You'll Fall Asleep in Minutes...The Most Relaxing Rainy Story You'll Hear: Hunting for Orchids 🌺

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:02]Welcome to Get Sleepy, the podcast where we listen, we relax, and we get Sleepy.

[00:00:11]My name's Thomas and I'm your host.

[00:00:16]I will be narrating tonight as we venture deep into the beautiful island of Kauaii in search of a rare and elusive plant.

[00:00:29]I think you'll all really love this story. And in fact, I can think of a couple of good friends of mine that I know will particularly enjoy it.

[00:00:39]If, like them, you have an innate appreciation and passion for nature and a thirst to learn all about wildlife, plants, and other parts of the natural world, then this story is definitely one for you.

[00:00:56]It draws on the excitement that can be found in simple hobbies and the achievement of witnessing rarities in nature and aspiring to discover them one by one almost like a sticker collection.

[00:01:12]And I think if you can enjoy nature in such a way then you do tend to pay all the more attention to your surroundings and it becomes that bit more rewarding to immerse yourself in it.

[00:01:29]So let's get ourselves settled and prepared to listen and to relax and fall asleep.

[00:01:39]First, find a comfortable position and begin to focus on your breath.

[00:01:49]Slowly breathe in and exhale as you relax.

[00:02:03]Find a breathing pace that feels just right for you.

[00:02:11]a pace that will help you to unwind and to settle.

[00:02:19]Just give yourself a few moments to acknowledge any thoughts that might be disrupting your calm state of mind.

[00:02:29]There's nothing more you need to concern yourself with now.

[00:02:34]The day is over.

[00:02:37]And in just the same way, as you're now resting your body by laying in bed, you can rest your head on your pillow and give yourself permission to quiet and rest your mind.

[00:03:02]So, as you continue to take some nice deep breaths, let's practice a small moment of gratitude for your body.

[00:03:15]Your legs carried you throughout the entire day, moving you from place to place and letting you go to wherever you needed to be.

[00:03:32]Your neck held your head high.

[00:03:39]Your hands helped you accomplish your goals.

[00:03:46]And each and every other part of your body played its role in allowing you to experience all of the events of your day.

[00:04:02]Take this moment to smile inward and say thank you.

[00:04:10]Thank you to your body for taking care of you throughout the day.

[00:04:22]So now you can let your breathing fall back into its natural pattern.

[00:04:28]and cuddle yourself into your pillow and duvete.

[00:04:36]And as you continue along the path to sleep, just listen to my voice as we drift to a tropical spring day.

[00:04:50]Thunder rumbles in the distance.

[00:04:53]A passing rainstorm refreshes a lush green island surrounded by the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean.

[00:05:05]As the clouds gather overhead, the people below seek cover under rooftops and overhangs to wait out the passing storm.

[00:05:38]The flowers garnishing the lay around Alia's neck let off a heavenly perfume.

[00:05:46]She reached up and traced her fingertip around the delicate petal and along the curves of waxy green leaves.

[00:05:56]She breathed in deeply.

[00:05:59]The aromatic blooms mingled with the sweet spring rain coming down on her.

[00:06:07]Alias stood beneath a broad mighty tree.

[00:06:12]Its wide branches and dense leaves protected her from the passing storm.

[00:06:19]She was so excited to be in Hawaii.

[00:06:23]She'd just arrived on the island of Kauaii and was waiting for a car to take her to the small bungalow where she'd spend the night.

[00:06:34]Tomorrow she would head out on an adventure that she'd been looking forward to for quite some time.

[00:06:42]She was going to hunt for orchids.

[00:06:47]Alia was a botonist. She loved all things that grew and had fond memories of long and lazy afternoons spent in the bot lab at school.

[00:07:00]She used to wh away the hours peering at stems, petals, and leaves under a microscope.

[00:07:09]On weekends, she'd head for the hills in search of new specimens.

[00:07:14]She kept small books of delicately pressed flowers in a shoe box by her bed.

[00:07:21]Now that she'd finished school, Aliyia spent her days working with wild flowers in the California chaperel.

[00:07:30]She loved hiking through the rolling hills where fallen sage brush crunch beneath her feet, releasing its sweet and savory scent with each step.

[00:07:43]Every year, Alia used her vacation time to visit a new place.

[00:07:48]She'd book a plane ticket, pack her bags, and go in search of some rare or special plant.

[00:07:57]She sought out jasmine in the Philippines, and seen Caribbean pine for the first time in Aruba.

[00:08:05]She'd walked amongst fields of heather in the Scottish Highlands and wandered through hillsides of Lupin in Alaska.

[00:08:15]Now she'd come to Hawaii in search of its native orchids.

[00:08:22]Many people associate Hawaii with orchids because of the pink, purple, and white flowers that are commonly used in lays.

[00:08:32]These Dendrobium orchids are widely cultivated now, but aren't actually native to the area.

[00:08:41]In fact, there are only three native orchids of the islands.

[00:08:46]They are the Hawaiian jeweled orchid, the Hawaiian wide lip orchid, and the rarest of them all, the Hawaiian bog orchid.

[00:08:59]From what she'd been reading, it seemed like all three could be found in the high forests and marshes of a few of the Hawaiian islands.

[00:09:09]The bog orchid, in particular, would be hard to track down.

[00:09:14]While it used to be more abundant, now there were only three islands known to still have these plants.

[00:09:22]Kawaii was one of them.

[00:09:25]She'd have to hike high into the remote mountains and have a bit of good luck to find one.

[00:09:33]In the morning, Alia would begin her search, and for that, she needed a good night's rest.

[00:09:42]The car she'd been waiting for pulled up beside her, and the driver waved politely.

[00:09:49]She opened the door, put her bag on the back seat, and climbed in next to it.

[00:09:56]It wouldn't be too long of a drive to the bungalow, the driver told Aliyia.

[00:10:01]She could sit back and relax, and they'd be there in no time.

[00:10:08]Alia rested her head on the back of the seat and looked out of the window.

[00:10:15]Everything was running on island time.

[00:10:18]Unlike the busy freeways of the California coast where she lived, people here drove more slowly.

[00:10:26]They lifted a hand from the steering wheel to greet passing drivers and took their time in getting where they needed to go.

[00:10:35]The soft melodic sounds of ukulele music drifted into the back seat from the dashboard radio.

[00:10:44]Alias smiled.

[00:10:46]It was all so relaxing.

[00:10:50]She watched the deep green of the rainforest move in a blur past the window and spotted little clusters of brightly colored flowers among the trees.

[00:11:02]She couldn't make out what kind they were from the car, but they were beautiful nonetheless.

[00:11:11]After a while, the car turned off of the main road and onto a smaller access road through the forest.

[00:11:20]The road led out into a clearing near the beach where a big wooden lodge and several small bungalows were nestled at the edge of the trees.

[00:11:31]The driver let Alia out by the main entrance.

[00:11:35]She thanked him and took her bag inside.

[00:11:39]After a quick check-in, she got her keys and found her private bungalow.

[00:11:46]It had a thatched roof with wooden sides.

[00:11:50]It was just perfect, she thought.

[00:11:54]The inside was quaint and decorated with a Hawaiian touch.

[00:12:00]From the large bed with fluffy white pillows and crisp sheets, she had a clear view to the ocean.

[00:12:08]If she opened the window a crack, she could hear the sound of the waves on the shore and smell the fresh ocean breeze.

[00:12:18]It had been a long day of traveling, and now that she'd finally reached her temporary home, Alia realized how tired she was.

[00:12:29]She yawned and stretched her arms out over her head.

[00:12:34]After a quick change of clothes into her pajamas, she snuggled up in the bed and pulled the sheets up to her chin.

[00:12:43]It was warm and cozy.

[00:12:48]She took a deep breath.

[00:12:50]This place had a way of making all troubles seem small and far away.

[00:12:56]It was a restbite from the world, from her normal everyday life.

[00:13:03]This was the meaning of vacation. She thought, she yawned once more and let her head grow heavy on the pillow.

[00:13:14]Aliia drifted off to the rhythmic crashing of the distant waves and the rustling of palm fronds in the breeze.

[00:13:27]The next morning, she awoke to a bird song.

[00:13:31]She took her time getting out of bed and starting her day.

[00:13:37]After all, she had no need for urgency, no appointments, no meetings, and no calls.

[00:13:46]She wanted to find the orchids, of course, but they weren't going anywhere.

[00:13:52]Her bungalow had its own lani, the Hawaiian version of a covered porch, where she stood with a steaming cup of coffee.

[00:14:05]As the mug warmed her hands, the sun slowly crept above the hills in the distance.

[00:14:12]She sipped her coffee slowly, savoring its heat and aroma.

[00:14:19]The cool morning breeze ruffled her hair and danced across her cheeks, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

[00:14:29]The sweet and salty smell of the ocean came with it.

[00:14:35]Everything in this place was beautiful, she thought.

[00:14:40]The sights, the smells, the sounds.

[00:14:45]Together they painted a picture of paradise.

[00:14:52]When she'd finished her coffee, Alias sat down at the kitchen table with a map.

[00:14:59]To have the best chance of finding the orchids, she needed to plan her route.

[00:15:07]Looking out from the large island of Hawaii, Kawawaii is one of the last islands in the chain.

[00:15:15]It's past the popular destination islands of Maui and Aahu.

[00:15:21]Its nearest neighbor is Nihow, the forbidden island just 17 miles away.

[00:15:30]Kauaii earned its nickname the Garden Island for the lush rainforest that covers much of its surface.

[00:15:38]And a garden island is the perfect place to find rare plants.

[00:15:46]Aliia had arranged a car rental through the lodge.

[00:15:51]She'd start on the road through the trees and take it back out onto the highway.

[00:15:57]From there, she'd drive along the coast for a while before heading up into the mountains.

[00:16:05]There she'd park and begin her journey on foot into the forest.

[00:16:13]She highlighted the route with a marker and folded up the map.

[00:16:19]She tucked it into the pocket of her daypack.

[00:16:22]The bag was rainproof, which was a necessity in a rainforest.

[00:16:29]She packed a handful of snacks and plenty of water along with a camera, sketchbook, and pens, a compass, and a field guide to Hawaiian plants and flowers.

[00:16:45]Aliia closed up her bungalow and walked over to the main lodge to pick up the keys for her car.

[00:16:52]She placed her dayack in the passenger seat and set off.

[00:16:58]As she pulled out of the lodge, she switched on the radio.

[00:17:03]The host had a cheerful, soothing voice full of aloha spirit.

[00:17:10]He gave the weather report for the day.

[00:17:14]Sunny, not too warm, with a slight chance of drizzle later on.

[00:17:21]Perfect, Aliyia thought.

[00:17:26]Aliyia drove along the highway, passing ocean views here and there along the way.

[00:17:33]Before long, she turned off the coastal road and made her way up into the mountains.

[00:17:41]The road narrowed here and began to twist and turn.

[00:17:46]The trees grew larger and closer together.

[00:17:50]A layby on the side of the road with a worn out signpost indicated that she had reached the trail head.

[00:17:59]This is where Aliyia's adventure would begin.

[00:18:05]She took a sip from her water bottle and grabbed her daypack.

[00:18:10]She had her best hiking boots on and was ready for whatever the trail had in store.

[00:18:18]It began as a dirt footpath leading into the trees.

[00:18:23]As she walked, she took the time to look around her.

[00:18:28]There were a few different types of trees here.

[00:18:31]Some were tall with whitish peeling bark.

[00:18:36]Others were shorter and wider with large, broad leaves that extended out from the trunk.

[00:18:44]The leaves were deep green and waxy.

[00:18:47]Many still held drops of morning dew.

[00:18:52]On one such leaf, a small insect scuttled along next to the water.

[00:18:57]She wondered where it was going.

[00:19:02]As she was watching the creature make its way up the leaf toward the trunk of the tree, a plant hidden at its base caught her eye. Could it be? She wondered.

[00:19:15]She knelt down to get a closer look.

[00:19:19]Sure enough, Alia had found her first native orchid.

[00:19:25]It was a petite plant with perky green leaves whose tips pointed out from a thin central stem.

[00:19:34]Above the leaves were small white buds clustered around the top of the stem.

[00:19:41]This was the Hawaiian jeweled orchid.

[00:19:45]She pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures.

[00:19:50]To the untrained eye, this plant wouldn't look like the typical image of an orchid.

[00:19:56]That's because the orchid family has many different varieties.

[00:20:02]Some have large, vibrant blooms.

[00:20:05]Others, like this one, are more understated.

[00:20:10]But for a botonist like Aliia, each was just as special as the next.

[00:20:17]Plants didn't have to be flashy to make her smile.

[00:20:23]She mentally ticked the first orchid off her list as she continued walking.

[00:20:31]After a while, the trail wound around a thick clump of trees and then led out into an oasis.

[00:20:40]A small grassy clearing marked the center and a thin shining blue stream trickled through it.

[00:20:50]An opening in the trees overhead provided room for sunlight to stream in and Alia watched it glimmer off the surface of the water.

[00:21:03]This oasis had a vast assortment of some of the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen.

[00:21:11]A bird of paradise plant to her left rested in a single ray of sunlight.

[00:21:19]It was about 6 ft tall and had long woody stems extending out from a central mass of large green leaves.

[00:21:30]At the top of each stem sat orange blossoms with a plume of purple and white.

[00:21:37]The aptly named flower looked like a flock of colorful birds in flight.

[00:21:45]Beside it was a thick hibiscus bush with large orange flowers bigger than her fist.

[00:21:54]Each had a delicate stamman with bright bursts of pollen on the tip.

[00:22:01]On the other side of the stream, she could see a plumeriia plant.

[00:22:07]Its sweet scent wafted across the clearing and filled her nose with the most delicious perfume.

[00:22:17]There was a large heliconia or lobster claw to her right.

[00:22:23]It looked like a dense fern and had thick stems with opposing reddish orange heads making a ladder to the top.

[00:22:32]Each head looked like a lobster's claw, which is how it got its nickname.

[00:22:39]Aliia thought it resembled a flaming torch. It was so bright that it almost seemed to emanate its own light.

[00:22:49]There was a large flower with delicate peach petals.

[00:22:53]This was the shoe black plant, another type of hibiscus.

[00:23:00]Her aunt had an apron in the same color, and she always thought of it at the sight of this particular bloom.

[00:23:09]This little oasis also had several Aia looa, one of the state flowers of the Hawaiian Islands.

[00:23:18]They were dense shrubby bushes with unique blooms.

[00:23:24]Their thick clustered heads with bright red soft bristles look like little flames at top the plant.

[00:23:33]Up close, it was possible to distinguish each individual bristle shining in the light.

[00:23:41]The clearing was a washing color and filled with the most luscious scents Aliia had ever experienced.

[00:23:50]When the breeze turned, she'd catch the hint of a different perfume and be tempted to seek out its origin.

[00:23:59]She could happily spend the rest of her day here, she thought.

[00:24:05]But her curiosity pulled her back onto the trail in search of the last two native orchids.

[00:24:13]She felt thankful to have discovered this special oasis, taking one final look to etch it into her memory before moving on.

[00:24:26]She hadn't been back on the path for long before she came across another small, unassuming green plant.

[00:24:36]This was the wide lip orchid that she'd been searching for.

[00:24:40]She pulled out her sketchbook and drew the fine details of the plant's delicate leaves.

[00:24:49]Two out of three. Not bad, Alia thought.

[00:24:53]But those were the easy ones. The final would be the most elusive.

[00:25:00]At last count, there were only two dozen wild bog orchids left on the nearby island of Malokai and a handful on Maui and just a single one here on Kawaii.

[00:25:17]She continued on and before long the dirt path turned into a boardwalk.

[00:25:23]The wooden boards helped hikers traverse the trickier parts of the trail.

[00:25:29]Looking down on the bogggy, wet ground below, Ally was thankful that she had the walkway to keep her dry.

[00:25:39]She began to lose her train of thought as she meandered through the rainforest.

[00:25:45]Except for the slow progress of the sun across the sky, time seemed to stand still.

[00:25:53]She crossed a rope and plank bridge and curved around the corner of a rocky outcropping.

[00:26:00]Dropping down into dense green once again, Aliyia stopped in her tracks, she took one step backwards and then another.

[00:26:12]Something hidden off to the side of the trail had caught her eye.

[00:26:18]It wasn't much, just a glimmer of color.

[00:26:22]She wasn't sure what it was, but it certainly piqued her interest.

[00:26:30]Among the sea of green, off to one side was another small plant.

[00:26:36]It was fairly unassuming, but this was it. The final orchid on her list, the single bog orchid on the whole island of Kauaii.

[00:26:52]Few people ever made their way this deep into the forested mountains, and even fewer knew what to look for if they did.

[00:27:01]But Alia knew, and above all, this is the plant that brought her here, the most elusive orchid of them all.

[00:27:13]She stopped a moment to let it sink in.

[00:27:17]Then she took out her camera and her sketchbook.

[00:27:21]snapped a photo and drew what she saw.

[00:27:27]Much like its name, it wasn't the most mesmeriic of plants to look at, but it was beautiful in its own right.

[00:27:36]A few long brown stems rose from the ground.

[00:27:40]Slender green leaves decorated the upper half and at the top small alternating bundles of green indicated the plant was close to blooming.

[00:27:54]She didn't want to disturb any of the plant life here, especially not something as precious as this tiny orchid.

[00:28:03]So, she didn't touch it, but she gazed in awe from a distance.

[00:28:12]Alias sighed with contentment.

[00:28:15]She came to find the three native orchids of Hawaii, and she'd done it.

[00:28:22]It was a personal accomplishment, but it also showed her once again how resilient nature truly is.

[00:28:32]How amazing that only a single one of these plants exists on this entire island.

[00:28:39]how special that it ever made it here and how lucky she was to share a moment of her own life with it.

[00:28:50]The discovery came at a good time. The sun had passed its peak in the sky and was beginning its adventure down toward the horizon.

[00:29:01]Feeling accomplished, Alia turned around and followed the trail back to her car.

[00:29:09]She walked back through the trees, over the bridge, and across the boardwalk, around the oasis with its flowers and shining stream, and down the dirt path to the pull out where she'd parked.

[00:29:26]Now that she wasn't looking for orchids, her eyes were freed to soak in a whole assortment of new things on the walk back.

[00:29:36]There was so much life here, more than anyone could absorb in a single outing.

[00:29:44]Aliia's legs were beginning to tire by the time she reached the car.

[00:29:49]She navigated down the mountain road back to the main highway and turned onto the beach road.

[00:29:57]For a moment, a few drops of rain pattered on the windscreen.

[00:30:02]the drizzle that the radio had predicted this morning.

[00:30:07]But before she needed to turn on her wipers, the rain disappeared.

[00:30:14]She reached the lodge, parked her car, and headed to her bungalow.

[00:30:20]On the short walk, a flash of color caught her eye. Behind the main lodge was a small grove filled with the most vibrant orchid she'd ever seen.

[00:30:33]There were purple ones and pink ones and white ones with splashes of color radiating out from their centers.

[00:30:42]These weren't the native species, but the ones people have come to know the best.

[00:30:50]Inspecting from close proximity, Aliyia noticed how the petals were thick and full.

[00:30:57]This place truly was paradise, she thought. As she made the final turn to her bungalow.

[00:31:07]She let out a long yawn as she opened the door.

[00:31:14]It had been a fulfilling and exciting day.

[00:31:18]Everything that she'd hoped for.

[00:31:22]She was thankful for the opportunity to visit such a wild and wonderful place.

[00:31:28]The memories would last a lifetime.

[00:31:33]But for now, it was time to rest.

[00:31:39]Her body was tired from the long adventure.

[00:31:43]She turned off the lamp beside the bed and laid down in the soft sheets.

[00:31:50]She heard the waves crashing on the shore and the palm frrons rustling outside her window.

[00:31:59]In her imagination, she could still hear the little stream trickling through the mountain clearing where bright flowers were now closing their blooms for the night.

[00:32:13]Then Alia closed her eyes and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

[00:56:01]Come on.

[02:52:36]Okay.