This is our last morning on Maui! Time has flown. I had a great talk with Kramer yesterday and was able to let go of a lot of the heaviness I had created in my own mind the night before. It is amazing how I can percieve myself as easy going and flexible and yet realize how inflexible I truely am about some things! Ah, so many places to soften into... what a human journey.
Yesterday we drove part of the highway to Hana and stopped at several waterfalls and pools which were gorgeous! Surrounded by lush green.. everywhere. Leaves were pre-historically huge. Lots of boulder hopping up a creek to an ancient feeling grotto pool with electric lime green lichen growing on glistening dense brown rocks. A massive vertical drop of jagged wet rock which looked like the deep throat of an ancient being. We all sat around that one for a while not saying anything, watching the sun reflect off rocks, small crayfish squirm on rocks and observing the dense cloudly brown soot that coated the rocks... not much fresh water happening there except for trickles coming down and out of the rock face. I wondered who used to come here and why.
Driving more... the Hana highway is a lot about driving! Around mile marker 11 I jumped... it was one of the shoot locations from HoopDance for Beginners. It was quite thrilling to see it again. More driving... the sun shining SO bright. The water SO blue. Endless blue. Warm moist air blowing in the car window. The air itself heavy with water and oxygen and feeling so fantastic and perfect for my body. High moutians with swaying shapes of bamboo forest and other trees. Huge vines with thick roots coiling and looping around tall trees, many rooted banyan trees, flowers exploding with color, the smell of earthy dirt and mud as we walked well beaten muddy trails. The sensory overload is delicious and feels so awesome to me!
Finally came to Ching's Pool at the end of our short Hana highway journey. A massive deep pool with a waterfall and micro-cosmic pool with many rocks at the bottom of a 40 foot overhang. Only 75 feet off the highway, down a muddy trail and jumping into the pool. The water was so cold! But it felt great. Kramer scaled the rock face and jumped in several times from a 20 foot overhang. My heart trembled as he did it, but he had fun. Then a local came and started jumping from the 40 cliff into the bouldered pool with no margin for error. All the boys' attention was magnetized. Another young kid from California went up to the local on the cliff and started getting coached on diving in. We all were *Very* skeptical. It was an incredibly dangerous jump. Prayers, video tape running, camera's ready, and he did it with no problem. Then of course Kramer had to go up there and ponder an attempt. Thank God he decided against it. I led a round of applause when he decided not to jump. Life is so good.
While we drove and hiked, conversations happening about all kinds of things... but also matter where we go, there is an omnipresent knowledge that this healing garden of an island has been over-run by tourists. On every windshield of every tourist car is the same guidebook we have, "Maui Revealed". A book which has clued tourists into a lot of "secret" spots, but also pissed off lots of locals. We resolve that as long as we are conscious and leave everyplace as god of better than we found it, it is morally okay to be here. Plus, we are geneously controbuting to the local economy. Phew!
After our return, I went out again with a girlfriend to see an art gallery which is exhibiting Carolyn Quan's artwork (see all the recent pics added to my tribe photo gallery and also the image with this blog entry). It was AWESOME to see her items in person. So mystical. So inspiring! And then back here to lounging, conversations, drinking, eating, sleeping, cleaning, etc.
Overall, I have the sense that I could easily live on an Hawaiian Island. Not sure which one would be the best match, but I have a clear inner knowling that I may be called to relocate at least half of the year here, and spend the other half of the year in some fun US city. I have some projects to accomplish first, but it is a wonderful recognition. A wonderful clarity.
I am so grateful to be here!
p.s. Again, amazing art image for today's blog by carolynquan.com