bumpy clouds. It’s one thing to ride in an airplane at 10,000 feet. It’s another thing to drive it. We pulled over several times just so I could get some photos. I couldn’t help myself! To stand on your own feet above the clouds feels almost like you’re in heaven. I was particularly enamored by a rock wall that crept like a caterpillar down the mountainside. This, I read, was the remains of an 1800s ranching enterprise that grazed cattle on the volcano. I immediately became envious of the historic ranchers. Any sunrise is a good sunrise, but imagine being horseback on a volcano, experiencing countless mornings above the clouds while cattle peacefully graze around you. Now that would be incredible!
My poor husband had fallen victim to an airplane cold, so we spent most of the day with easy sightseeing and plenty of Tylenol. At this point, we had begun to notice two very striking details about the island of Maui. The first was obvious every time we drove anywhere. Maui is very serious about its speedbumps. They are present on every street and meticulously labeled. In Maui, you can expect to experience speed bumps, speed cushions, speed tables, speed tables, and raised crosswalks- sometimes on the same street. They are all different but bump the same. It’s part of the Hawaiian experience!
The Hawaiian experience would also be devoid without its countless chickens. When I watched Disney’s Moana for the first time, I thought the chicken sidekick was a cute add-on. Turns out that chickens are an innate part of the tropical landscape. I had no idea that there are so many chickens in Hawaii! The small, colorful birds are everywhere. They peck for bugs on the roadsides. They strut through every yard. They hide their chicks under buildings and wander down sidewalks. Hawaii is a chicken paradise!
Weaving between flocks of chickens on the sidewalks, we found ourselves at a small artisan’s market. Camera dangling around my neck, I was drawn to the photography display immediately. The photographer was a woman with wispy hair that danced in the wind. Her smile was as warm as the Hawaiian sun. All of her photography was very good, but I found myself drifting towards a turtle snapshot. The cute turtle was nearly smiling as it paddled through vibrant water towards the viewer. The camera lens, which must have been half-submerged in the ocean, captured a leaning palm tree on the faraway beach, filling the sky above the swimming turtle. The photographer said she often went snorkeling to achieve her photos. This, I felt, was very impressive. When I go swimming, I focus on not drowning. When this woman goes swimming, she focuses on getting good photos. Out of sheer respect, I bought the turtle photo. In return, she gave us a local’s advice for where to see turtles sunbathing on the beach. Not one to doubt a woman who swims with a camera around her neck, we promptly got in the car and went to the beach!
As we drove over countless speedbumps and through the small streets, I accidentally locked eyes with a man walking down the sidewalk. Then I locked eyes with the two police officers walking with him. I stared, then like a weird tourist, raised my phone and took a picture. I’m not sure why I did it, to be honest. Something was fascinating about the notion of someone getting arrested in Hawaii. Once again, I found my preconceived notion about Hawaii as a tropical paradise being challenged. Hawaii may be tropical, but it’s not a paradise. It’s simply a home, where life continues on every single day. Just like my little Ohio hometown, people get arrested sometimes. The arrested man’s face looks incredulous in my snapshot. Surely he was thinking, “Seriously???”
Thanks to the local’s advice, we were able to locate the seabathing turtles. We stood on a windy balcony for quite a while, cheering on the brave turtles as they attempted to ride the waves to shore. The turquoise waves were still quite high from the storm a few days higher, and they posed quite the challenge to the poor turtles. I wished I could just go pull them in! I restrained myself and cheered instead. The sleepy turtles on the beach paid us no mind. They were undoubtedly exhausted from fighting the ocean’s attempts to keep them from shore.
Despite the big waves, a few surfers were out and about. It occurred to me that surfing is much like skateboarding. Minus the wheels, pavement, and predictable obstacles, I suppose. Oh, and I guess surfing has sharks too. And the risk of drowning. Okay, so maybe surfing isn’t very much like skateboarding after all!
Either way, surfing is very entertaining to watch. Surfers are built like panthers, thin and muscular. A surfer begins on shore, often employing an intense stare out over the waves. A casual observer (like me) can see the tangible calculations as they assess the waves, the weather, and (hopefully) the likelihood of shark appearances. When they are ready, they sprint towards their watery opponent, fearlessly toss their board into the wild waves, and paddle like crazy. When they’ve nearly disappeared into the horizon, they stop to float, waiting for the ocean to grace them with the perfect crest. They wait forever, it seems, before they finally have the opportunity to ride a wave. When the wave comes, they surf, briefly, before their footing becomes fickle. Back into the water they go, awaiting the next opportunity.
I’ve concluded that several traits mark a good surfer. They must be in shape, determined, and copiously patient. A surfer without patience is just disappointed. I don’t think I could be a surfer. I’ll leave the assessment of my patience levels up to you, but at the very least, my diet wouldn’t be conducive to it! When we finally finished watching the surfers, we did a little window shopping. This window shopping led me into an eclectic candy store where I, not like a surfer, wanted to buy some chocolate. I picked out two bars, not very large, that featured tropical-sounding flavors I thought I might enjoy. I didn't see a price tag. Instead, the small shop was littered with Christmas accouterments. Santa Claus dolls eyed me suspiciously as I pondered the endless array of deserts. Their beady eyes made me nervous, so I moseyed up the counter and set the delectable sweets in front of the cashier. I was practically drooling at the notion of the chocolatey bliss. The cashier blinked at me sweetly behind a pair of large glasses.
“That’ll be $24.90, dear.”
I swallowed my drool and gaped at the woman. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”
“That’ll be $24.90.” She was still smiling, unperturbed.
“I-” I didn’t know what to say. There were people forming a line behind me. A line of static was running through my head. $24.90 for two bars of chocolate? What were they made of, gold? I tossed one more longing look at the delicious candy. Oh, how I love chocolate. But not that much!
“I’m so sorry ma’am,” I stammered. “I- I didn’t realize how much they cost. I don’t think I can quite afford that. I’ll go put them back.”
I slid the chocolates off the counter and slunk away, still reeling from the sticker shock. I felt embarrassed. $12 per chocolate bar probably wasn’t the worst price in the world, but to my Midwestern sensibilities, it was too expensive. After all, I was just going to eat it. I’d rather buy more turtle photos than expensive chocolate. I left the store without a backwards glance. Not today!
With Tyler still feeling crummy, we spent the rest of the day in our hotel. This post wouldn’t be complete without a hotel shoutout. Our room at the Kula Lodge was wonderful. The outside siding was charred with some small remnants of the recent Maui fire, but the inside was beautiful. Upon entering, you descended a few stairs into a living room space with a fireplace and a balcony. An avocado tree grew close to the balcony, surprising us with a fruit upon our arrival. On the other side of the balcony, a perfect tropical view overlooked the ocean. The sunsets were beautiful from that balcony. Our bed was in a loft, complete with window vents to let in the cool night breezes. While Tyler recovered from his cold, I sat on the balcony to do some writing. Around me, the world was peaceful. It was a wonderful experience.
We finished out the night with a brilliant sunset and some Kula Lodge pizza from the restaurant next door. My pizza was bathed in a rich white sauce and delicious prawns. It was very yummy and very expensive. We coughed up $34 for my pizza alone, plus another wad of cash for Tyler’s. It was a good thing I didn’t buy that chocolate!
As the sun slipped behind the palm trees, I smiled at my husband. As always, we were lucky to be there together. We started our day on Haleakala, the House of the Sun. We were finishing our day overlooking the ocean, pizza in hand. But realistically, it doesn’t matter what adventures we experience. Whether at home or abroad, we are blessed to share every day with each other. Every day is something new when we’re together. And that’s enough for us.
A good place to find sleeping seaturtles: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XXquJGdYYEX2CYig6
The chocolate I tried to buy: https://ponochocolate.com/
Our beautiful lodge: https://kulalodge.com/
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