The Bus slowly climbs the hill, up and away from downtown, heading toward the mountain pass that separates Honolulu from the windward side of the island. We were on this same route late last night, at that time going the opposite direction and completely unaware of the Jurassic Park-esque terrain shrouded in inky black night just outside the window. I half expect a pterodactyl to come swooping down from a cliff above us.
We crest the pass and start the descent; the deep turquoise blue of the Pacific is visible in the distance. We get off of the bus just across the street from the entrance to the Valley of the Temples, and what looks like a steep uphill climb to the gatehouse.
Upon reaching the gatehouse, the attendant asks us if we are here to see Byodo-In Temple. We are. ‘Just over the hill,’ he says. Who doesn’t like a big reveal, after all?
feather + fir 