Puu Pia Trail

I finally realize that I cannot effectively manage 6 blogs plus a Facebook and an Etsy account. My Artsy blog hasn't been updated for 2 months now, which ultimately affects my Etsy account because no art means nothing to sell. I have also failed to update the Pediatric Basketball blog with the more recent games. What have I been doing the past 2 months? I have no idea! I guess I just wasn't in the blogging mood with everything that is going on.  I am also sneezing up a storm this morning, which I blame on the vog (volcanic ash from the Big Island). 

I have been wanting to share this amazing hike that took place in March. Bryan and I have always loved Manoa Valley and will jump on any opportunity to hike the trails that allow us to explore the beauty of the valley. Puu Pia Trail starts above Woodlawn and ends at the top of a puu (hill) with a 360 degree view of Manoa. The trail is mostly gently sloping with occasional steep ascends / descends. The photo below attempts to show the steep and rooty parts of the trail.  

Near the beginning of the trail were bunches of hilo holly that I originally thought were Christmas Berry, which has thinner leaves. I love the rich red color of the berries.

Half way up the trail, we were surrounded by beautifully arched Eucalyptus trees. Though it was sprinkling a bit, we were well protected even if heavy rain fell.

Near the top of  the puu, we had a great view of the back of Manoa Valley. 

We walked a little further up and saw that the trail was suffocated with Fiddlewood. Though a major weed in the Koolau Mountains, a closer look at the string of tiny white flowers makes the weed look almost beautiful and wanted. 

Ah! We were at the top of the puu, looking at Honolulu city from the back of Manoa Valley.

Here is a closer look at the houses in Manoa. Bryan took this picture and he did a great job!

I stitched five photos together to create panorama of the Koolau Mountains that surround Manoa Valley. You can also see a little bit of the trail that leads to the puu. 

On the way back, Bryan stopped to poison himself with more delicious bug spray. When he was done, he almost stepped on this poor little toad who was enjoying his bask under the warm sunlight. Look! He gave Bryan a stink eye! 

After the hike, we went to refuel at Genki. We took this video for our great friends, Ryan, Emily, and Poki. Enjoy!

Green Heaven

One fine day, we decided to visit our favorite Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden. So much has happened and so much more will happen at this special place. I could almost imagine myself at 90 years old (lucky I live that long), sitting beside the lake with my old old husband, reminiscing of the good ol' romantic years while enjoying the beautiful and peaceful scenery surrounding us. How wonderful to lie on the grass and let the soft wind lift all the worries and stress off our shoulders. Everyone needs a bit of green heaven.

On our weekend excursion, we discovered a small park near Ho`omaluhia.  Heeia State Park is not much as seen on the trail map, until you do a little exploring of your own. A short walk to the opposite side of the park is set of stairs that lead to a secluded area, that some tidying could transform it into a cozy wedding ceremony site. The arched trees form a passageway to a mangrove beach.    

The water was quite calm and clear. With the carpet leading to the beach, we were sure some lucky person found this gem and made this his special escape.

Honolulu Auto Show

It's that time of the year again, when I indulge myself with cars that I will never buy and those that I cannot afford. This post is long overdue because the Honolulu Auto Show was in March ago. But, better late than never. Here's a car that I can afford (in the future) but will never buy. I was practically sitting on the floor in this car!  Bryan said this car reminded him of my niece, Ellyse :) ... and that uncle Bryan will buy Ellyse this car when she is old enough to drive.  

Here's one that I will never own because it wasn't for sale. This car use to be a piece of junk, I mean really junky non-drivable trash-worthy junk. But a group of motivated students salvaged it and rebuild it as part of a class project. Some kind of class project this was! 

My Dream Car #2. The Nissan GT-R was this year's Motor Trend Car of the Year. It is about 70K, so it's something that I cannot afford to waste by driving in the slow freeways of Honolulu. I also loved the 2009 Nissan Maxima, which is my "realistic" car of the year - a car that I will buy if I need a car.