In Regards to 5/27/2010

Tha Chrizzla and I decided to take it easy last night and the following morning. Our intent for the day was to hike to Manoa Falls but neither of us wanted to start very early. After doing some laundry and having lunch we made our way to the bus.

We didn't make the trail head until about 2:30pm. Again I was amazed to see all the crazy jungle plants. People had houses on properties right up to the parks edge. In the yards were lush ferns, brilliant flowers and tropical fruits. No wonder people consider this place paradise. We entered the park and started walking the trail. Somebody had laid down some asphalt, clearly in an effort to accomodate a variety of hikers. How annoying, Chris and I ducked down a "Service Trail Only" and were soon deep in the jungle.We came across several banyan trees and something else with these bizarre ribbon like root structures. These roots were at least two feet tall and wavy, it was the weirdest thing.

Eventually we lost the trail and had to back track. We returned to the proper path and continued on. This path was again more manicured and thus more boring. A bit crowded too, so not as fun. In a grove of bamboo a little bird was singing. Though black with orange wings he reminded me of the starlings back home.

Not much later we came across the falls. I was unimpressed. A sheer rock face, perhaps 100ft tall yielded but a weak trickle into a tiny pool before running down the mountain alongside the path we just came up. We noticed another path climbing further and continued onward.

This part of the trail seemed determined to take us on to the pass. We climbed through switchbacks for about an hour. The only significant features were an extremely dense bamboo forest that nearly blocked out all daylight and on of the largest banyan trees we spotted yet.

Chris was worried about the fading light so we turned back before cresting the ridge. Part of me is always eager to see the trail to its natural end. I need to learn to content myself with the journey rather than the destination.

Back at the crib we waited for my cousin to call. Coincidentally she was attending a wedding at a hotel in Waikiki Beach. What luck! But it wasn't until much later that I learned that her flight was delayed. Both tuckered out from our hike Chris and I passed out early.