The first time I saw dolphins

my dolphin ART


 

I keep on repeating myself, but I am so blessed to be living here in Hawaii.

I told you yesterday I want to write the turtle and dolphin stories, but to put it in a blog every day feels too much pressure for me. So I am writing my experiences down and there is some light in my heart to make a new book with my experiences and paintings…J and do it through that channel.

The very first time I saw dolphins was on a boat in Kona, Big Island.
I just arrived in Hawaii, about a week I think and I had the opportunity to go with a small boat and the guests of the work exchange place I was staying.
We were living in tents on a large piece of land. It was magic, but also scary and different for me. The land was from a Dutch lady that rented out her huge army tents for tourists and work exchangers. I was a work exchanger. In exchange I could stay on her land and swim with dolphins.

I kind of came to Hawaii with two reasons. One my friend G. was giving a workshop and she asked me to come and experience Hawaii. Second I was sick; my thyroid wasn’t working anymore after having anorexia nervosa for 14 years. My doctor who was very spiritual had subscript me: the blue Ocean and dolphins!

That’s why I searched for a place where I could swim with dolphins, after the retreat with G.
The Dutch lady won because it had some familiarity…we speak the same language.
At the other hand, Belgians and people from Holland make fun of each other. We get along well, but we can’t stop making jokes about each other. And so I might be a little influenced; but the lady of the house was kind of ‘something’. J

We, Belgians…at least I am, we are a little shy sometimes. The Dutch are known to not be shy at all.
So when I came on her land, she would just sit herself down and pied while she was talking to me.
It blow me away. She was very verbal and bossy.

The tents were as big as a bedroom. They were large and the beds were covered with mosquito nets. There was furniture in the tents and it was nice, as you were living in a home, really.
That stopped if you needed to go to the bathroom, because that you had to do outside on a plastic big bucket. I remember there was a flashlight sitting next to it and an umbrella on top of it (in case it rains)
There were outdoor showers and they were a little hidden by the banana plants. But otherwise, you were just standing there…naked…J on lava rocks trying to keep your balance while you were doing your thing…J
I wasn’t used to this. I was very shy.
My shower was just below the outdoor kitchen; so all the guests could see me, really.

The outdoor kitchen was beautiful. It had a roof, so it was covered when it rained. (It doesn’t rain a lot, just in the afternoon sometimes)
It looked like those island kitchens; well that was it…only build outside between the lava rocks and underneath a big tree. In the tree was growing lilikoi (passion fruit) and you would hear now and then one falling on the roof.
All the tents had pathways and they were all leading to the kitchen.

The land was large and was kind of on a hill. We were located just above Kealakekua bay!
It would go down covered with lava rocks and grass. The grass was my job. I had to cut it down with a sickle.

The two guests that were there now were a mother of 70 and her daughter. They were both Dutch, but the daughter was living in L.A. We became really good friends. I visited the mother in the Netherlands and then they came back to see me in Maui.

Anyway I can tell or write you many stories of the things that happened and I will. But today I wanted to share my first encounter with dolphins.

It was because of the 70 year old mother and daughter that I got on the boat. Normally that was not for work exchangers. But I got on!

I remember sitting in the back of the truck together with A., the daughter laughing and giggling on our way to the little harbor in Kona. We had a small little boat, just big enough for the 5 of us. The 70 year old mother, that is F., than A. the daughter, C. the landlady, the captain and I. J

It was magnificent there middle in the Ocean. The water was so intense turquoise. I estimate it was my 5^th day in Hawaii and I didn’t really touch the deep blue yet. I was scared of highs and depths.
 But I wasn’t anymore after that day.
The captain stopped the boat and we could jump in, he had spotted dolphins somewhere.

We were really far out in the middle of nowhere.

We all jumped in and F. got scared and tried to hold on me, pushed me under…
haha I was the one scared. J
It was my first time in the depth of the ocean…J
I got under and got water in my snorkel.
F. was trying to hold on me and I just had to make myself loose.

I got scared and panicked and tried to grab the boat and almost ended in the ‘thing that turns behind the boat’ ( the Dutch word is escaping me right now…J so also the English one…)

Anyway the captain shouted at me, because he got scared and so I ended up in the boat missing the dolphins.
A., the daughter was furious with her mom…

And I was sad…shoot I missed them.

We all got on board and I was ok.
Sometimes we get things like that and they are blessings in disguise.
After that I never ever was scared anymore of depths or heights…J

You never know…
never say it is a bad thing that is happening, because you can’t know for sure.
The universe is working behind the scenes and we don’t know the higher purpose of it all. J
As Mama=P would teach me; EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IS FOR YOU!

A half hour later we got the visit of our lives. A whole pod of dolphins visited our boat and cruised with us for about an hour. It was as if they were sticking at the front of our boat. Oh my God!
My heart was beating so hard. I was so excited, so IN LOVE!!!!!

I called them angels of the Ocean….
and that they are still for me…
I love them so much and they know it!

 

Love Tamara Rainbow
www.rainbowsheart.com