First of all, I don’t really believe in “hell” as is usually understood – and, probably, neither in heaven as usually perceived. But the moments  when I opened my eyes into the new day being born felt like I must have transcended into what could be called the Heaven.

I woke up a few times during the rest of the night into the palm trees singing in the wind and stars shining so bright that it always seemed like if I was still dreaming. Every time I said “hi” to them, listened to a few waves beat against the rock I slept on, turned over and drifted back to the land of dreams.

The next time I opened my eyes, I noticed the sky changed a tiny bit – from pure black into deep blue. A change so slight it wouldn’t be probably called a change by anyone but it was there. My phone said it was a bit before five. I could have tried to go back to sleep but I didn’t really want to, neither I needed it.

My mind was so clear and my senses so sharp that it would be impossible for me to even close my eyes, let alone trying to sleep. Instead, I just wrapped myself in my sleeping bag and watched the clouds pass by, the eastern horizon getting gradually lighter.

Now it’s a couple hours later and I’m still sitting on my “bed” while the sun is about to peek out from behind the horizon. I can feel the anticipation the whole world is in, everything and everybody is so ready for the sun. It must be happening every second now. Every second.

The clouds collecting in the East are dark blue and bright orange, the fine blue sky’s got the slight orange tinge. That must be it.

The birds, singing so loudly, grow suddenly quiet, the ocean unusually calm. The wind slows down. It’s just for a second. And in this very second, the first of the sun appears, while the birds go crazy and a huge wave beats against my lava bed so strongly that a few drops of salt water land on my cheek.

The rest of it is quick. The sun runs up into the sky like if trying to make up for the lost time it spent lingering right below the horizon. The clouds change colour so rapidly it seems almost impossible. And a new day is here.

I must have woken up into heaven. If there is any, this is how it must look.

But there’s this one thing that comes with the sun which I absolutely can’t cope with. What it is, you’re asking? Well, quite the obvious; warmth. In this case, heat. Since the moment when the first, still a bit cold sunrays touched me, I’m sweating already.

I put my sleeping bag in the car, spreading it over the back seats so it can get dry, get a pack of pop tarts and a can of green tea out and have a quick breakfast. Then take a walk along the ocean while everybody else is still sleeping in their tents. Oh, what they missed and are missing on!

The waves are beating against the black rock, the day is still young. The air is trying its best to be and feel refreshing but even the cool wind coming from the ocean is becoming less and less efficient and very soon, the nice, clean, dry clothes I put on are becoming drenched in sweat. My body really can’t cope with the heat and by the time I see other people wake up and get out of their tents, I must flee the beach. The heaven has turned into hell. (Alright, it’s not that bad, it’s still a beautiful place, I just really can’t cope well with the temperature.)

I get into my car, turn the A/C on and start driving towards my first destination: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

The previous Searching-the-Aloha article is HERE.

The next one is waiting for you right HERE.

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And have a day full of beauty! 🙂

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