The road to Hana led east from Paia, Maui – it was a dangerous sharp-curved narrow road, with the scene changing constantly with each turn. The new macadam road was paved over old graveled ruts and potholes of yesterday that had kept only the most adventurous from traveling on it. Many were the streams and water falls, some impenetrable, others where you could stop and take a dip. The green rain forest was sprinkled now and then by wild ginger, red and green ti’s, banks of ferns, banana groves and bamboo forests. Only a few cluster of houses were noticeable, some with taro patches in Wailua and Keanae.

Judy, Susan, my sister and I were excited about this trip to Hana as we were going to Hamoa Beach for a swim a few miles past Hana town. After stopping at Hasegawa General Store for some picnic food we were on our way. After lunch and all our opus were piha we took a short rest. The ocean pulsated with a vital force as we eagerly jumped into the waves as they raced over the beach fanning onto the sand; swimming way out to try to ride one back in, I could imagine underneath the surface the collection of fins, tentacles, claws and other amazing sea life in this expansive deep blue endless sea that welcomed us.

Auwe , all of a sudden I was in peril! A huge riptide had caught me in its swirling water and was pulling me swiftly under faster than the speed of light. The extremely powerful consuming ocean had me in its grips. Could I hold my breath long enough to survive this submersion very close to the rocky cliff line? After what seemed like an eternity to me, I finally popped up arms reaching for air; exhausted, with my heart pounding fast, I swam back to shore looking over the waves, white spray flashing over my head and collapsed, my weak limbs sinking into the warm ochre colored sand where my sister was waiting.

Her brown, and beautiful expressive eyes, were fixed with concern on me as she stood to greet me back on shore. She said, “You look beat!” “Wow,” I said. “It’s more dangerous than it looks out there.” “I had the scare of my life and could have surely drowned this time.” “You’re pupule , sista, to swim so far out.” “Don’t you remember only a few short months ago when you encountered a school of jellyfish in Kihei that wrapped their tentacles around your arm?” she asked. “Oh, yes, those were Portuguese Man-of-War” I said. “That was sure painful, but not half as frightening as today.” Oddly, I was feeling euphoric. The sea I loved – always so salty, therapeutic, caressing and embracing to me. Into its realm I had been enveloped and luckily escaped its threatening capture today.

As the four of us rose from the soothing sand to leave for the long drive home to Wailuku the copper sun was sinking, its gold casting through the waves, its shadows lengthening on the beach. Pretty soon without sunlight there would be no more shadows. My final thought upon leaving beautiful Hamoa Bay was that I would be back. We not only survived the road to Hana, but I survived my swim at Hamoa Beach. Could it have been my amakua watching over me, the beautiful green sea turtle called a honu .

Hawaiian Glossary

• Amakua: animal guardian spirit.
• Auwe: O dear! Oh! Too bad!
• Honu: green sea turtle.
• Opu: stomach.
• Piha: completely full.
• Pupule: crazy.