| Dark ominous rain clouds
loomed on the horizon as my husband, Ed, and I drove the short distance
from our hotel room in Honolulu, Hawaii, to the park in a crater below
Diamond Head on the island of O'ahu. We had been told by fellow kite
flying enthusiasts, that the trek to the top of Diamond Head was an experience
not to be missed. We had come to the island to attend a kite flying
convention. We had taken the bus tour around O'ahu, and flew our
kites on rocky secluded shores and lush open parks. I made numerous
sketches of the scenes. I recorded as much as I could with camera
and mental notes. The impressive mountain range slicing through the
island intrigued and awed me. We did all the tourist things, from
the waterfalls to the nightlife. Now, the culmination of our brief
vacation would be to see the island and her surrounding sea from the high
vantage point at the top of Diamond Head.
"We did all the tourist things,
from the waterfalls to the nightlife"
At the park headquarters we were offered the
opportunity to rent a flashlight. There would be a long dark tunnel
through which we had to pass on our climb to the top. We declined.
The gradual incline soon gave way to rough hewn steps twisting ever upward.
There were numerous pauses for me to "catch my breath". Eventually
we came upon the tunnel that had been described to us. There was
a group of teenagers ahead of us. As we entered the blackness we
realized that they did not have a flashlight either. Any glimmer
of light soon disappeared behind us. For what seemed an interminable
interlude, we pressed forward within cold, damp walls accompanied by shreiks
and squeals from somewhere up ahead. Determinedly I pressed on.
At last the light glowed before us and we were out into the welcome breath
of fresh air recently sweetened by a sudden shower. Again we climbed
steeply along the serpentine torturous trail.
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There was one more
obstacle yet to be overcome. It seems that during the second World
War, a bunker had been constructed at the top of the mountain for a look
out. This, it appeared, was our destination. However, to get
through to the top there was a dark narrow passageway (straight upward
by only a slippery metal ladder) to be negotiated by someone of dexterity
and slenderness of build. (Only one of which traits I possessed.)
The reward at the apex was worth the trip
Before us stretched the mighty ocean as far as you could see in 180 degrees.
To our right lay the glittering city of Honolulu, a rainbow crowning her
glory. To the left we saw distant shafts of slanting rain.
And far below we perceived the lighthouse and surrounding homes with swimming
pools in large impressive estates. It was the lighthouse that captured
my attention.
"It was the lighthouse that captured
my attention."
The lighthouse at Diamond Head has been a continuous
beacon to warn mariners of the treacherous rocks off Waikiki Beach since
first erected in 1899. A third order Fresnel lens rests atop a 55'
tower of reinforced concrete that was built in 1917. (To learn more
about this historic site, enter keywords on your favorite search engine:
Diamond Head Lighthouse). Many wonderful photographs have been published
of this lighthouse, but I chose to paint her from the vantage point at
the top of the headland looking down. It shows the unique shape of
the tower with the coral reefs far below in the crystal clear aquamarine
water.
The trek to the top of Diamond Head stands
out in my memory as an adventure unequalled. I plan to return to
the Hawai ian Islands soon to gather research material on the other lighthouses
of this delightful paradise.
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