Dream journeys do come true! Having been in the United States for a while, our family like most other families had the wonder of visiting the magnificent islands of Hawaii. Little did I know about this beautiful group of islands, other than its name and Sridevi’s dance number ringing in my ears as “Hawa Hawaii”! But thanks to a beautiful dream journey into the Big Island, Hawaii, my awareness about Hawaii increased. The natural wonders that it offers are truly phenomenal and must be experienced.
One fine afternoon, after a flight over the vast pacific ocean, we arrived at the Kona International airport of Big Island, Hawaii. As soon as we arrived we could see how different the airport was compared to other US airports.Airport was filled with people who seemed to be in a relaxed mood wearing large colored flower garlands! We were offered one too! The airport was right in a green hilly area, and the tropical air breezed past through us. We arrived at the Hilton Waikoloa Village hotel where we were staying and were blown away by its sheer grandeur and vastness. This expansive resort, set on 62 oceanfront acres, felt like a destination in itself. With its tranquil lagoons, lush gardens, and unique wildlife, it offered the perfect blend of luxury and nature. No wonder it was called a village, as it was not a hotel, it was a village! After check in we had to take a train inside the hotel property to reach our room!
After comfortably settling in our rooms that had a stunning view of the ocean, we stepped out to explore Hawaii in the Hilton Property. It was astounding! The blue and turquoise ocean waved at us again and again! The tropical trees and air around us, kissed us welcome! And the ground beneath us was full of lava-formed rocks and sands, which were a mix of white rocks and black sand. The resort property was beautiful showcasing the arts of various asian travelers and settlers who visited Hawaii crossing the pacific oceans. As the dusk turned into night, we were greeted throughout the resort’s lush property with shimmering yellow lights that just added glory to the night.
The next day we set out to explore the island! Our first stop was the Rainbow Falls in the “Wailuku River State Park”. Post that we visited the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.This botanical garden is home to about 2000 species of tropical plants. Some leaves were 5 feet tall! This garden is also home to Onomea Falls, a picturesque waterfall framed by surrounded foliage. It was drizzling slightly as Hawaii gets 25 to 35 inches of Rain per year. Due to this huge amount of water, we were completely mesmerized by this gorgeous three step waterfalls. We were immersed in a sensory bath of experiences – the rain, the pitter patter of water drops, the gurgling waterfalls, and the chirping birds, and the ocean at a distance! It was a surreal experience walking through the botanical garden, which in reality was less of a garden but more of a cultivated tropical forest.
After lunch, we visited the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a geologic wonder.. It was a slightly dusk at this time, which was perfect timing to see the volcanic glow. Before visiting the volcanic site, to witness the volcano, we visited a steam vent.
What are steam vents and How are these steam vents formed? Hawaii island has multiple volcanic activities going on, and has active volcanoes most of the time. In those volcanic sites, the ground beneath the surface deep inside where the magma flows is very hot. As the rain water seeps into the crevices, it becomes so hot due to magma that it starts evaporating and hence comes out as steam onto the surface. These are not hot water pools, but actual steam that comes out, because water has already reached the evaporation point.
It is said that native Hawaii people come to these places of steam to clean their karma or negative energies. Today, you can get a natural facial here! After experiencing this hot steam treatment for sometime, we hiked towards the volcano. As the night fell, we saw the volcano’s red glow from the observation deck. It was a surreal experience seeing a huge crater, and a glow that surrounded it. After experiencing the volcano , we returned to our hotel room.
Over the next few days. We were fortunate enough to visit other places in Big Island like various scenic overlooks, black sand beaches, town center , malls etc. The resort offered us an amazing cultural extravaganza of Hawaiian dancers which were a treat to watch. We witnessed fire dancers too, and were amazed at their skill in playing with fire! We also relaxed in the huge pool and shallow snorkelingthat the resort offered us.
And thus was a brief insight into how Hawaiian islands brought us one more step closer to knowing mother nature a little more. The park’s unique landscape, shaped by the relentless forces of nature, offered a glimpse into the Earth’s fiery heart. They say that duality is the nature of existence. Life is built around the premise that every state of being has its natural opposite, and together these opposites make a balanced whole. Visiting Hawaii I feel this duality is very visible here. Surrounded by the wobbly roaring water on all sides, stands an island stable in its ground. This little island has the hottest depths of earth giving rise to volcanoes, yet has the wettest days with its rainfall giving rise to enormous trees. The rocks and sands embody both white and black , that are opposites and complimentary. The land is richly green in some places, but dry around the volcanic regions!
Totally Hawaii is a group of multiple islands, and we visited just one of them, The Big Island. The journey though begun seems a bit incomplete, as we are yet to visit the other islands.
So now I am looking forward to visiting those other islands!!
Note: This is a loose translation of original article in Kannada published in Udayavani Desiswara. The original article can be found at the link below:
