Wa’ahila Ridge trail hike

Wa'ahila trail on O'ahu

It literally was a trail on top a ridge of the mountains with Manoa valley to the west and Palolo valley to the east. I had to keep from looking to the bottom too much because sometimes the howling of the wind made me wonder if I might just fall below and never be found! The beauty of the greenery around made me gasp in awe. It's the most beautiful forest playground, a trail passing through an ever-changing landscape from covered in pine trees to rocks, moss, grass and mud. It was freeing wandering deeper and deeper into this green wonderland stepping over roots of trees that had been there for hundreds of years and sometimes looking above through the trees to catch a glimpse of the deep blue sky above. 

Norfolk Pines in the park where the trail starts

the gorgeous ridge trail begins

feels like a walk through fairyland

most of the trail is hidden under thick shrubs shading the sun and wind off of hikers 

certain parts of the trails require some fun climb over large rocks 

a lovely staircase of roots on this ridge

The best part was that I was almost alone. I probably ran into less than 10 people in the 3 hours of hiking. The Wa'ahila trail came close to an end with the trees opening up to the blue sky and I could see Manoa Valley on the west and Palolo Valley to the east. I think living in China really made me appreciate natural beauty and fresh air more than I can ever imagine forever. I'm thankful to be in a place where the natural fauna are well protected with many 'sacred' areas that remain untouched. Sometimes, the best things in life are free and no amount of money can ever buy. And for some things, once it's gone, it's gone forever.

Ko'alau range and Waikki

The trail ends at the end of the ridge and continues into Kolowalu trail. The summit is prohibited because it's a restricted watershed area. It was beautiful to look at. After traversing 

through the last two hours of this forestry I wondered what more beauty that area had to offer.

Facing east: the hues of green in the Palolo Valley restricted watershed area was amazing to gaze upon

where Wa'ahila ridge trail and Kolowalu trail intersects

this mossy area was so cozy, I could've slept on it for hours

I went home today feeling oddly healed. Being surrounded by such stunning beauty in its purest forms made me come to terms with a lot - myself, my life, people in my life, my priorities. Being here by myself, this open space, the freedom to roam these mountains, fresh air, sunshine, big blue sky, wind blowing all around, beautiful trees flourishing all by themselves, it was freeing, it was so easy to see clearly. I was surrounded by nothing and yet it was everything. My heart felt like it was bursting with fullness and life. I was happy. It was easy to find peace here. Perhaps at this moment, I could see God. His beauty. His love. His magnificent work. It was wondrous.

 big old roots providing a safe walkway along this steep ridge

back at the trail head

Koko Head Crater hike

Koko Head Crater trail all the way to the top

Koko Head Crater at 642ft (196m) is the last active volcano that occured in O'Ahu 10,000 years ago. Its tuff ring is the tallest in Hawaii measuring 1,207ft (367m) in height. I stumbled upon this great hiking trails website last week so I decided to try this one today. I had seen it from the Kalanianaole Highway on my way to the east coast a couple weeks ago. Another website had mentioned that this was a very difficult trail to climb as it was basically climbing steps all the way up to the top with no shade or level paths. I had a bit of trouble finding the park head even with my Garmin GPS. Haven't been having much exercise the last couple days so I was eager to burn some calories and break a sweat. It was already 11:30am so I got my water bottle and quickly started up the stairs. 

The first 100 feet was fine but after that, the 20 degree angle got steeper. The steps of this old railway track that led up to the world war two  bunkers that were lookouts to the south of O'Ahu. As the afternoon sun seared my shoulders, I regretted not putting on any sunscreen. Not even halfway up, I began to understand why they called this the "stairmaster from hell". My legs soon started shaking like jello. The wide distance between the railways logs wasn't forgiving to people with short legs like myself! I had the hardest time breathing and had to stop for a series of long time outs to catch my breath. About halfway up, the scariest part unveiled. The tracks went over a part about 25 feet long like a bridge over the ground about 25 meters below. There was a detour to the side for the faint of heart. I decided I was brave enough to take the main route. Turned out it wasn't as hard as I expected but coming down was definitely a little harder since the downward angle of the tracks almost felt like gravity was pulling me down between the cracks. The trick was not to think about it. Once you stopped to think, you just feel like falling in.  The websites weren't kidding about this being an extremely difficult climb for the very fit. The trail just kept getting steeper and steeper towards the end that I had to stop to catch my breath every 30 steps or so!

the 'Bridge' 

the main route of the bridge and the alternate route off to the side

After an hour and a half of sweating from head to toe, I finally reached the top. Don't remember a time I was more grateful for my bottle of water. Thankfully it only ran out the last 25 feet of the trail. The view of Makapu'U was breathtaking. It was such a clear day, I could see the islands of Molokai and Maui on the horizon. I sat on top of the old World War 2 bunkers overlooking the southern edge of the island for a long long time. 

Koko Crater facing east towards Makapu'U Bay

old world war two bunker

the edges of Koko Crater with Molokai and Maui on the horizon looking southeast

facing west over the slopes of Hahalone Valley, Kuliouou Kalani'iki, Niu and Wailupe Valley towards Waikiki

looking southwest at Hanauma Bay towards Waikiki

facing north towards Kamilo Iki neighborhood nestled between the mountains

Tsunami scare

I experienced my first scary moment living on an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean last night - a tsunami. Having seen many videos of the damage and loss of lives in the last tsunami which ravaged India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia in 2004 made me wonder if I would now have a personal experience of it. As soon as the 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Northeast Japan at 8:30pm, sirens started blaring into the quiet night. Elton immediately recognized it as a tsunami warning and turned on the TV to see warning interruptions on all channels about a tsunami possibly reaching the Hawaii coastlines at approximately 3:30am, just six hours away. He tried in vain to get a hold of his sister who lives with her family by the east shore, hoping to warn her to take refuge at our house as it was on top of a hill. A few minutes later, his brother walked in with his fiance's mother who lives downtown near the beach. She had driven her own car over and brought along all her essential belongings to salvage in case the tsunami hits Hawaii. We were all plastered to the TV, silently watching in horror as the news escalated with live videos of the devastation of the tsunami with 10 meters (30 feet) high waves engulfing Iwate, Sendai, Fukushima and Yamagata on Honshu, north of Tokyo. It's the biggest earthquake ever to hit Japan. As Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan came on air to address the press, I wondered how he was choosing the right words to say as the devastation swept through the cities. The videos were heart wrenching. Sometimes, there's just no right words to say.

In the midst of all this, I started feeling a little troubled about the possible ordeal we might be going through in a matter of hours. I even wondered about the worst case post-Hurricane Katrina scenario in 2005, recalling all the chaos, crimes, displacement of people and robberies that occurred all throughout New Orleans. However, to my surprise, everyone was quite calm, behaving like pros, even as we watched the local news channels broadcasting interviews with the Hawaiian governor instructing residents to stay home, away from the shore, reassuring people that all necessary steps have been taken and encouraging people to refrain from over-reacting at this juncture. People living along the shore were told to evacuate. Tourists in the Waikiki area were evacuated or moved to buildings above the 6th floor. Newscasters were recanting characteristics of a tsunami and how it may come in a number of waves over an extended length of time. Some news channels were interviewing residents who were pouring out into the supermarkets and gas stations to stock up in case of impending isolation, loss of food supplies or necessities. 


Despite all this, everyone in this household calmly watched the television until about 11pm when I too dosed off with the TV on. I woke up this morning to news that California was now on watch for the tsunami to reach its shores around 8am. I had missed multiple calls and messages from concerned friends and family in Asia, US and Europe calling between 1:30am and 6am. Turning on the TV, it seemed Hawaii has been spared besides some property damage on some piers because of a surge of one meter high waves. I later realized this is the fourth tsunami in the past 10 years. The last major scare occurred just last year. The TV announced that all public schools, offices and universities were closed. Outside, everything looked normal. It was a perfect sunny day and people seem to go about their business as if it was a holiday. In fact, everyone behaves like it is a holiday eventhough the entire state is still on state-wide alert for the rest of the day! Nothing on TV mentioned what had happened as the tsunami passed through Hawaii! After a couple minutes of frustration clicking through the TV stations, I had to go online to find out that nothing was newsworthy enough on Hawaii to report on. As uneventful as this scare was, this is one experience I will definitely remember. 

Pill Box trail hike

We hiked to the famous Pill Box trail today. It's a steep hill range in Kailua in the affluent Lanikai neighborhood on the east coast of O'ahu. Apparently Bette Miller and many movie stars have homes here. There are 3 Pillboxes. These World War two bunkers that look like little square boxes dangerously perched at the edge of the cliff trail were once used as a lookout. Now, they serve as resting places for hikers who want to have a fast hike which reaps the best lookouts on O'ahu. We only climbed to the first one because it was an especially windy day and it was a little scary albeit exhilarating to be walking on a cliff looking down about 1000 feet down below towards the sea. Took us barely 20 minutes to reach the first Pill Box and it was a easy beginner's level hike. The view is drop dead gorgeous. Almost like a painting. There's no way to take a bad shot no matter which direction I turned.

Facing north at the steep trail heading up

Facing south from the first Pill Box towards the second Pill Box

Friendly locals enjoying the view with their gorgeous husky pup chillin' at the Pill Box

Looking east towards the Mokulua islands

Lanikai neighborhood and the Mokulua islands

Siblings

Both my parents come from big families. My mother has nine siblings and my father has seven. My generation is the complete opposite. I only have one brother and most of my cousins are also from families with only two children. The annoying constant that remains though is the perpetuation of complicated fragmented relationships. As I've gotten older, it's been somewhat comforting though saddening to realize that this is quite the norm rather than the exception. I know very few people who manage to foster good relationships with their siblings. It's somewhat puzzling to think that someone who came from the same womb and share the same DNA can be so different in thinking, personalities and have trouble seeing eye-to-eye on things. There are exceptions to the rule. My beau's relationship with his siblings is one such. When I watch them interact I find myself pondering on what they are doing differently that makes it work. It's beautiful to see families that get along. It warms my heart to hear them laughing together. Is it a local Hawaiian mentality which is less superficial than the general American population? Is it because families live in much closer proximity here purely by default of the expensive cost of living? I doubt that it's merely a product of good parenting. Perhaps it's because people here are much more family oriented and somehow grasp the notion of family much better.  

Perhaps the secret is this. It starts with being kind to each other. They aren't petty about money. They don't see each other often but are respectful of each other's privacy and their doors are always open. They openly talk about each other's strengths and laugh about similarities in each other. They're not judgmental. They're self deprecating and modest. There's no power plays. It probably doesn't hurt that they're all pretty laid back and share similar hobbies. I feel privileged to witness it. It's somewhat humbling. Almost healing. It's the way things should be.  It's interesting how such simple rules can be so difficult and sometimes, downright impossible to apply with people who are so much a part of us.

Gyu-Ka-Ku treat

Ahi poké (Raw tuna appetizer)

Melon splash cocktail

Since I got to Honolulu, for some reason, we've not felt much of a need to go out to restaurants to eat. It's been more fun choosing groceries and cooking together in the kitchen. This Friday night though, the beau surprised me by treating me to Japanese Barbeque at Gyu-Ka-Ku. There's lots of drinks and grilling dishes half off during dinner happy hour time. Having made reservations, we were seated immediately and went to town ordering! The place smelt like heaven as the sweet aroma of barbequed meats on the cook-your-own grills on each table filled our nostrils. We got the bone-in kalbi(beef), NY steak, miso harami (beef skirt steak), beer battered fries, chuck kalbi, ahi poké, eggplant and the mushroom medley. It was way too much food but it did not disappoint especially the miso harami. And neither did my lychee and melon splash cocktails!


I realized something new tonight. No matter how comfortable couples are about being home-bodies, it's important to leave the house and do something special and out of the ordinary every once in a while. It keeps things fresh, interesting, new. It adds a little spark to things. A chance to re-discover and share something new together. It's a big turn on. Bottom line, it's a dose of good fun necessary in healthy relationships.

Holy Moly Granola

Holy Moly Granola

I made my own granola today. I figured it's a great nutrient packed fat free breakfast and a nice snack throughout the day. Turned out it was so easy to make. The best part was, not only did I make it for one-sixth the price at the stores, it was packed with 4 times more ingredients. I made sure it was worth my time by adding all the best nutrient packed superfoods I've learnt recently. I call it my Holy Moly Granola. Here's the recipe.

Dry ingredients:

6 cups whole rolled oats

3-4 cups mix of nuts (sliced almonds, pecan, groundnuts, apricot)

3-4 cups mix of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)

1/4 cup black sesame seed

1/2 cup white sesame seed

3 tbs flax seed
4 tbs shreaded unsweetened coconut flakes

5 tbs wheat germ

2 tbs cinnamon powder

1 cup cacao nibs

1 tbs sugar

3/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

3 tbs canola oil

1 part maple syrup

1/4 cup goji berries (soaked)

3-4 part mix of dried fruits (papaya, blueberries, cranberries)

Heat oven to 375º. Mix dry ingredients together. Pour wet ingredients over and mix well. Place on a pan in the oven lined with wax paper for 30 minutes. Lay it out to cool when it’s done. The longer the crispier. But be careful not to bake it too dark. Mix in the goji berries and dried fruits when it’s completely cooled. It’ll store for 5 weeks. 

Learning from Children

Children are precious. Since I started working, I've never really thought much about kids, being more interested in my career. Lately however, I've been spending a lot of time with Jesse's daughter, Kaile. She's a wise old soul with a fierce intelligence and rambunctious spirit for a six year old. Yet, she's still a kid. She can be willy and naughty, and sometimes, even lies outright to get what she wants. But I learn so much from her. 

Kaile (pronounced 'Kylie')

Kids are all about relationship. It's not about the money. It's not about dolling up and they're not that impressed with what you own. It's about the time you spend with them. That's what they really remember. 

Kids are often more perceptive than adults. They can see through people. They know when you're really interested in them or if you just want to use them or if you just don't really care. You can't fake interest with kids. They just know. And if they don't yet, they will. Sooner than you think. They just won't necessarily tell you.

Kids don't hold grudges. They don't poison themselves with festering thoughts of trying to punish people for hurting them. But they are sensitive enough to feel hurt.

Kids cry when they are hurt. They don't keep it all pent up inside until one day when the dam breaks and things from 2 years ago comes out!

In her eyes, love is so simple. She loves simply and forgives simply. I want to always love like that. So purely, so unconditionally. To be nonjudgmental. To see things for what they are appreciate it right there. Living each day for itself. Enjoying every moment for what it is without having to qualify it first.

She toyed with my camera trying to find the right focal length for this plumeria!

Kaile trying hard to take a picture of the textures on this hibiscus. Even adults often fail to take notice of such beauty!

Kaile is one of the most thoughtful person I've met in my life. I met her on skype one day when I was skyping with Elton. When she heard that I was visiting, she immediately said, "We need to get another chair for Aunty Sandy!" We didn't quite get it until a few seconds later when we realized she was talking about the dinner table!


Sometimes, I forget she's a child. She's like a little person with her own thoughts and ideas.
Perhaps it's age. Perhaps as we transition into adulthood, we see too much injustice or felt too much pain and lose the child in us. I've forgotten how beautiful it is to see the world through the eyes of a child. I think it's one of the simplest way to find happiness in this world. We adults have so much to learn!