hanakapiai falls

hanakapiai valley

hanakapiai beach

hanapakiai trail

Hanakapiai Falls is a waterfall that lies 2 miles off the end of a branch of the famous Kalalau trail. One aspect of the falls which is sadly not represented well in the photo above (slightly better in the video below), is its size. The the top of the falls is about 1000 ft (305 m) up. In addition to the falling water, the canyon wall is just as impressive.

The trail starts at Ke’e beach and proceeds two miles to Hanapakai beach. This part of the trail will give you a great glimpse of some of the majestic beauty that the Na Pali coast has to offer. While the trail in this section is well defined, it has some tricky sections which shouldn’t be taken lightly due to the abundance of mud and a sharp drop off on the north side of the trail. One thing to note is that there is one river crossing at the very end before reaching the beach which isn’t difficult but prepare to get at least your legs a bit wet.

Once you reach Hanapakiai beach, a great resting stop as it serves as the midway point, you will need to proceed two additional miles to reach the falls. The early portion of this segment (first .25 mile or so) of the trail happens to be quite narrow and extremely muddy, after that it is generally a lot dryer and easier to traverse. The only difficulty part about the second segment is its lack of definition or markings. The good part is that if you don’t venture too far from the river, you’ll never be too far off. As with the first two miles, there are river crossings, three more in this portion to be exact.

Once you reach the falls, there is a beautiful large pool in which you can jump in and enjoy. One cautionary note here, you might find that you start to freeze as the water is definitely a lot colder then the ocean or rivers found elsewhere on the island. But after such a great hike, it would be a shame to pass on the opportunity.

Note: if you happen to have a pair of water shoes available, it would be highly advised to bring them along and wear them on the trek. Flip-flops (or slippers) while possible are not advised and taking sneakers on/off can be somewhat annoying when doing the four river crossings.

Related posts:

1. Kipu Falls
2. Manoa Falls
3. Hanakapi’ai Beach

west side trail

west side approach

norfork pines on sleeping giant

Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain) is a mountain which when viewed from anywhere on the east side of Kauai, resembles that of…you guessed it – a sleeping giant. There are a few trails up the side of the mountain. The first of the two main trailheads available for climbing it is on the east side at the rear of the Wailua houselots. Simply follow Haleilio Rd in Wailua until it curves to the left and you see a small parking lot on the right side of the road. The trail begins to the right of the lot and zig-zags up the east side of the mountain until it merges with the west trail and turns towards the top of the mountain.

The west side trailhead is located on the off the side of Kuamoo Road. You’ll see a closed gate and sign indicating that its a trailhead. Parking here would have to be along the side of the road. As an alternative, you can take Kuamoo Road to Lokelani Rd and take that to its end where there are a few spots available to park, and an entrance to the trail.  From here, it begins as a gentle grass lined slope that lines several houses and gradually progressing into a forrest of Norfolk pines.

Once in the midst of the beautiful Norfolk pines, the trail ascends up pretty quickly while remaining fairly easy to traverse.  From the west side, the trail is about 3.5 miles, whereas from the east side it is about 3 miles. The two sides merge near the top of the mountain so its possible to make a pretty decent day hike by traversing up and back both sides. Throughout the extent of the trails you’re sure to find several great locations for taking photos, sitting, thinking or meditating.

Once on the top, there is the ability to get a great panoramic of the east side of Kauai including areas north of old Kapaa town, to all the way south to the Lihue Airport and everything between the ocean and moutains behind. There is also a nice area to sit and rest and take in the views.

east side panoramic

Related posts:

1. Manoa Falls
2. Hanakapi’ai Beach
3. Waimea Canyon I

street vendors in nyc

halal stand

halal chicken

pad thai in bangkok

So maybe ‘meat’ isn’t being fair to the countless number of food vendors that roam the city offering items that don’t necessarily contain meat such as coffee, donuts, crepes, waffles, dumplings and desserts. But the point is still the same…They play a part in making the city great.

Go to about any given corner in manhattan and you’re likely to find a selection of street vendors. Sure most corners will be very similar… offering hot dogs, roasted nuts or Halal.  But even these three alone can offer any visitor or resident some good cheap eats. Halal alone provides for a good selection of generally either chicken or lamb served on a pita or with rice along with a small dosage of veggies. The meat is seasoned already, but then you can add a choice of white or red sauce (the red being spicier). When served on a pita, its quite similar to what you’d get at some greek restaurants.

Beyond the typical though lies an ever increasing number of gourmet street vendors. The rickshaw dumpling truck dishes out a selection of tasty dumplings with dipping sauces.  The Wafels and Dinges truck goes around offering, you guessed it… For those having a sweet tooth, there’s always the Dessert truck. In addition, there are trucks that offer up just about anything else you can think of including great tasting mexican and BBQ.

The variety of food trucks in the NYC is getting better every day but it still has a little ways to go before I can consider it at the level of Bangkok which I’m generally fascinated by simply due to the number, variety and quality of food available on just about any sidewalk in the city.

So when you’re in the city, I definitely advise you to take advantage of these delicacies on wheels. You might even save some money as you can often get a full meal for about $5, which in manhattan is a pretty darn good price.

Related posts:

1. Puka Dog
2. Red Tail Hawk

grand central panoramic

Yes, I said “terminal”. While often referred to as “Grand Central Station”, this facility is actually known as a terminal because the tracks into the building end. The building opened on February 2nd, 1913 and was constructed by the old New York Central railroad.

The building was nearly razed several times as the railroads that built it went into an era of decline. This led to several developers proposing towers be built where it stood, beginning in 1954. Finally in 1968, a plan by Penn Central to construct a tower over Grand Central was decried by huge opposition, led by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who stated:

“Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud monuments, until there will be nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters. Maybe… this is the time to take a stand, to reverse the tide, so that we won’t all end up in a uniform world of steel and glass boxes.”

This subsequently led to a ruling by the Supreme Court between Penn Central and the city of New York whereby the court ruled that enforcing historic preservation would not be equivalent to the “taking” of Penn Central’s property under the Fifth Amendment. In 1970, Penn Central fell into bankruptcy and its title on the terminal fell into the hands of its successor. In 1994, the MTA then signed a 280 year lease and began a massive restoration of the grand terminal.

grand central looking south

Besides being the home to the terminus of Metro North Railroad, and at some point the Long Island Railroad, Grand Central is also home to several amazing restaurants and shops. From a great oyster bar on the lower level, to a high end farmers market on the concourse level, there is plenty to do and see. One thing not to miss is the acoustic anomaly that exist just outside the Grand Central Oyster bar. Whisper into one corner of the foyer like square that exists just in front of the Oyster bar, and have someone hear you on the opposite side just as if they were standing right next to you.

When in the city, it is definitely recommended to reserve some time for a tour of the amazing building.

Related posts:

1. James A Farley Building
2. Stonehedge
3. St. Patrick’s Cathedral

manoa falls

Manoa falls is an 800ft high waterfall located at the end of Manoa Rd. in Honolulu, HI. At the end of the road, there is a little parking lot to park in…the trail begins there.  Please note: parking will cost $5 dollars as the lot is on private land. If you happen to arrive late to the falls (just before sunset) you may get there after the attendant has left, though then you risk having to hike down in darkness which is its own penalty.

manoa falls trail

The trail is approximately .8 miles each way, pretty wide and not too steep but can be quite slippery at times. I was able to do it in a pair of slippers though after more recent rain it might be advisable to wear shoes or sneakers. Once you complete the quick you’ll be at the falls. The waterfall is definitely not the most amazing one to be seen, but as with anything, maintains enough natural beauty and wonder to be appreciated. As an added bonus, at the falls, there will be another trail branching off to the left which is more advanced, but leads to a view of the city below.

Related posts:

1. Hanakapi’ai Falls
2. Rainbow Falls
3. Kipu Falls

stonehedge circle

Stonehedge is located in the northern reaches of England.  Out of nowhere appear these gigantic stones which have been arranged in a particular formation that scientist and historians have only been able to theorize about.

Its quite amazing to think that people thousands of years ago managed to find, move and arrange boulders of such a grand size so far.   I’d had seen specials on television about it, but seeing it in person was definitely a treat.

An amazing aspect of Stonehedge is the mysteries that it keeps. For starters, it is still uncertain why the structure was built.  There are theories that it was used as a sort of burial ground, but there are likewise theories it was used for religious purposes or as a spiritual place of healing.

The other mystery regarding stonehedge is how it was built. Several theories have been thrown about, but to me there is one that may stand out above all others.  It comes in the form of a video on YouTube where a gentleman in Michigan believes he may have figured out how Stonehedge was actually built.  Check it out…

Related posts:

1. Iraivan Temple
2. James A Farley Building
3. Grand Central Terminal

iraivan temple from a distance

The Hindu Monastery located here on Kauai is an amazing place. Beginning with some of the most magnificant scenery to be had anywhere and add to it the peacefulness of a working monastery. The monastery is not just a tourist attraction, it is a world renowned place for individuals who seriously dedicate their lives to hinduism.

When you enter the monastery, you are basically guided to follow a path which leads to the Kadavul Hindu Temple. This is the original temple on these grounds beginning in 1973. The word ‘Kadavul’ actually means ‘He who is both immanent and transcendent’ in Tamil. Serving as private shrine of the worshipping monks who have performed the Sanskrit puja ritual every three hours, around the clock since the temple’s inception.

mt. wai'ale'ale and wailua river

While the Kadavul temple is a private shrine, it is open to the public for worship daily at 9am for the Siva puja. If available, take advantage of a tour of the grounds where you can bear witness to some of the most amazing scenery on the island… and there are amazing sights to be found all around the island. From here, you may get to witness both the sacred Wailua river along with a great shot of Mt. Wai’ale’ale. On the tour, you’ll get to see the spectacular Iraivan Temple which is currently being constructed (visible in the photo above).

Note: Notice the large tree in the lower left corner of the picture. As a result of about 17″ of rain that fell at sea level (a lot more up in the mountains), this tree was washed down river.

monk's quarters

Besides the temples, you’ll get an opportunity to have a glimpse into the life that the monks live daily. The monks live a life of poverty here, living in small quarters and working for most of their needs.  In addition to the standard practices one would expect a religious leader to practice, there are animals to care for, plants to maintain and harvest as well as a temple to build.  Besides that, the monks also all own macs and iphones which they use to publish books, the magazine Hinduism today and teach the world about hinduism.

Related posts:

1. Iraivan Temple
2. Kauai Coastline
3. Kauai weather

rear of iraivan temple

Yesterday I had the enormous pleasure to get a peak at the crowning jewel to the amazing Kauai Hindu Monastery, the Iraivan Temple. Currently under construction out of pure white granite, which is hand mined and hand carved in India, then sent the 10K miles by boat to be erected. Once on the island, the pieces are assembled and further refined by masons and the resident monks who spend endless days working on this amazing structure.

side of iraivan temple

mason works on a piece of granite

interior detail of temple

The structure is being completed as donations come in to pay for it. It is estimated the the total cost to build will top out at about 16.4 million dollars, which when seen appears to be a bargain. It is estimated that completion will not take place until at least 2014. Besides the grand structure, there are plans for steps that lead down to the sacred Wailua river and a fantastic entrance which will symbolically take people thru lessons to follow in life’s journey.

The location alone for the temple appears absolutely perfect. Perfect weather and beauty natural surroundings which seem to fit right in with the basic principles that are being taught.  But besides the perfect location, what I personally find amazing is that this is sort like watching history occur before our very eyes. Walking around the perimeter of the building you can witness the masons carving, and positioning pieces into place while appreciating all the hard work that has already been done up to this point. I really have no hesitations on calling this a historical site, even though it hasn’t been completed as of yet.

In addition to the temple and the rest of its surroundings, there is another unique feature of this temple. Just outside of it, there is a forest of Rudraksha trees, from which the seeds which fall are often used as prayer beeds.

To the right is a view of what will eventually be the interior of the temple. Besides all of the amazing detail to the supports and walls, take note of the chain that is currently hanging.  The chain above was apparently carved out of a single piece of stone and not merely pieced together.  Simply breathtaking.

For additional information on the temple as well as to donate check out the temple website.

Related posts:

1. Kauai’s Hindu Monastery
2. Kauai Coastline
3. Stonehedge

st. patrick's cathedral

One of the great things about an old town or city are the churches and temples. New York is no exception in this regard. Throughout the city there are several classic old churches which stand out for the their grandeur. Completed in 1878, and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1979, this catholic cathedral stands out in the city because of it sheer size, location (in midtown) and naturally its age. The inside of St. Patrick’s always astonishes me and is worth it to spend time to walk around inside.

Related posts:

1. James A Farley Building
2. Grand Central Terminal
3. Times Square