As we approached Hanalei, the wreckage of the horrific storm is everywhere. There are roads still blocked off and huge trees that blew over onto the beach. Some of the homes are inhabitable. There is a lot of regrowth that’s apparent, as well, which makes me feel hopeful.
There is a beautiful mountain that wraps around the bay. It resembles a sleeping dragon and the local hippies in this “hippy” town call the mountain, ‘Puff the Magic Dragon.’
It is a reference to the song made popular by Peter, Paul and Mary in the 1960s. The song is about a mythical land called, Honah Lee, where the “…magic dragon lived by the sea.”
After our picnic on the beach, we go into town and shop at the local stores. I wasn’t planning on purchasing much, but I’m finding the temptation hard to resist with all the different Hawaiian merchandise available.
Beth has already turned me into a surfer groupie—and I love it. In the evening, we head over to the beach at sunset to watch the surfers. There is a family of surfers we have watched at sunset nearly every night during my stay. They have a seven year old son named Fin who is the shining star of the oceans. The tourists watch this little toe head hit the waves and he can and does keep up with the big boys.
One evening, his father, Pat was telling us one evening of an incident where he severed his Femoral Artery, which is the artery the runs right along side our genitals. Pat is lucky to be alive. He also mentioned that Fin has been knocked in the head more than once. I cringed.
Fin was the last surfer out of the water again! I look up at the millions of stars and they are so enormous, they resemble flying saucers.
By: Rhonda Brunett
Nice