Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Hawaii Day 1: Aloha Honolulu!!
December 6, 2008
After a nice long pair of flights from Washington through Atlanta, I finally land in the land of Aloha called Hawaii.
The city of Honolulu is the capital of the state of Hawaii and is located on the third biggest island in the Hawaiian chain called Oahu. When I look at the world map, I realize that I am almost halfway home to the Philippines and Delhi!
For most Indian youth of my age, one of the first exposures to the term "Hawaii" came from a movie called Mr. India in 1987 and the related soundbite is noted in this youtube clip for people who aren't in the know on this topic. Needless to say this song was humming in my head as I landed in Honolulu !!
PS: Sridevi's dancing is nothing like the Hawaiian Luau Dance
Bus # 19/20 takes me from the airport through the Business district and the residential complexes to my hotel in the Waikiki Beach district, the heart of downtown Honolulu. This plce is full of Japanese and Pacific Islanders and I really wonder how this place is still classified as part of the USA.
Going down to Waikiki beach I see a huge amount of residential skyscrapers and these are virtually 50 feet from the ocean. Someday if the sea level rises, I would dread to think of the fate of these high end hotels and homes.
Reached fairly late in the evening so I walked down the beach street Kalakaua Avenue to a place called Kapiolani park and back to my hotel for a good nights rest.
After a nice long pair of flights from Washington through Atlanta, I finally land in the land of Aloha called Hawaii.
The city of Honolulu is the capital of the state of Hawaii and is located on the third biggest island in the Hawaiian chain called Oahu. When I look at the world map, I realize that I am almost halfway home to the Philippines and Delhi!
For most Indian youth of my age, one of the first exposures to the term "Hawaii" came from a movie called Mr. India in 1987 and the related soundbite is noted in this youtube clip for people who aren't in the know on this topic. Needless to say this song was humming in my head as I landed in Honolulu !!
PS: Sridevi's dancing is nothing like the Hawaiian Luau Dance
Bus # 19/20 takes me from the airport through the Business district and the residential complexes to my hotel in the Waikiki Beach district, the heart of downtown Honolulu. This plce is full of Japanese and Pacific Islanders and I really wonder how this place is still classified as part of the USA.
Going down to Waikiki beach I see a huge amount of residential skyscrapers and these are virtually 50 feet from the ocean. Someday if the sea level rises, I would dread to think of the fate of these high end hotels and homes.
Reached fairly late in the evening so I walked down the beach street Kalakaua Avenue to a place called Kapiolani park and back to my hotel for a good nights rest.
Hawaii Day 3: Hanauma Bay
Bus route #22 takes me to Hanauma Bay, a marine reserve park. I'm really excited about this trip because Elvis shot his movie Blue Hawaii in this location. The bus stops and we are treated to a sweeping panorama of snorkel ready waters and a pristine white beach lined by palm trees.
10 minutes of orientation video later, we walk down a hill for 10 minutes to the beach. The sand and weather are absolutely spectacular.
P.S. There's a Telugu couple selling Coke, Pepsi at the Bay saying Aloha Aloha to tourists!! Andhra folks, take this as a compliment, but I must say here that you have penetrated every corner of the civilised world!!
My first round of snorkeling in the middle of the bay finds me only the standard fish species and I take a few underwater photos of fish and Ocean Cucumbers. The volcanic rock is less than a foot below the waters surface and I end up scraping my hands and legs several times.
The second round of snorkeling is at the right end of the beach and this also only reaps views of spanning volcanic rock below the waters surface.
The third round is near the left side of the beach (as advised by the lifeguard) where the water lashes itself loudly on rocky outcrops. Have to be careful near these places as the chances of having an accident are very high but the water is very nice and clear.
Turtle sighting!!
This third round proves to be the best. Another snorkeler gestures me over to where he is and points out a majestic adult green turtle feeding on the moss that grows on underwater rocks and corals. Turtles are very shy creatures and tend to stay away from larger human populations.
This kind of sighting is very rare and I feel very fortunate to be this close to an animal this beautiful. We are very careful about harassing the turtle as per Hanauma Bay's preservation laws and try to keep an acceptable distance from it. The turtles swimming motion consists of only its two front fins flapping like an eagles. It occasionally pops its head up from the water to manifest its surroundings.
We take turns photographing each other with the turtle and this shot alongside is of me and the turtle about 12 feet underwater.
After some time swimming with the turtle, Ive already gotten two more serious scrapes on coral and decide to swim back to the shore and back to the hotel in Honolulu.
The front desk has upgraded my room to the penthouse on the 14th floor; to my left I can see the Ala Wai Golf course and to the right is the Waikiki Beach (albeit plastered by soaring scyscraper condos).
10 minutes of orientation video later, we walk down a hill for 10 minutes to the beach. The sand and weather are absolutely spectacular.
P.S. There's a Telugu couple selling Coke, Pepsi at the Bay saying Aloha Aloha to tourists!! Andhra folks, take this as a compliment, but I must say here that you have penetrated every corner of the civilised world!!
My first round of snorkeling in the middle of the bay finds me only the standard fish species and I take a few underwater photos of fish and Ocean Cucumbers. The volcanic rock is less than a foot below the waters surface and I end up scraping my hands and legs several times.
The second round of snorkeling is at the right end of the beach and this also only reaps views of spanning volcanic rock below the waters surface.
The third round is near the left side of the beach (as advised by the lifeguard) where the water lashes itself loudly on rocky outcrops. Have to be careful near these places as the chances of having an accident are very high but the water is very nice and clear.
Turtle sighting!!
This third round proves to be the best. Another snorkeler gestures me over to where he is and points out a majestic adult green turtle feeding on the moss that grows on underwater rocks and corals. Turtles are very shy creatures and tend to stay away from larger human populations.
This kind of sighting is very rare and I feel very fortunate to be this close to an animal this beautiful. We are very careful about harassing the turtle as per Hanauma Bay's preservation laws and try to keep an acceptable distance from it. The turtles swimming motion consists of only its two front fins flapping like an eagles. It occasionally pops its head up from the water to manifest its surroundings.
We take turns photographing each other with the turtle and this shot alongside is of me and the turtle about 12 feet underwater.
After some time swimming with the turtle, Ive already gotten two more serious scrapes on coral and decide to swim back to the shore and back to the hotel in Honolulu.
The front desk has upgraded my room to the penthouse on the 14th floor; to my left I can see the Ala Wai Golf course and to the right is the Waikiki Beach (albeit plastered by soaring scyscraper condos).
Hawaii Day 4: Pearl Harbor and Makapuu beach
Pearl Harbor
A 75 minute ride takes me to the site which essentially turned the tide of World War 2. Pearl Harbor is a place which witnessed unimaginable violence on the fateful day of December 7, 1941 when Admiral Yamamoto's forces routed the entire American Pacific fleet.
The place is very solemn and there are a couple of survivors from that day who hang around in the memorial museum to tell their story and to sell their books. A short video is part of the tour and features a recap of events leading up to that day including actual footage from the bombings and the planning of the attack by the Japanese airforce.
How did such a huge air attack not get detected beforehand? The Americans did detect a huge signal on their radar screens but they were mistaken for an American fleet coming in from California that very day and neglected.
The Pearl Harbor memorial is based around the USS Arizona which was the single largest loss of life suffered in combat by the US armed forced. That battleship blew up and sank with 1,177 hands on deck after a torpedo hit its ammunition magazine.
A short ferry takes us to the USS Arizona sinking site and the ship has n
ot been recovered from the sea some 67 years after the incident. It still leaks one gallon of oil a day and I can see that on the water below as I enter the memorial which is built above the sunken hull of the ship. It gives me a very creepy feeling being on the site where hundreds of soldiers lost their lives in WW2; I'm not comforted any further by the fact that today is 2 days after the 67th anniversary of the attack.
Makapuu Beach
Hawaiian for "Bulging Eyes", this beach is located below Makapuu Point, a projection of land marking Hawaii's easternmost point. I head here after my trip to Pearl Harbor to refresh myself and get out of the tragedy mindset.
This is one very pristine beach with no shops or homes nearby cluttering up the scenery.
Being the windward side of the island, the waves are very choppy at 8-10 feet in height and I lose my goggles on a particularly rough wave. After getting rolled around a bit by the oceans force, I headed back to the beach to explore the rest of the cove.
Rabbit island lies in the horizon. It is aptly named not only due to its shape but due to the rabbit population living on the island.
I stroll the beach till around sunset and right after the sun sets, the cove is flushed with
moonlight. It is a haunting sight, the moon rising to the east, washing the waves in light and the soft yellow ray from the lighthouse on the adjoining mountain.
I saw a large blue and yellow colored fish stuck in a little rock alcove; probably washed up by the waves. It was gasping for water and in trying to pick it up to chuck it back into the ocean, I got some painful barbs in my fingers and hunted for a band aid for the next 10 minutes. At least the fish got back into the ocean.....
A 75 minute ride takes me to the site which essentially turned the tide of World War 2. Pearl Harbor is a place which witnessed unimaginable violence on the fateful day of December 7, 1941 when Admiral Yamamoto's forces routed the entire American Pacific fleet.
The place is very solemn and there are a couple of survivors from that day who hang around in the memorial museum to tell their story and to sell their books. A short video is part of the tour and features a recap of events leading up to that day including actual footage from the bombings and the planning of the attack by the Japanese airforce.
How did such a huge air attack not get detected beforehand? The Americans did detect a huge signal on their radar screens but they were mistaken for an American fleet coming in from California that very day and neglected.
The Pearl Harbor memorial is based around the USS Arizona which was the single largest loss of life suffered in combat by the US armed forced. That battleship blew up and sank with 1,177 hands on deck after a torpedo hit its ammunition magazine.
A short ferry takes us to the USS Arizona sinking site and the ship has n
ot been recovered from the sea some 67 years after the incident. It still leaks one gallon of oil a day and I can see that on the water below as I enter the memorial which is built above the sunken hull of the ship. It gives me a very creepy feeling being on the site where hundreds of soldiers lost their lives in WW2; I'm not comforted any further by the fact that today is 2 days after the 67th anniversary of the attack.Makapuu Beach
Hawaiian for "Bulging Eyes", this beach is located below Makapuu Point, a projection of land marking Hawaii's easternmost point. I head here after my trip to Pearl Harbor to refresh myself and get out of the tragedy mindset.
This is one very pristine beach with no shops or homes nearby cluttering up the scenery.
Being the windward side of the island, the waves are very choppy at 8-10 feet in height and I lose my goggles on a particularly rough wave. After getting rolled around a bit by the oceans force, I headed back to the beach to explore the rest of the cove.Rabbit island lies in the horizon. It is aptly named not only due to its shape but due to the rabbit population living on the island.
I stroll the beach till around sunset and right after the sun sets, the cove is flushed with
moonlight. It is a haunting sight, the moon rising to the east, washing the waves in light and the soft yellow ray from the lighthouse on the adjoining mountain.I saw a large blue and yellow colored fish stuck in a little rock alcove; probably washed up by the waves. It was gasping for water and in trying to pick it up to chuck it back into the ocean, I got some painful barbs in my fingers and hunted for a band aid for the next 10 minutes. At least the fish got back into the ocean.....
Hawaii Day 5: World Surfing Championships at Pipeline Beach!!
Instead of taking a break today, I decide to head to the North Shore beaches at 9am. A 2 hour bus ride through the H2 and Kamehameha Highways takes us through the famous Dole plantations to a town called Haleiwa where I stop for the legendary "Shave Ice". There's a hippie sitting in front of my on the bus and rocking his body to his music, irritating the howls out of me while I try to take a nap on the seat.
Suddenly, we pass by a beach with the largest waves I have ever seen. 15 footers crashing into the beach and most of the scenery looks white from the turbulence of the waters.
I carry on to the World Surfing Championships which are being held at the Pipeline Beach a few miles further and am greeted by a veritable sea of sunbathing bodies on the beach watching the surfers riding record breaking waves !!
I saw the reigning world surfing champion Kelly Slater ride a wave flawlessly!! The wave was judged a perfect 10 by 3 judges and the way he rode the wave and broke it was spectacular.
I do some birdwatching and watch surfing for an hour before heading off to a more private part of the beach where I can wade into the bodyboarding waves. the 10 foot waves are overwhelming and after half an hour of futile pursuit, I concede to the ocean and walk off back towards the surfing area breathless from fighting the waves.
Surfers from Australia, Florida, California, Japan and Hawaii are still riding the spectacular waves. Suddenly we see a brilliant spray in the ocean far off from the surfers.
The commentator got pretty excited and stated that a couple of Whales were breaching the waters one mile off the shore. Breaching is a play where the whale swims above the surface in a brilliant streak of shining silver and lashes down in a spectacular spray with its body and tail. I managed to catch one whale during its breach and the photo alongside shows its tail slapping down on the water at the end of the motion.
After spending some time on Pipeline beach I walk off to a place called Shark's Cove. The walk is through a variety of impressive beachfront homes where actors and neuro surgeons live.
At Shark's cove, there are two lips of volcanic rock outcrops which harness a rocky beach area. The waves lap the two lips with huge sprays and blowholes. Trying to reach the tip of one of these outcropping lips, I slip and fall straight into the water brusing my right thigh pretty badly on a rock. The camera and phone are still dry but I decide not to risk it anymore and walk back to the beach to wait for some sunset photos.
Suddenly, we pass by a beach with the largest waves I have ever seen. 15 footers crashing into the beach and most of the scenery looks white from the turbulence of the waters.
I carry on to the World Surfing Championships which are being held at the Pipeline Beach a few miles further and am greeted by a veritable sea of sunbathing bodies on the beach watching the surfers riding record breaking waves !!
I saw the reigning world surfing champion Kelly Slater ride a wave flawlessly!! The wave was judged a perfect 10 by 3 judges and the way he rode the wave and broke it was spectacular.
I do some birdwatching and watch surfing for an hour before heading off to a more private part of the beach where I can wade into the bodyboarding waves. the 10 foot waves are overwhelming and after half an hour of futile pursuit, I concede to the ocean and walk off back towards the surfing area breathless from fighting the waves.
Surfers from Australia, Florida, California, Japan and Hawaii are still riding the spectacular waves. Suddenly we see a brilliant spray in the ocean far off from the surfers.
The commentator got pretty excited and stated that a couple of Whales were breaching the waters one mile off the shore. Breaching is a play where the whale swims above the surface in a brilliant streak of shining silver and lashes down in a spectacular spray with its body and tail. I managed to catch one whale during its breach and the photo alongside shows its tail slapping down on the water at the end of the motion.
After spending some time on Pipeline beach I walk off to a place called Shark's Cove. The walk is through a variety of impressive beachfront homes where actors and neuro surgeons live.
At Shark's cove, there are two lips of volcanic rock outcrops which harness a rocky beach area. The waves lap the two lips with huge sprays and blowholes. Trying to reach the tip of one of these outcropping lips, I slip and fall straight into the water brusing my right thigh pretty badly on a rock. The camera and phone are still dry but I decide not to risk it anymore and walk back to the beach to wait for some sunset photos.
Hawaii Day 6: Rain Day
Completely washed out by the tropical storm in the area that sprung out of nowhere. I'm very glad I went to see the surfing championship yesterday while the weather was clement.
Hawaii Day 7: Kailua Beach
Woke up early and headed off to Kailua Beach on the Eastern Shore of Oahu. As with many other things, Americans refer to this beach as the "Best Beach in the World". I decide to check out for myself and rate it against the Philippine beaches that I have come to love over the last 8 years of my parents being based there.
A 2 hour ride brings on the Scenic Pali Highway me to the sleepy town of Kailua and locals are very helpful in guiding me to the beach. A 15 minute walk later, I get to an approach point into the beach where a big sign on the pine trees bordering the beach says "No Swimming; Water contaminated by open sewage line and exposure may cause illness".
This puts a serious dampener on my mood in addition to the fact that some smart ass real estate developer thought that pine trees would look nice on the beachfront. Near the lifeguard station, I see the open sewage line. Its quite disgusting and erases my intention of swimming in this particular beach.
I walk 2 miles away from the sewage line and see that many people swimming in these waters trying to break 4-5 foot waves. This area seems harmless and the sewage must have been sufficiently diluted by now, so I read the newspaper on the beach for a little bit before joining the other swimmers in the ocean.
An hour of swimming later, I head back towards the main town and see several nice homes on the beachfront. Apparently Elvis used to have a beach house in this neighborhood but no one seems to know where its located !!
A 2 hour ride brings on the Scenic Pali Highway me to the sleepy town of Kailua and locals are very helpful in guiding me to the beach. A 15 minute walk later, I get to an approach point into the beach where a big sign on the pine trees bordering the beach says "No Swimming; Water contaminated by open sewage line and exposure may cause illness".
This puts a serious dampener on my mood in addition to the fact that some smart ass real estate developer thought that pine trees would look nice on the beachfront. Near the lifeguard station, I see the open sewage line. Its quite disgusting and erases my intention of swimming in this particular beach.
I walk 2 miles away from the sewage line and see that many people swimming in these waters trying to break 4-5 foot waves. This area seems harmless and the sewage must have been sufficiently diluted by now, so I read the newspaper on the beach for a little bit before joining the other swimmers in the ocean.
An hour of swimming later, I head back towards the main town and see several nice homes on the beachfront. Apparently Elvis used to have a beach house in this neighborhood but no one seems to know where its located !!
Hawaii Day 8: Makapuu Beach and Departure
Last day in Hawaii. Packed my bags, left them at the hotel reception and headed off to revisit Makapuu Beach since this was one spot where I hadnt been able to stay long earlier in the week. The standard one hour bus ride brings me to the beach and I decide to hike up to the lighthouse a couple miles away on the adjoining mountain.
The hike gets pretty arduous but I have company on the way; a Korean social worker chats with me on the route to the light house. A 45 minute hike up the mountain yields rich rewards with spanning views of large waves crashing on volcanic rock and spewing through blowholes. My camera has run out of power so I am stuck appreciating the panorama.
3 of us, 2 Stanford students on transfer at the University of Hawaii and I sit admiring the rain clouds streaming in over the adjoining mountain and depositing their moisture on the land below. Its a beautiful sight seeing the cloud slowly wind its way up the windward side of the mountain and curve inwards at the tip. Alas, we spent too much time doing that and the rain clouds winds its way up the mountain we are on and drenches us completely. Climbing down a wet mountain path with 50 mph winds blowing in your face is no joke.
The way back to the beach is also very, very wet and the walk is on the highway shoulder; but I have my backpack and sturdy shoes and whistle Led Zeppelins "Big Log" for the whole 1 hour stretch.
Back at the beach the bodyboarders are conquering 15 foot waves amid the rain and blowing winds. I spend some time admiring the cove and lashing waves a little more and head back onto the Bus to Honolulu. My luggage is waiting for me at the hotel and I head off to the airport at 7PM.
This trip has been one of the few times Ive thought to myself that this is the time of my life. The one other time I felt this way was when I went off to New Zealand for 2 weeks after my bachelors degree.
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