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My flight from BWI leaves at 9:40 a.m. with 2 plane changes and a layover I arrive in Honolulu 22 hours later and spend my first night in Hawaii at a hotel near the airport. This photo shows the top of my bureau in the yoga room in my house, some of my mementos and tokens came with me as a reminder of my connection to home, family and friends.

You may if you’re reading on your laptop while visiting try playing Pandora – Makana Radio. Mahalo nui loa for hanging out!

My AirBnB search found Dawn’s place in the town of Makaha. The large one room unit is just feet from the ocean and with the sliding doors open I have both surf sounds and ocean breezes.

Almost Heaven, West Makaha
High-ridge mountain, crystal-clear blue watah
All my friends there hanging on da beach
Young and old among them
Feel the ocean breeze –

Country road, take me home
To the place I belong
West Makaha, Mount Ka’ala
Oh, take me home, oh, country road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6btdW9CPHE

You may have heard that aloha means both “hello” and “goodbye.” But the literal meaning is even more beautiful than that. “Alo” means “presence,” while “ha” means “breath.” So, the literal meaning of “aloha” is the “presence of breath” or the “breath of life.” In this way, to greet someone with the word “aloha” is as though you’re welcoming their life, whatever that may be. The nonjudgemental respect that it represents is very much something of the Hawaiian culture: a compassionate and carefree island lifestyle that invites you to be you.

Today is Easter Sunday, just doing a bit of car window exploring around Makaha and a drive to the North Shore and back. Unfortunately during the week that follows my phone takes a dip in the Pacific, with nothing backed up I have few photos to show with my early entries.

Over these 3 days I had 2 flat tires (had to replace one) and a phone that accidentally ended up in the ocean. Yikes! What a way to start. Now I have an I-phone 7, maybe that’s a plus. With the flat tire and buying a set of fins I met some nice folks who gave me a few tips and shared some of their own holiday trips to the mainland. Makaha is mostly working class families and is famous for its surfing beach and the early contests that took place in the ’50’s and ’60’s and for the singer IZ and his band the Makaha Sons. When the surf is up locals still ride the waves, on weekends families claim their space from Friday to Sunday. Dawn’s condo is in a 5 story building that was built as a hotel in the ’60’s for the surfing events, when those contests moved to the North Shore it was sold and turned into a condo building. Some folks live here year round, others part time though sometimes renting to travelers like me and for others as a weekend getaway. The folks I talked to like to vacation in Las Vegas, the bright lights and go-go casino world would seem a real difference from the more laid back island lifestyle.

Dawn is a well liked AirBnB host and today I join her for a favorite hike near Honolulu. We meet at 9 and hike the 4.8 mile ‘Aiea trail. Along with Hawaii history I learn about native and foreign trees and plants, island geography and why pig hunters are in the parks. Afternoon I’m back to Makaha for beach and salt water therapy.

Dawn is an artist. Paying a bit more attention to the art that hangs on the walls of her condo this a.m. I see it’s all Dawn’s work. So today is art appreciation day! Starting at the Arts at Marks Garage in Chinatown where I’m to retrieve a package from Dawn to bring back to the condo I leave from there and catch Dawn’s guided tour of the art works at The Hub. (If you’re interested in seeing Dawn’s work here’s the link to her website: http://dawnyoshimurastudio.com/ ). Returning to Makaha for an afternoon beach break.

I’m feeling tired around 8, likely the time change and jet lag affect my sleep cycle. I’m trying to stay awake until 9:30 if I don’t then I’m wide awake at 4 a.m., the plus is that I find this early time to be a quiet time of meditation as I wait for the light of the new day to come out.

Today is Lei Day and Worker’s Day here in Hawaii. My trip is to the North Shore. Famous for the surfing competitions at the Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea Falls and the town of Haleiwa (pronounced Hal-ei-va). The first stop will be the 400 yr old Pu’u O Mahuka (hill of escape) Heiau (temple for religious ceremonies). Followed by Waimea Falls and the botanical gardens then a drive north along the North Shore coast past Sunset Beach returning south grabbing a late lunch/early dinner at the Beet Box Cafe in Haleiwa.

My Honolulu day trip started with lunch at Helena’s Hawaiian Food https://www.helenashawaiianfood.com/index.html followed by an afternoon visit to the Bishop Museum (a lot to see, my 2 hours were not enough to see it all!) to then meeting Dawn for a Honolulu’s First Fridays walk about around Chinatown visiting galleries and meeting a few of Dawn’s art friends ending with dinner at a local restaurant. Fun filled day of aloha spirit!

My nephew PJ and his wife Jamie welcome the birth of their son Jack (John Finley Ransone) at 1 a.m. today! Congratulations and best wishes!

After breakfast a short hike around nearby Turtle Rock, visible from my lanai.

From the hike drive back past the condo 3 miles to Kaneana Cave.

Inside the cave, looking up at the line of rock running from the ceiling to the floor is what is described as the line of the spine. The cave has 2 openings, one above going a short distance to an open area and sunlight and the other below going down and out to the ocean. I think how the womb and the parasympathetic half of the central nervous system, are represented by the cave, the “spine” and the 2 openings. Thoughts too of mother earth-father sky creation stories.