Sunsets

Sunsets did not cooperate. We'd see the sun come out from behind late afternoon clouds and we'd gather up our flip flops and wine glasses and walk down to the end of the bay and the sun would look spectacular and then just before it got to the horizon it would disappear behind a cloud.

So instead we have pictures of us looking at the sunset.

On the very last evening we were driving to the airport on the Mamalahoa Highway when Jo said "Look!" and pointed. The bottom half of an enormous red glowing orb had suddenly appeared from under a huge cloud that blanketed the rest of the sky. The edge of the sun touched the flat blue horizon. Then it slowly slid below the waters and the top of the sun appeared from under the cloud. When it was all gone the sky turned to fire in that one spot while the rest looked like rain. I tried to keep half an eye on the road but every other eye in the car was transfixed on the sunset. Even Vivian and Evan were impressed.

Waipio Valley

Even in a place full of natural beauty the Waipio Valley stands out in a stunning sort of way. You can drive your car right up to the edge of the valley and then hike about 1200 feet down to the floor and cross a river as it meets the ocean on a black sand beach and then climb another 1200 feet up the opposite face of the valley. And then repeat the process to return. Last year we made it to the valley floor and then hiked back up. Jo and I took turns carrying Evan in his carrier and Vivian managed it on her own. Here's a photo I took at Waipio last year that I really like.

This year Jen and Travis did the whole hike to the other side and back. We walked 10 steps down and back up. And I tried to recreate the photo from last year but the kids wouldn't cooperate.

City of Refuge

Hawaii used to have a very strict code of conduct about what was kosher and what wasn't. If you broke the law even accidentally - like your shadow fell on the chief or a woman ate from a pot which a man had eaten from, you were put to death. Unless you got to the City of Refuge first.

Unlike those fleeing kapu we dind't have to run over miles of razor sharp lava and then swim across the bay. Though we did swim in the bay after walking around the park.

Evan discovered a young woman in a bikini sitting near where we were on the beach. At first he pretended that he had mistaken her for someone he knew and made a shrugging gesture to indicate his mistake. Then the lad proceeded to shameless flirt with her.

Home Again

Having spent my entire life in just three places - Hyderabad, Pilani and Austin - home is not a feeling - it's a very definite place, a point in space. So I was discombobulated to feel like I was returning home when we landed in Kona yesterday. I shook my head to say "No" when the rental car lady asked if I needed a GPS. The vacation home felt the same. As did "our" tiny cozy beach on the bay. And the grocery store and the Donkey Balls place and the island bbq joint and geckos and the flowers and everything else too.

So I stopped fighting it and relaxed and had a great first day.  Home is a state of mind. But then what isn't?