Chasing the morning light 💫

To look out for a friend who would accompany me for a sunrise hike in the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii, has been quite a search! I think it was more demanding than finding the ‘right’ partner (no pun intended). Since the time I landed on this island, I have been dreaming to see a sunrise overlooking the magnificent Pacific. But there were many reasons for not being able to find a company. While few didn’t want to disturb their sleep for all the obvious reasons, others were paranoid about their sun getting exposed to sunrays. And with some, the plans just fell through the cracks every time.

But knowing how persistent I can be when it came to hikes and seeing places, I didn’t stop my search. Some of you might think that if I was so interested what made me wait for so long. Well, I truly believed in the saying that a beautiful experience should always be shared. In addition, it also meant shared Uber rides! Believe me, such calculations are important if you are living in one of the most expensive cities in US. 

So after almost two and a half months, I finally found three friends who agreed to accompany me. I sometime think that my convincing skills at times can do some serious magic.

Eagerly waiting to watch the first rays of the rising sun at Makapau'u.

And here I was – all ready to hike up the Makapau’u trail to witness the first golden rays of the rising sun. The walk up to the view point was worth all the wait. Makapau’u is on the eastern end of the Oahu island and offered some of the most scenic views in the entire island.

The magnificent sunrise towering over the Pacific.

With clouds towering over the Pacific and the faint sight of Molokai island at the horizon, the sun finally rose at sharp 6:30am. The view was stunning. There was a riot of colours. The sun looked tiny amongst the clouds and the endless Pacific. Yet its rays were glorious enough to surpass the vastness of the ocean. Together, the three put up an enthralling show for its onlookers.  And not to mention I was elated! I surely felt a sense of accomplishment – for being able to witness the sunrise from one of the most stunning points in Oahu to being able to share this memorable experience with my friends.

The lighthouse at Makapau is an active lighthouse of the United States Coast Guard.

The hike brought another tripping point for me. The Makapau’u lighthouse. Still an active lighthouse of the United State Coast Guards, the ‘lighthouse’ to me looked like straight out of Enid Blyton’s novel series the ‘Famous Five’. As a kid, this book had become a part of my life. It was my first window towards adventure and thrill, and I always wanted to visit a similar place. And today, I truly believe that the experience was worth the ‘chase’.