Isabela Seduced Me as I Hiked down to the Beach…

The path past the swimming pool was headed in the right direction—DOWN!

Catchy title I know but that is exactly what happened to me! I am only using her first name here because she is part of a Royal Family. The encounter was as innocent, as unintended as it could be. I was on assignment with Andy's Golf & Travel Diary at Royal Isabela in Puerto Rico (oops I may have outed her). I have to make up for my lack of competence as a golf writer (and perhaps a lover) with preparation and thoroughness. In the future Royal Isabela will be expanding their golf course with the addition of three holes down on the beach. My task was simple—to venture down to the beach and get a feel for the setting. I awoke early in the morning and was summoned to take a walk down to the beach. The sun was just coming up. Jonathan Star's Two Suns Rising, given me by Didier my yogi, was going to be apropos in my life after all.

Thee were exotic flowers to be observed along the way...

I remembered how I was drawn to the beach at Royal Isabela the day before. I sensed her desire for me to explore her beach the first time I played the Golf Links. While walking up to the first green the blue Atlantic is visible through a V-shaped gap in the ridge. Her coast and sands are hidden from that vantage point though one knows her beach must be there. The waves coming inward, some cresting and breaking, must have a place to find rest. Once I learned of the future plans for ocean side holes and that there was a path for guests to descend to the beach I knew I had to venture to her sandy shores.

I remembered yesterday's view from above of the wide beach accessible through a V-shaped gorge.

On the back nine the beauty of the beach is fully exposed on most every hole. The vastness of the ocean lays below the golfer as we traverse the sandy plateau dressed up in green tees and fairways. Her putting greens are our only desire as golfers with club in hand. Her most enticing, most sought after feature are the 4-1/2 inch holes our golf balls roll into if we are skilled and fortunate at the game. The golfer quickly arrives at the edge of the cliff with a full view of the ocean and a rocky beach immediately below at the short 11th. Further north though one can see an indentation in the mountainous sides of the plateau and all of her wet and sandy beauty lays in the distance. Perhaps like the double 12th & 14th green above there will one day be a matching green pair below. Doubtful with only a threesome of holes that two would share a green. As the ocean wind massaged my face, it was here at the bow of the back nine, that my yearning from within came to seek Isabela’s invitation to visit her at her lowest depths.

This sign gave me feedback that I was headed in the right direction.

The best view of the beach is to the north or to the south, not down below for one cannot see the beach there unless one is at the very edge of the cliff looking straight down several hundred feet. The fear is too immense, the vegetation too slippery and dangerous to get that close to see the white of her beauty from straight above. Isn’t it as difficult for us to look straight in the mirror, straight into one’s own eyes. We easily focus on the hair or the makeup but not on the vastness within our or others' pupils. Isabela was calling to me to come visit her ground zero, where her beauty and mystic ways began. I knew my chance might be tomorrow, in the early morning, just before departure from this golfing and living paradise. She was calling to me to discover yet another of her beautiful attributes. There was something more too. I was not sure what it was. I had an inkling it was something about me, not her.

The quality of the stonework on the path to the beach was of 'Isabela Quality.'

It wasn't a risky trek down to the beach though my early morning thought was that we all have a common destiny—death. We are all destined to die hopefully surrounded by family and friends. But in the end, we take that step, like birth, alone and individually. I wondered if we will hear the call of our Lord like the roar of the sea to come home, to follow Him, to stay the path. I realized I didn't know where I was going. I had heard there was a path down to the beach and that is all I knew. It had to be close by being within the V-shaped gorge. I found a main path and walked it until it emerged near the first green and knew I had gone too far. I turned around and this time took a right past the secluded swimming pool and found a new path heading the right way- down hill. Why is it we think of directions as left or right and not up or down?

Wooden stairs took me safely down steep descents.

Ahead, after a few minutes I could see that the path ended in a circle area. There was a sign next to a gate referencing the gate as the gate to the beach so I was in the right place. Unlocked, I opened it and continued my odyssey downward to the beach. The path now became a series of connected stone steps and wooden platforms and steps. Stonework was utilized for the gradual descents while the woodwork was the choice of construction for the steep grades. The attention to detail and creative design of my new world embraced me as almost like being swept into a people mover at Disneyland. There were cliff walls to my left and jungle dropoffs to my right and only one way to go—down! I went merrily on my way with excitement to be answering Isabela's call.

There was a small cave in the side of the cliff.

But I realized it was not only Isabela's call but that of the ocean—its increasingly louder roar being amplified up the canyon as I drew closer. The face of the native Taino near the entrance to Royal Isabela where one turns off the main road came into my mind. I recalled the profile of another, or perhaps the same, indigenous person visible in the cliffs from the 12th tee. Am I walking a suspended pathway down through where they have walked since time began? I noticed a small cave in the side of the cliff and now wonder what native and wild animals lived in this slanted jungle between grounded civilization and watery wilderness. What if one were to suddenly appear? Would I jump over the railing and be more or less at risk in its native vegetation and landscape. Would the beast be more afraid than I? Though I felt inspired and that I was on the right path to my destination I still felt a bit of fear within the descending tunnel of jungle. What was happening was that simply the fear of the unknown was overcome by the excitement and joy of a new adventure. This was to be a new relationship with Isabela.

Bright and narrow was the path before me.

The way became narrower though brighter. I sensed I was getting somewhere. Most of the journey down to the beach was over or so I thought. They saw there is darkness before the dawn, calm before the storm but I haven't heard anything about narrowness and brightness? It is always brighter once the sun comes up and now I was emerging from the darkness of the jungle and cliff encased descent to see that brightness of the risen sun. The one and only we think though we do not know. We know the corners of our rooms, the surface of our planet but not the edges of the universe or the depths of the sea. It is good to know what we do not know. If only we could remember that very one thing we do know when we think we know so much more about ourselves and others. I wonder what the native Tainos knew about Isabela, her land, her abundance and her love?

Once past the gate it was all unobstructed downhill to the beach.

When I came to the end of the walkway there was a gate. It was locked shut with a chain. Funny how the entrance was unlocked and now once I am within my journey I find shackles which prevent me from exiting this phase and continuing on to the beach. I check my watch and according to my watch I am past opening time and before closing time. It makes sense if you could only lock one gate to lock the one closest to the perceived danger and farthest away from that which you are trying to protect and keep safe. I have a flashback to Rio de Janeiro on the Journey to Olympic Golf where I scaled a fence to get closer to and get a better view of Sugarloaf Mountain. But that was after hours and I was encouraged to do so by a Carioca girl. When in Rio do as the Carioca girls tell you to do is my only South American slogan. As I pondered what to do next in my present situation the thought that time is relative came to me. Who really knows what time it is? Maybe I am off by an hour due to misinterpreting local daylight savings customs. That has happened to me before. Is time real or simply something we fabricated. Am I soon to be 55 years old or simply only 20 thousand-days young? Needing to get to the beach I hopped the gate. Moments later I said hello to the security guy who was coming up from the beach to open it for the day. I didn't share my thoughts with him because they were frivolous and I knew he probably has other tasks to get to and do today.

When I reached the beach and saw another Taino face I realized both suns had risen for me that morning with Isabela.

So did I as I was leaving Royal Isabela later today and hoping to get nine more holes of golf in before I left. But this was important to do. To see where the future golf holes were to be designed and located. But I realized that I hadn't thought of that, even once, since I left the casita. Here I was on some sort of 'discovery of self' journey. Somehow I was being seduced to do this and to continue on by Isabela herself. How could that be? It doesn't make sense. I came for the golf, the room and the food. Let's keep life simple, right? But what is life? Why are we on the path that we have chosen? How much time do we have left? These aren't simple thoughts and questions, are they? But they seemed to be being answered for me as I made my way to the beach. Maybe it is simple? At that moment I was having the time of my life. I was clear and present in the moment. I was physically safe and sound but felt nothing physically. I was emotionally secure and balanced then though I know some readers might be questioning my sanity now. My thoughts were clear. In the background my mind was only being called to action to think for me when it seemed my soul needed it to. My soul was summoning and directing the mind to function when needed. How serene it was. Isabela had indeed seduced me into a state that quite frankly was better than other seductive states of being that I have been in.

Another native Taino face greeted me at the beach after two suns rose that morning at Isabela.

I realized there is more to me to be discovered by me and others. The corners of our rooms are self imposed exiles from the true life that is innate within each of us. Any locked gate can be climbed over whether or not there is a Carioca girl present to encourage and help. That is fine if there is but we can do it ourselves too. Connecting with self can be a thrilling experience. To hear and answer the call from within can be as simple and as transforming as we want and need it to be. There is something more within each of us, there when we seek it—a renewed spirit, another energized look at our lives and a commitment to live each day to its fullest knowing that the greatest gift in the world is to be alive. For me on that morning it was to be alive and embracing Isabela one more time in a closer, more meaningful manner than ever before. She’s mature now in all senses of life and understanding. It is the young and wise beauty of her that brings out the joy and gratitude in me. It’s a beautiful thing and I can’t wait to visit her again though this time I have taken a bit of her endless spirit, grace and beauty along with me deep within the heart she touched on that journey down to the beach early one morning.

I hope to return to see those three new golf holes and feel the warmth of Isabela once again.

Two suns rose for me that morning at Royal Isabela. When I reached the beach and went to the water I looked to the south and there in the cliffs I saw another Taino face. Similar but different than the one at the entrance and the one off the 12th tee further south. This one was right here, close by, next to me. I wondered how many dual sunrises he had witness in his lifetime. I wondered if he had ever read the following poem from Rumi placed as an introduction to Jonathan Star's Two Suns Rising book? I simply wonder and hope you do too...