Idiots Hana Mana Episode 20 (the last) Haleakala

[jgh]

Idiots Hana Mana Episode 20 (the last) Haleakala

The Idiots want to end their Hawaii episodes with a description of the most moving experience of the trip.

The landscape of Maui is dominated by Haleakala. The dormant volcano towers over the island, topping out at about 10,000 feet. The 360 degree views of the ocean and the other Hawaiian islands are breathtaking at any time of day, but watching the sunrise from this lofty perch is truly special.

The sunrise excursion began with some calculations. The condo is about an hour away from the main town of Kahului… make it 1 ½ hours at night. From Kahului to the summit is only 37 miles, and the first part is relatively straight… but then the switchbacks start. There are few highways in the world that climb this rapidly. In daytime, people allow about an 1 ½ hours. Factor in driving in the dark, and all the other folks also seeking the sunrise… call it 2 hours. The night sky from the top, before dawn light obscures the stars, can be spectacular. Sunrise will occur at about 5:40 AM, so arriving an hour early seems like a good plan.

Yup… that means getting up and dressed warmly for a 2:00 AM departure!

Is it worth it?

The Idiots knew that sharing this sunrise with their friends would be a “once in a lifetime” experience. Watching the sky start to brighten, the colors rising… then the glorious sunrise itself… then the light spreading across Maui and the other islands and the sea… they knew it would be great.

The Idiots didn’t know that the experience would move their spirits through the intervention of Ranger Nan Cabatbat. Described as a cultural educator, Nan has an extraordinary voice. She emerged from the Visitor’s Center about 10 minutes before the sun cleared the horizon and, using no electronic amplification, belted out an introductory talk to the crowd – probably a couple hundred – and folks 50 yards away could hear her clearly.

A few minutes later, Nan was in the middle of the group and, as the first crescent of sun peaked above the clouds, she broke into the E’ala’e – the sunrise chant. This was not a show for the tourists. This was a Native Hawaiian singing an honest, heartfelt welcome to the sun. She was joined by a driver from one of the downhill biking company support vehicles.

Eyes filled with tears as the soul-nurturing chant rang off the mountains stating in no uncertain terms that we are all part of one great whole… and that Life is a pretty great thing.

The pictures are pretty… but the song is essential to getting a real sense of the experience. Thus, a video!

(Hint: if your download speed is slowish - like ours - it is worthwhile to pause it at the beginning and allow time for some of it to "buffer" - the impact is lessened when the video pauses to allow the download to "catch up" with the viewer...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO-Gz36 ... load_owner

[Tigger]

Spectacular, Jim. Thanks for the journey.

[thy]

[Diana]

Jim, thanks for posting this wonderful series of Hawaii episodes. We're headed there in just a few more weeks. I can hardly wait.

-Diana

[tsbccowboy]

JGH,

Thank you for taking us with on your travels!

Each place we visit is my favorite,
Cowboy

[Diana]

Sitting here in Kailua Kona, after checking out the lava flow in Pahoa, a few days ago I am thanking you for your wonderful posts and pics of your adventures in the Hawaian islands.

-Diana