Maunawili Falls

Covered a ton of the island today. First we went up to Nuuanu Pali Park to a lookout over the the southeastern part of O'ahu. The lookout is atop a cliff (pali = cliff) in the Koolau Mountain Range. The view is absolutely beautiful. From here you can see more of the Koolau Mountain Range, Kaneohe and Kaneohe Bay, and Kahaluu. You can also see an island called "China man's Hat" (small, pointy island in the lower-right corner of 10th picture) and the island on which Gilligan's Island was taped ( 11th picture). Some 200 years ago, Nuuanu Pali was the site of a major battle between the great Chief Kamehameha and high Chief Kalanikupule. It is sort of a surreal feeling to think that I was standing at a place where many soldiers for both Chiefs were slain or fell off the pali. Now this significant historical site is simply a trivial lookout. The site has no mention of the historical importance other than some pilots that crashed there. I found most of this information online. Despite all of this, it was extremely beautiful.



Next we hiked the Maunawili Falls trail. This was my first hike ever, anywhere...what a great trail to start my hiking experience. The majority of the hike was under some dense, beautiful, tropical foliage and the hike itself wasn't too strenuous. It was a little slick because it had rained atop the clay the day before. We crossed the creek three times and the pitch of the hike was fairly flat in most spots. The hike ends at the Maunawili Waterfalls which are relatively small, but gorgeous none-the-less. There was a little swimming hole at the bottom of the falls and Josh, me, and a few other fellow-hikers jumped off some of the cliffs. The first jump was only about 6 or 7 feet and no big deal. The second jump was a little more frightening. First you had to scale a steep hill consisting of slippery clay...then once you were on top you were looking at about a thirty foot plunge into the pool. Josh was the first to jump and we were giving him a hard time because of a sissy-little-scream he gave during his jump. The jump was a lot of fun. One guy, to our surprise, took the jump naked...no one took a picture (for better or for worse, that's up to you). We hung out for a little and enjoyed the views and then headed back down the trail. The hike was only about 40 minutes each way, but it was an awesome hike.



We grabbed some lunch at my aunt's favorite Korean restaurant and then headed up Kamehameha highway. We were going to head home, but stopped at Sunset Beach on the North Shore (famous for its awesome surf). The water was calm today though; apparently the best surf is during the winter months. We swam and laid out for a few hours and then headed home. It was great to experience another beach and the weather was great all day.


I have been trying to compare O'ahu to Northern Michigan which may be a little unfair. First of all, it is a little "apples to oranges"; different climates, different geography, etc. Secondly, I think I am just used to Northern Michigan's beauty and take it for granted. I know it is beautiful back home, but all of this is new to me. The trees are different, the water is different, the sounds of the birds are different, but they are both some of the most beautiful places on earth.


Well time for bed. Tomorrow I have to get up early to help paint this house :) Mahalo for reading all of this. Good night and take care. Justin

P.S. Sorry the pics are out of order. I am still trying to figure out how to use this site.