It was time to move on. After 10 days on the “wet” side of the Big Island of Hawaii, lush with its tropical greenery, waterfalls and proximity to the active volcano, we had five days to spend in Kona on the “dry” side. Or as I thought of it, the side with the beaches and water activities.

We took the longer route along the south shore to see some of the sights. As we drove, the landscape changed back and forth between thick greenery and drier brown open land, with some in-between farmland. A visit to Punalu’u black sand beach revealed a beautiful setting with tranquil spots to hang hammocks beneath the palm trees, and lava formations to explore on the shoreline. In contrast, our trip down to the South Point took us through more barren land and a long, unpopulated road. I insisted we walk down to the southernmost point in the US, but other than bragging rights, there was little to see. Rich was far more enthusiastic about a roadside stand we passed.

Continuing up the west side of the island, we had splendid views of the ocean. But the real transformation happened as we neared Kona. We had left behind the quiet environs of the east side and entered the popular center of activity, evidenced by the long stretches of condos intermingled with beaches and parks. Traffic increased as well, as we shared this part of the island with more tourists than we’d seen so far. But it had its payoffs too.

Walking into our condo, I was immediately drawn out onto the deck of our 4th floor unit. The ocean pulsed beneath me as waves crashed on the lava shoreline and a gaggle of surfers floated out in the water awaiting the next big wave. The sun shone down, the palm trees graced the landscape – a picture of perfection! With a quick trip to the grocery store for supplies, we threw together dinner in time to perch on the deck to watch the sunset.

This is the water I had come to see and experience. With our own private viewing spot, we opted for take-out or cooking most nights to enjoy it in unhurried solitude. I spent my breakfast time in the same spot.

I was eager to get in the water and do some snorkeling and kayaking. But Mother Nature had other ideas. High Surf Warnings prevailed throughout our time in Kona, which thrilled the surfers who populated every beach around, and I found highly entertaining. But the big waves precluded more sedate forms of water sport. Even so, the big ocean still dominated our visit.

To date, my attempt to see sea turtles had been unsuccessful. Rich’s research turned up good reports at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. After a mile long hike through unshaded terrain we reached the ocean. There we found large tidal pools and three lethargic sea turtles snoozing on the opposite side. We were able to get close without disturbing them. While Rich pursued birds, I ventured over to a nice beach, wishing I’d brought my swim suit as it was one of the few times we found quiet water.

We did manage to go snorkeling one time. I was interested in visiting Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, which had the added attraction of a good snorkeling spot right across the road. It is commonly known as Two Step for its relatively easy entry into the water. We carefully placed all our goods in the trunk of the car (theft is common at parking spots) and headed down to the beach with only our towels, car keys and snorkeling gear. We secured the keys in a waterproof pouch which Rich slid into the back pocket of his swimsuit, and closed the velcro tab. The two steps were as easy to navigate as advertised, and soon we were flippering through the water and ogling bright yellow fish in enormous schools. The longer we swam, the more we saw – black and white angelfish and larger fish with bright blue spots. We bounced in mild waves and enjoyed the view below, treasuring our time with the local fish.

When it came time to get out, our luck changed. We must have hit a particularly large swell of waves. As we approached shore, the surf threatened to press us against the rocks. Rich got caught in a crevice and the waves thrashed him about before he could gain hold to hoist himself out of the water. Just as I was struggling to approach the shore safely, he shouted out to me – “Molly, the car keys!” I couldn’t see a thing through my goggles, but grasped the reality that the keys had come out of his pocket and were miraculously floating nearby. With a lucky grab I had them in my hand, and managed to climb out during a lull in the waves. That was a rental car disaster narrowly avoided!

On shore I found Rich covered in blood, and loudly explaining to the shocked observers, “It’s not as bad as it looks!” Due to the blood thinners he takes for his heart, a tiny cut on his elbow bled like crazy, and the water spread it all over his arms and legs. As soon as I could get him a towel, he cleaned up quickly and we nervously laughed over the excitement. The tumble took its toll, however, shaking him up and leaving him bruised and sore. It’s a snorkeling adventure we wouldn’t soon forget!

We still made a visit to the historical park afterwards. A very informative video in an outdoor theater gave us background on this place of refuge. In ancient times, any Hawiian who broke the kapu – sacred laws – faced certain death, unless they could reach a spiritual sanctuary. There they sought absolution from a priest in order to return safely to society. Today it still serves as a special place of refuge. Rich chose to rest in one of the tented shelters while I walked the grounds – his own safe haven it seemed, to come to grips with his recent personal misadventure.

On a brighter note, we spent my birthday dinner at Magics Beach Grill, nestled oceanside where the sun made a colorful descent and the surfers persisted until dark. Just as the other side of the island should be.

Something changed mid-week.  Each morning we had been setting off to see all the fascinating sights this side of the Big Island had to offer.  My guidebook was well thumbed and heavily populated with sticky notes.  I didn’t want to miss a thing!  But as my list dwindled, so did my pace and I felt myself settling into my surroundings.  We had a heavenly retreat right outside our door, and that in itself was a Hawaiian experience.  Soon we developed a new routine, guided by whim and lack of agenda.

Rich happily followed birds around the guesthouse, mornings and late afternoons.  I returned to my favorite ocean road, which just begged me to run through the secluded tunnel of trees and finish to the applause of crashing waves.  By then I had a favorite coffee shop in town, the open-air Tin Shack Bakery and just had to stop to bring home a latte and fresh scones.  Life’s simple pleasures.

One day Rich received a text, alerting us that the next afternoon Kent would be holding band practice in his studio behind our guesthouse.  The implication was that we might want to make ourselves scarce, but instead we embraced the music.  The Lava Tree Band plays all original music that Kent has written since moving to the Big Island, and we sat on the porch of the studio to listen to “The Island of Mis-fit Toys,” much impressed.

Melanie had offered us a tour of the yard and its multitude of plantings, so we took her up on that while the music continued.  She walked us all around the expansive yard, explaining how Kent had cut back the jungle five feet all the way around, an arduous task.  Everywhere we walked, there were trees, bushes and flowers that Melanie has researched, lovingly tended and fostered their growth.  How quickly she has learned about tropical gardening and put her knowledge to work, including a greenhouse full of vegetables and spices to supplement their table.

Melanie’s work inspired me to follow my own aspirations which I’ve been neglecting.  Digging out my drawing paper and pencil, and I returned to a patch of anthurium to see if I could capture the spirit of its brilliant composition.  It was a rusty attempt, as I tried to regain my eye for detail and train my pencil on the paper, but it also felt good.  The next day I spent a delightful morning in the gazebo dabbling with my watercolors to finish the piece.  Time sped by as I labored, and I didn’t care.

I’d been eyeing the community swimming pool for some time, and finally gave in to the urge to swim laps.  There was no entrance fee, and the 50-meter pool was an oasis of blue lanes reflecting the warm sun.  The notice at the front gate told me the water temperature was 74° – most certainly “refreshing” compared to my usual pool.  I braced myself and took the plunge, then doggedly swam back and forth for nearly an hour before the swim team took over the lanes.  By then I was glad for an excuse to head to the warm showers.  But I did so feeling a little more like a local.

We were staying right next to Lava Tree State Park, and I felt it was time I took a leisurely stroll around its half-mile loop. There I could see the lava trees up close, formations that result from lava flows encircling the trees in its path, leaving behind molds of the tree trunks. I happened to bring along my sketchpad, and found a tree near the entrance with eye-catching pink blossoms to draw. As I stood sketching, someone passing by showed me the bananas forming at the stem, miniature compared to the flower. I added that detail.

For our final evening at the guesthouse we decided to take a picnic to Richardson Ocean Park.  Armed with take-out food from the grocery store, we found a picnic table right away with a nice view where we could watch folks snorkeling and enjoying the beach.  It was the usual mix of lava rock and some sand, and was said to be a good place to spot sea turtles, but none made an appearance.  We meandered through the park and settled on a convenient stone wall to watch the sunset – something we hadn’t seen due to being on the east side of the island.  It slithered down the sky with Mauna Kea clearly visible in the distance as the low rays shone across the bay.

When the sun disappeared, Rich was ready to leave, but I was still in the mood to linger and insisted we await the colors of the afterglow.  It was at that moment that Rich saw whales off in the distance!  Blowholes and a fluke appeared above the water, then all went quiet.  Shortly afterwards, they resumed activity at closer range.  Although they were still far away, we were able to see one humpback jump clear out of the water, followed by mama and baby playfully flapping their fins – much to the delight of the children watching next to us.  We had been rewarded for slowing down.

By then it was hard to take leave of our little guesthouse and move on to Kona. We had finally gotten the hang of the place, and even Kent and Melanie had taken notice of our more relaxed approach in those final days. We took that as a compliment, and confirmation that we had successfully adopted Island Life.

While winter rages on at home, we hang out in shorts and t-shirts, eat outdoors, slather on the sunscreen and savor every minute of warm sunshine.  Although we are surrounded by tropical splendor, today we chose to do a deep dive and visit the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens.

We were warned about the steep incline down into the ravine of the gardens.  The advice was superfluous as we descended slowly, progress inhibited by the urge to stop every few feet to admire and photograph the exotic flowers we passed.  That was only the beginning of the two hours we would spend traversing almost two miles of paved trail through the tropics.

Clearly the flowers were the stars of the show, with their brilliant eye-catching colors and unique shapes.  It was easy to keep my eyes moving, constantly looking for the next jaw-dropping display.  There was no way I could keep track of the names, so I just enjoyed them for their beauty and enjoyed trying to capture them with my camera.

But in reality, the whole environment surrounding those blossoms made just as much of an impression on me.  It was just harder to capture.  Palm trees of all kinds hovered overhead, towering banyan trees spread their roots broadly, enormous leaves waved in the breeze.  Everything was meticulously maintained, labeled and groomed.  A humid, green cacophony of plants.

I learned from a display near the entrance that this garden was the labor of love of Dan Lutkenhouse.  He and his wife Pauline purchased the rough parcel of land in 1977, drawn to its beauty and serenity.  Once Dan began exploring it, his dream blossomed – to preserve its beauty forever as a garden for others to enjoy.  For the next seven years Dan and an assistant cleared the jungle by hand, guided only by passion and a love of nature.  It was through the clearing process and laying out the paths that they discovered a three-tier waterfall in the midst of the greenery.  After it opened in 1984, Dan and Pauline collected, cultivated and planted thousands of plants and worked with local horticulturists to develop the foundation for the garden we visited today.

More land was later purchased to extend the garden to the ocean’s shore.  The far reaches of the path took us to a picturesque overlook where we could sit and enjoy more of nature’s beauty.

There is little more I can add.  The photos brag more eloquently than my words can. 

As I climbed back up to surface level, I realized that immersion into tropical splendor was more than eye candy.  It was an opportunity to slow down.  To observe.  To dawdle and gawk. To be impressed by nature.  That same force that blankets our world at home with white.  A beauty all its own, but for today I’ll take this one!