Cath and I had finally made the transition from Maui to Kauai’s north shore – where we had just spent the last couple of weeks. We have been coming to Maui almost every year since the 80’s. Maui will always be – a “Funmeister” travel destination – but Maui has just grown too much – too fast. With that said – there is one place on the island – that will always be the true essence of “aloha” – we will forever return – to Hana.

Hana, is where Cath will someday spread a few of my ashes. The Hana coast – Hamoa Beach – Frigate Island – Red Sand Beach – and Hana Ranch. The drive – town – sun – fun – horses – cattle – pastures – clouds – mist – rain – sun rise – sunset – moonrise – mushrooms – music – the people – families – their way of life – Hana – O’Hana. And of course, Hotel Hana – Maui – this is Maui – this is Hawaii.

It was the Christmas season and we decided to spend the holiday in Hana. On our way in from the airport – we often stop to visit our friends – Fred and Suzie – we met them through horses at the World Equestrian Games in Roma – they have the most beautiful home and riding arena on the slopes of Haleakala – surrounded by Ulupalakau Ranch. We had dinner with them – stayed the night – then headed out on the back road to Hana. We stopped at the Winery – then headed out on to the Piilani Hwy – had a sandwich at the “wacky” store in Kaupo – like always it was a windy – but a beautiful adventurous drive. Up around Mamalu Bay – we stopped and went for a swim at a waterfall and pool – dried off on the hot rocks – then drove on around to Kipahulu – looking for birds – past Seven Sacred Pools – finally reaching Hana in the late afternoon. (We take the old “Road to Hana” when we go back to the airport in Kahului) completing the loop. After a sunset at Hamoa Beach – we eat dinner at the Hotel – then settled in for a peaceful night’s sleep. If you’ve been on the islands long enough – you actually lose track of time – TV – cell phone – shoes – your clothes – even your watch. You live by the sun – get up with the sunrise – go to bed with the sunset – your life cycle is in tune with the earth and sun.

That night – I’m sleeping like a rock – suddenly – something – a flash – a giant flash of light wakes me. It was the strangest thing – in the middle of the night – like someone was outside was using an old fashion camera – with flash bulbs – big ol’ flashes. Over here – then over there – across to the other side of the room – there was no rhythm or rhyme – no timing to this light.

I thought it must be lightning – but there was no thunder? – so I got up – went outside – stood on the porch – it was as still as it could be – I could see nothing – pitch black – no moon – no storm – no rain – no thunder – not a sound – what’s going on here? Then it flashed again – behind me – I jumped – spun around – then again and again. When I finally got a straight shot – head on look – the flashes seemed to be concealed behind a dark shadow – a veil hidden within the darkness – the light was dancing deep within the black night’s clouds. I could see the outline – edges of clouds – but far – far away. It lasted an hour – it was the most incredible black and white – silent light show. Like strobes flashing within distant clouds – eventually becoming slithering bolts of lightning – shooting sideways – horizontal – not vertical – flying – crawling branches – ripping across the entire sky – they rolled like fire balls – thrown from the Gods – the sign of Zorro – electric sparks and charges – instantly exploding – it was like Armageddon – a rocket’s white flash – a flash so bright you could see everything – then instantly blinded and see nothing – stinging my eyes – my pupils couldn’t adjust fast enough – I couldn’t see – I couldn’t see. But still no sound?

As I stood and watched – a soft wind started to blow – it was warm and mysterious – the flashes grew more frequent– still no thunder – only flashing light. Then the famous Hawaiian mist – started to float slowly on the breeze – they call it rain – Hana rain. I had been up for two hours – trying to figure this out – but now its here – I know it’s a storm – growin’ – blowin’– I could smell it – now it really started to rain. The wind slowly grew – from a breeze to a blow – to a howl – to a ragin’ river – with unbelievable force – rolling down off the eastern slopes of Haleakala – with crushing power – swirling – shooting up – down – then comin’ at me sideways. She blasted all night – it wouldn’t – it just couldn’t stop. It rained in sheets – pounding on the tin roof so hard – you couldn’t hear – feel or think.

Underneath all this – like a foundation of sound – a slow quiet rumble started – from way out in the distance – way – way out – rolling – flowing – an eruption – coming up from the ocean floor – there was no timing – no connection to the flash! – growing louder and louder – slowly the sound started to connect to the flashes. Long sheets of waffling steel – slowly creeping up on me – shotgun blasts – lightning cracks – sonic booms – rolling in across the sea – comin’ at me – an atomic blast – you could feel the shock waves – like pounding surf – inside a giant curling wave – rollin’ – whirling – ringing in my ears – repeating so fast – that now you couldn’t make out each roaring boom – it took me to my knees – I couldn’t hear.

I knew it was a spiritual event unfolding – it had arrived – the Mana – the powerful Pele’ – the Gods were now speaking – they are playing their games. Like World War III – up from the bowels of the earth – it seemed to last forever. The energy of the storm became so strong – it shook my soul – the room – the earth – every fiber of my body. It was the most amazing textures of sound – light – and vibration – I’ve ever experienced – in three hours – over six inches of rain fell. It was the best night I’ve had since the Northern Lights in Alaska.

Just as life – all storms must end – it started to lighten. Slowly – oh so slowly it started to unwind – out in the night – the sky – the water – the earth – all looked as one – melted melded together. Then the thunder – the rain – the wind – the blackness of night – started to separate – turning into all different shades of gray – was it starting to reveal a new day? A low soft hue – a morning light – a sliver of yellow orange light – sliding along the edge of the ocean’s horizon – it was trying to break though – a morning sunrise? I started to make out the edges of the clouds – began to see the surf – crashing waves – horses in the pasture – even colors of green. Oh, my God, is that a patch of blue? Are we going to Hamoa Beach today? I couldn’t believe it! It finished the way it started – but in reverse – for another hour – no flashes – no lightning – only the rolling – booming – rumbling – waves of thunder – floating away from me.

Finally, I walked off the porch to looked around – checked things out. Palm fronds – pieces of roofing – it looked like a Tornado had come through. – Oh no – wait – behind me encasing Haleakala – were the biggest – blackest clouds – like a huge rolling blanket – comin’ right at me! It had been a false alarm. This storm wasn’t going die this easy – it wasn’t going to end this way? I couldn’t believe it! The wind started blowin’ – faster this time – rain started fallin’ – harder this time – with the slow low rollin’ – boomin’ – thunder roars – rumblin’ in the distance – but no lightning – the black blanket covered the earth and sea . Mother Nature in her fullness. When it finally stopped – there was a long period of unbelievable colors and light – again – the thunder kept slowly driftin’ away – in slow motion – two more inches of rain had fallen – it took another hour for the rumbling to stop – the sky finally cleared for another beautiful Hana blue sky day.

Later that day at Hasegawa’s store, we talked with the locals – they said the Kapuna (the elders) of Hana – hadn’t seen a storm like this since they were children – decades ago.