Rainbows and a Tsunami

Hawaii. I had forgotten how beautiful it is. It’s been almost 30 years since either Mike or I were here. Tall rugged mountains covered with lush, dense, tropical vegetation dropped precipitously to white, sand beaches fringed by palm trees. There the beach met a tapestry of blue waters. Mike laughed at me as I turned first one way and then the other uttering, “Stunning. Simply stunning.” And it was. My friend, Barbara, has lived here for the last sixteen years. She was the perfect reason to stop over for a few days. And we’re glad we did, in spite of the tsunami. Yes – of course, we were there for the tsunami. We hope this is it for disasters.





But first, more about Hawaii. I’m thrilled to say that we were on Oahu for five days and spent no time in Honolulu. Barb lives on the North Shore near Haleiwa in a charming cottage by the water. From her back porch, we could see the mouth of Waimea Bay with the sea crashing into rocks. Her neighbor was kind enough to let us sit on his porch for an unobstructed view of the sunset. What could be better?

While some may be disappointed in us, we enjoyed doing absolutely nothing – no tours, no sightseeing, no Pearl Harbor, no luau. We explored the North Shore and came to love its casual charm, character and relaxed atmosphere. Kamehameha Highway runs along the coast next to the water. White sand beaches, including famous ones like Sunset and Pipeline, are lined up every half mile or so. Big waves crash to shore while surfers bob in the water waiting for the perfect opportunity.

There is a bike path between the road and the beach. It was my running route each morning. From the path, I saw life on the North Shore unfold. There were young mothers walking their toddlers in the sand; young men biked to the beaches with their surf boards tucked under their arm; old VW buses held surf boards and fit, tan young men with sun-bleached hair; teenage girls walked casually to the beach in skimpy bikinis. Along the roadside, hand-painted vans that had seen better days sold shrimp, fresh fish, fruit, smoothies or shave ice. It was all part of the live-and-let-live lifestyle.

And it rained a little each day – sometimes a light sprinkle and other times a downpour. Neither lasted long. We learned to continue doing what we were doing rain or shine. With all the rain, rainbows are common. They may be common but they are still a treat. One day we saw six rainbows. Another morning, while running (in the rain), I saw a startling rainbow that was completely visible over the ocean. Its colors were vibrant and lively. People were pulling their cars over to photograph it or simply stand and stare.

With all the rain, there are also waterfalls. Barb lives a stone’s throw from Waimea Valley, so we walked over, through the lush gardens and to the falls. It’s funny. We’ve seen so many waterfalls that the Waimea Falls – while lovely – looked quaint after the gushing cascades of New Zealand.

We drove to Kaena Point and watched kite surfers being pulled by parachutes over the waves – jumping, twisting, and flying along the water. It looked like great fun. I know it’s sacrilegious, but we never got in the water. I know…. We were just tired from all the travel, and didn’t have the energy to deal with sand and surf. Plus, I could watch the water and waves all day and be happy. The waves are so peaceful. I honestly felt no need to be in the water when all I wanted was to watch the water. One morning while watching the water, I saw a whale as it stuck its head up, blew a spout of water, and seemed to stand on its head flapping its tail in the surf. Fun.

We did go for a nice walk on the beach. We thought we would be walking through the woods but the trail led onto the beach. With shoes filled with sand, there was nothing to do but give into it; take off the shoes and step into the warm sand. I sunk up to my ankles. The sand felt wonderful; both gritty and soft. Funny how it can be both at the same time. With a light breeze blowing, and the sound of the surf and waves, it was an ideal walk.

Another day we set off for a 2.5 mile loop trail on the windward side of the island. We found the trail and started climbing up the hillside. After coming off of the rain and snow of the Routeburn Trek, I thought this would be a piece of cake. Wrong. With the recent rain, the trail was muddy and slippery. Roots and moss-covered rocks made the walking slow and tricky. But it was beautiful. We walked through a forest of Norfolk pines with their fingers of needles in tiers all the way up the tall trunks. My dad was in Hawaii with the Air Force years and years ago. I remember him talking about the Norfolk pines. He loved them so much that he bought a small one that my mother tried desperately to keep alive in a pot in our den. I understand why he loved them and I also understand why that little tree wasn’t going to like central Texas. The wind was wonderful through these trees. It was so different from the wind in the pines of Cotignac. This was a deeper, roaring sound as the big heavy trees swayed. There were also ironwood or Australian Pines with droopy, 8” long needles. They looked like a pine tree version of a willow tree. While we walked, we were caught in a heavy downpour that made the already slick trail even more slick. We headed back for the car with a little protection under the trees. Between steps, we tried to appreciate the rain in the forest. Those 8” long needles captured the rain so that a small drop hung on the tip of each needle and sparkled in the light. It was like a pine tree chandelier. It was lovely until you walked into it and all those drops dumped on head, shoulders, or back. We were drenched by the time we returned.

Our last day, we drove around the island, past the volcanoes of Koko, Diamond Head and Punchbowl to our hotel by the airport. Due to our early morning flight to LA we chose to stay nearby that night and it was a very good decision. Thankfully, Mike turned on the news after dinner to learn of the huge earthquake that struck in the waters off the coast of Japan. The footage of the tsunami that hit Japan in the quake’s aftermath was unbelievable. And – the tsunami was making its way through the Pacific with Hawaii in its path. (Let me just pause to say – I am done with disasters – government overthrows, earthquakes and now a tsunami. Done.) So, we watched the news for hours. A six foot sustained wave of water was predicted for all of the Hawaiian Islands. It was expected to hit at 3AM. In the meantime, the tsunami warning sirens were sounded every hour starting at 10PM until 2:40AM. People in low lying areas designated as evacuation zones were to leave immediately for higher ground. Unable to access the evacuation zone maps with the hotel's slow internet connection, Mike asked the hotel staff. Thankfully, we were not in an evacuation area, plus we were on the fourth floor. Nonetheless, we were a half mile from the airport which is directly on the coast. All was probably fine, but, once again, it was unnerving. Just as I would fall asleep – with our clothes lying at the end of the bed – the siren would go off with a loud wail. The road in front of the hotel was closed to all traffic, the Governor was on the TV from the emergency management center, and the spokesperson from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was giving updates every half hour. So, another sleepless night. At 3AM, we watched the camera for Waikiki Beach that was broadcast from the traffic management center. And, we saw….nothing. There was a bit of water rise but that’s all. There was still danger as the energy from the tsunami was not fully dissipated, but it wasn’t to be the big event as predicted. Thankfully, particularly after seeing the devastation in Japan. (FYI. Barb’s house was in an evacuation area. We called but couldn’t reach her; however, she’d told us about the previous tsunami warning last year. She evacuated to high ground then so we were confident she did the same this time. I talked to her yesterday and she and her house are fine, although she had a stressful night.)

The next morning we flew to LA for the weekend with Linnea. We had a wonderful time with her, got much needed sleep, ate great food, and – there were no earthquakes!