Six Days On Oahu pt.1
“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.
”
November 3rd - 6th
It's like an invisible wall when you arrive. You shuffle out of the aisles in the cramped economy seating, legs trying to remember what walking feels like. Eyes half open. Wondering where the first bathroom will be in the airport. You say goodbye to the flight attendant who tirelessly brought you water the last six hours. And then you feel it; The thick, hot air. sticking to your skin like a tangible dew.
I knew from the first time I came to Hawaii and felt the humid tropical air I was somewhere I could feel at home. Strange, considering I'm from the entire opposite ecosystem from here. But something always drew me to here, the blue ocean and trade winds like a siren song to my frost bitten ears. So naturally, If I was to be heading in the direction of Indonesia, Hawaii was an absolute must for stop overs. Even more appealing that I now have a few friends in Kailua.
I haven't traveled much. And any travelling I had done out of the country was either with friend's families or with teammates. It was very different in comparison to the "Local" experience you have when you stay with friends who know the spots. The little nooks and crannies and places that have the best Acai bowls. So having a friend be able to show me around who lives here year round is absolutely amazing. The little stops where hiking trails hide on the side of the highway would normally go un-noticed. Ones that climb up to perches looking onto the coastline and large bays. Everything knotted and tangled in roots and winding they're way into steps and ropes to climb. The volcanic rock dropping off in a rough cut cliff below, making for a slightly terrifying yet exciting scramble onto an overhanging pillar. Wind howling. Thank god I took off my shoes. And have good grip. I'd hate to fall to my death on the first day of my trip.
Having caught wind of the HIC pro happening on the north shore we cruised our way up along the highway around the island. Watching the greens and blues fade into a high-speed blur beside the car. The waves were going off (I think) and the athletes were from all over. I had never really seen good surfing, in person of course. And was blown away at how flawlessly they handled waves that looked much, much bigger in person.
“Nana ka maka;
ho`olohe ka pepeiao;
pa`a ka waha.
Observe with the eyes;
listen with the ears;
shut the mouth.
Thus one learns.”
For what geographically seems like such a small amount of space, the Hawaiian Islands holds so much. A magical little chain of islands cradled in warm blue water and laced with greenery. Around every corner is a beautiful tree, teal blue tidal pool filled with little colourful fish or set of waves to be surfed. And while the Surf is too big for my skill set we hike up to mountain tops and dip our feet into the calmer areas of ocean. The scramble down the side of the cliffs edging the coast was steep and rocky. questionable going downhill, incredibly fun to climb back up. Thankfully the pools weren't too crowded due to the swell coming in.
I had never really gotten my camera close to water. This water would have been a full submersion had I messed up and went for a swim. Needless to say, I was a little concerned about the footing on the slippery rocks. But stable toes prevailed, and after watching the waves crash into the tide pools we took our chance to take some portraits in the beautiful water. Sadly without the small parrot fish, I eagerly chased around the pool, trying to make friends with.
And as is tradition, My third day here I ended up having enough fun to not take a single damn picture of our day out surfing on the north shore. I may love photography. I may be trying to blog about these places and travels. But there is one thing I know for sure; If I'm having so much fun that I forget to take photos of said fun for an entire day, I don't feel bad about it. Not one bit. Because sometimes you just need to live the day and soak it all in.
xx
Sarah
