Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Sore legs and rewarding vistas in Hawai'i Kai (Month 2)

...to beautiful O'ahu! They call it the "Gathering Place", and it shows. More crowds, more city, more concrete, more big-box and chain stores than our last spot. But we're digging a bit below the surface to find an island of contrasts, which has rewarded us with amazing scenery. (Actually, "above the surface" would be the right way to put it. Check out our hiking photos below.)

We shuttle-bussed it past the high-rises of Waikiki and settled in residential Hawai'i Kai. It's a respectable suburb, with houses and shops scattered across islets nestled among craggly cliffs on the south belly of the Windward Coast. "Wind" is the operative word. We work and sleep to the intermittent sounds of howling winds.

Nestled among craggly cliffs (and bounded on the east by old volcanic craters) equals PLENTY of hiking opportunities. So, in our off time (and our lunch breaks), we hike.

We hike Hanauma Bay (sometimes multiple times in one day). We might snorkel there with all the tourists next week, but this week is hiking season:





We hiked Koko Head, and we're about to do it again:



 

We hiked Mariner's Ridge:



Since we don't have a car, we have to hike to the hikes. That usually adds just a few miles each way.

But on our lazy Saturday we took the 2 hour bus ride to "hike" around the Dole Plantation (a total tourist trap) and gorged ourselves on Dole Whip floats!


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