WHO IS LUKI ?

January 18, 2011

Last year, 2010, I took my sailboat, Bella Donna, from Puerto Viarta down the Central American west coast, through the Panama Canal, hugged the South American coast from Columbia to Venezuela, up between The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rica to the British Virgin Islands, finishing at theVillage Key Marina on the island of Tortola after stoping to wet the whistle at Soggy Dollar, Foxy's, the Willy T, and a swim at Peter Island. It was way back in Costa Rica we met Luki in Carrillo Hermosa, Costa Rica, a little playa (beach) town on Gulfo De Papagyo. Luki is a feisty little critter with lots of attitude is always alertly scanning the horizon. He lives 24X7 on a perch and never sleeps; always vigilant to any puff of wind or motion of the boat. Any significant disturbance to his perch and the attached bamboo chimes sound a warning. Also attached to his perch is a notice that reads Pura Vita which in his home, Costa Rica, means pure life or good life, anyway it is kind of like a toast to a good life that friends make with one another when drinking a sundowner, more about that latter.

We returned to Bella Donna and hung Luki over the table in the salon. There he kept watch on us until we were safely tied to the dock in Village Key Marina in the British Virgin Islands. He was often in alert mode. On a sail boat in the sea there is always, hopefully, wind and always swells to rock the boat. That is OK, Luki got a long deserved rest as we carefully wrapped him up and placed him in a leather travel bag purchased in Costa Rica. He slept soundly in a place that was dark, had a warm Costa Rica leather smell therefore reminding him of home. Alongside Luki for the long rest was the ring game, from Soggy Dollar in the BVI. One day the bag was wisk up and hand carried to their new home, Kailua Kona, Hawaii. They emerged from their bag and now hang in the Tiki Bar at the Johnson Family Hale, Hawaiian home.

Today, this early morning, Luki and I are in the tike hut feeling the Hawaiian day begin. The perfect warm yet refreshing tropical breeze is building from the winter Pacific sea. The swells are big today, crashing on the lava shore sending white water and salt spray high into the air where the breeze transports it to end up in and on our hale. We conduct a constant war against the layer of salt left on everything. Tropical birds are conducting their morning social rituals. Luki chimes in with his bamboo wind chime tail broadcasting a message I understand about as well as I do the multilingual conversations of the other feathered friends. Occasionally a person passes in our view on the Hawaiian Trail that is a narrow path on top of a wall just beyond our pool toward the ocean. Theoretically, the Hawaiian trail will continue one day to go around the entire island at or near the high water line. Year round, early in the morning, you can see people of all ages, shapes and sizes walking or jogging on the trail. Some are in top shape and some look like there minutes away from a 911 call. Legend has it that this area of the Hawaiian Trail is sacred as many years ago leaders were buried here. For whatever reason, the mood of this place calms the spirit.