What an adventure we have begun!  We have entered into a world that we have never known. It began when we flew into Kahului on Maui and stayed for the night on the Kahului Bay. Even though it was beautiful where we were, the dark clouds over the near mountains never left.  It seemed a perpetual rain forest. That's part of our story: rain.  It comes in torrents, at any time, but mostly at night, and then it goes, just as quickly. Everything is lush. It’s reminiscent of a few Ray Bradbury short stories: “The Sun Dome” and “There Will Come Soft Rains”. It feels like in the WWII movies in Borneo. A machete could cut a path, and then look behind and the path is gone.

            The next day, Peter, our clinic guide took us to the local SafeWay for supplies before we headed to Hana. Talk about sticker shock! Just about everything was at least twice as expensive as what we pay at home. But we were told to stock up, because once we get to Hana, it’ll really cost you.

            Then the trip. If you have ever heard of the

Hana Highway

and its experience, it is no lie. It hugs the coast, often single file and hairpin turns, for over 50 miles. It’s the only road in and the only road out. A trip to town seems a monthly concept. 

            There is, to be sure, a feeling of being cut off from the world. Fortunately, we do have the internet, and can get the local paper, albeit, it’s the next day’s. If the road washes out or a tree falls across, just hang loose. Everything goes at a slower pace.

            So we settled in to a sweet half house for the next two weeks, a stone's throw from the Hana Bay and the dormant Haleakala volcano behind us. Then will move over to a “cottage” by the water. Hana is a very small community of about 600 of mostly locals and one luxury hotel of the transient rich. It’s easy to spot the difference.

Amy has started today as the doctor in the Hana Clinic, and it seems she is just one step down from God because of this. The fact that I’m her husband doesn’t seem to carry much weight.

Our diet is a healthy one: fresh vegetables (Amy's clinic runs the local farmers' market); fresh fish, which comes in almost daily; and fruit. Much of the fruit we don't have to buy; it just grows here. On the ground avocados abound -it's guacamole heaven; outside our "home" is a lime tree, banana tree, and coconut tree. The papaya and star fruit are especially tasty, but there are many fruits and foods we have yet to experience.  Everywhere are lilikois (passion fruit). Alex and Kelcey named our granddaughter Lilikoi (Lili) after these (Alex had stayed on Maui many years before). The fruit is sharp and sweet. Is this a metaphor for our little girl?