Whiling Away a Rainy Day in Paradise
By Catherine Kitcho, Coastal Dunes
It somehow doesn’t matter if it rains or not. You can drive a few miles and it will be sunny again. Somewhere on the Big Island the sun is always shining.
This time it was on Highway 290 on the way to Waimea and across the windy misty slopes of Mauna Kea. Then, into Honokaa and the pickup point for the wagon tour of the most beautiful, inspirational valley on earth.
Waipio Valley is not for the faint of heart. Spiritually, that is. No matter how you get there, by horseback, wagon, jeep, or on foot, the mysteries and energy reach up and grab you, pulling you into the foray like a gentle yet powerful sea serpent.
It is a closed valley, with sheer cliffs and tearful waterfalls on one end, and the warm, beckoning ocean on the other. Lush with a rainbow of blooms, towering fragrant trees and moist taro ponds, it radiates a million shades of green.
Underneath it all lie the spirits of more than 70 generations of kings and warriors and matriarchs to pass on the essence of what there is to learn in this life. A whole culture and way of life was contained in this valley and will be preserved forever, the secrets only available to those who come here with purpose and are ready to humbly accept these truths with gratitude and respect.
If you are on the right frequency and open your heart, you will be richly rewarded. For some, it is a sad release of what is no longer valid in life: a long overdue letting go. For others, it is untold joy and peace with oneself and life in general. No one who comes here with receptive mind and heart will leave quite the same as they were before.
After discovering Waipio during one of my first trips to the island of Hawaii, I later visited the valley with my sister and my niece, because they just had to see it. We each had slightly different experiences and sensations during the tour. But it affected us to our very core. I’m not sure what happened, but a new bond was formed among us, and we suddenly were all closer and stronger and more loving than before. I go there in my dreams nearly every night to recapture that powerful energy and emotion all over again. I gaze at the photos that I took of the valley and I get goose bumps. I plan to return as often as I can.