Picture this (or don’t): I’m stark naked, it’s pitch dark outside, the frogs are blaring a symphony of “ooh-weet,” and I have no idea where I am.
I’m covered with the dirt and grime of the hot, sweaty, humid day. I can’t see anything.
Sounds rather dire, doesn’t it? It’s not. I turn around, fumble with the iron switch on the wooden post, and feel the warm water start to fall on my head. That’s how you take showers here – naked, in the dark, surrounded by frogs. Heaven!
Sorry that I had to mention the shower – I really just needed to catch your attention. I arrived in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii yesterday, and was met by “S” (one of my WWOOF hosts) at the airport. S dropped a lei of plumeria (frangipani) on my neck and I immediately knew I was in for something special. We drove for 45 minute on the beautiful flank of Mauna Loa until we reached the farm.
The farm (a 3 or so acre lot) is surrounded by coffee and macadamia but trees which, as I learned, are a common combination here in Kona (macadamia nuts create much needed shade for the coffee berries to grow). This place is unbelievable. The variety of wildlife is staggering, a true kaleidoscope of colors and spice market of scents.
The farm house is a true architectural masterpiece – this makes sense, as “C” (my other WWOOF host) is an expert and published author on feng shui. With permission, I’ll post some pictures of the place later – suffice to say that the modest rooms are beautifully in touch with nature (no walls – just screens), the kitchen filled with interesting local fruits and vegetables, and the library exploding with 3000 books (oh, and don’t forget the majestic Zen Buddhist altar in the study).
I was taken to my room, or “space” as C and S call it, and genuinely nearly fainted. My private home for the next 3 weeks is a 10’X10’ shack with walls of transparent plastic, mesh, and a fantastic aluminum roof which “plop-plops” when the rain hits. The floor is covered with a woven-leaf mat, and my bed lies on 2 empty macadamia nut crates. Flowers push up against the plastic walls everywhere, and geckos and slugs and butterflies and mongooses are always saying “hello” through their adventures on my roof.
Time to go to sleep – we wake up with the sun here. Sounds cliche, but it works!