Liene's Adventures - 365 Days of Hawaii - Our Hawaii Diary (Days 241

365 Days of Hawaii - Our Hawaii Diary (Days 241 - 300)

: on 09 February 2021; Hits: 1240

You can read about the start of our Hawaii life here:

365 DAYS OF HAWAII (DAYS 1 - 60)

365 DAYS OF HAWAII (DAYS 61 - 120)

365 DAYS OF HAWAII (DAYS 121 - 180)

365 DAYS OF HAWAII (DAYS 181 - 240)

FEBRUARY

DAY 241

Today was a very exciting day - I had booked all 4 of us a whale watching cruise. Although we have been on several whale (and dolphin) cruises over the years, seeing wild animals is always a game of luck, and we have had tours with no animal sightings at all. Today was our lucky day though, as we saw a pod of about 5 whales, including a calf, swimming near the shore. Although they weren't very acrobatic, they came quite close to the boat at times, which was very exciting. Also, a pod of spinner dolphins playfully swam along our boat for a while, and we got to see several sea turtles as well. Definitely a successful tour with Pink Sails Waikiki!

DAY 242

Weekends are always for hiking, as long as the weather cooperates. This time we chose the 3.8-mile long Makiki Valley Loop trail. It was not as impressive scenery-wise as many other trails we have done, and did not have any grand lookouts or vistas. It was, however, a very tropical trail weaving up and down the mountain valley with some small waterfalls and stream crossings. But come to think of it - is there even a trail in Hawaii that is not pretty, no matter how simple it is?! I don't think so! And with over 1000ft elevation gain, this was also a good cardio workout for both the kids and adults alike.

DAY 243

This was a beach we stumbled upon completely by accident when going for a long walk on the North Shore. It was almost like a natural lagoon with perfectly calm water and coral reefs in it where people where snorkeling and paddle boarding. Although it is just a couple hundred yards from the main road, it is completely obstructed from view by the thick forest. You would never know of this beach unless someone brought you here and showed it to you. And almost solely local crowd here was proof that tourists have no knowledge of its existence. Now we know, and we will be back with our snorkel equipment and paddle boards! We are kind of locals now, after all!

DAY 244

A Hawaii postcard from us to you!

DAY 245

We went surfing this morning. Believe it or not, this was my first time trying to stand up on a surf board! We have gone diving, snorkeling, outrigger sailing, swimming with sharks, jungle trekking, body boarding and lots and lots more, but I have never tried Hawaii's #1 activity - surfing. My attempts did not get much past attempting to just learn to catch a wave and hold balance, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. Meanwhile, a Hawaiian monk seal was just lying on the beach not caring much about surfers or surfing at all - he's a pro at water activities anyway.

DAY 246

We are not in downtown Honolulu or Waikiki too often, so whenever we do have to pass through here, we usually take the opportunity to park our car and go walk around to (re)check all the main sights. This was a walk along Honolulu harbor and boys loved seeing all the yachts and sailboats. There are also colorful fish and crabs in the water in between the boats.

DAY 247

Today took us on a pretty wild hike to Lulumahu Falls. It is a 2.3-mile hike with approximately 1000ft elevation gain through a fairly rugged rainforest terrain. There were lots of boulder climbing; knee-deep stream crossings and rock hopping; fallen down tree negotiating; and avoiding mud by squeezing through a bamboo forest... Even getting soaked by a tropical downpour did not dampen our mood because at the end of it all there was an amazing waterfall hidden deep in the jungle.

DAY 248

Supporting locally owned businesses is always good, especially if their products are as awesome as Maui Soap Company's. I saw their bar body soaps on display at a local road-side shop a few months ago and got one to try. They became my favorite right away. The smells like pikake, plumeria and gardenia are all about Hawaii and the soaps are all made with only natural ingredients (kukui oil, coconut oil and tropical fruits). And apart from that, it as also for a good cause as the company gives away 5% of their profits to save Hawaii's endangered species. The good news for me is that the company ships all across the US (and worldwide) which means I will be able to enjoy their products even after we move away.

DAY 249

Felt like a good day to enjoy some nature, so we headed out to Koko Crater Botanic Garden. Although we have been here once before already, it is a great wilderness area with various trees blooming at different times of the year, so it's never quite the same. And it was also much more pleasant to walk around than last time when we visited in the middle of the summer heat. This was the palm tree oasis section of the garden which is one of my favorites.

DAY 250

A short stop at Kaloko beach which is often frequented by seals who love the soft, sandy beach dunes in this area. Unfortunately, we did not find any seals here this time, but the scenery and little beach walk was a great pitstop regardless. The shore was full of black lava rocks of various sizes that contrasted with the white beach sand. The 3 powers of Hawaii meet here - water, earth and fire.

DAY 251

Happy Valentine's Day! We finally got a day (well, part of the day) to spend without the kids by our side, so my husband and I enjoyed a quiet and peaceful Valentine's Day and concluded it with a sunset catamaran sail in Waikiki. And it was a beautiful sunset, indeed.

DAY 252

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum got a new delivery - a Blue Angel fighter jet which they set up in their hangar to let the public come and watch it being assembled back together. As we have the museum membership, I decided to take the boys out and let them see the engineers working on the jet. They were really mesmerized by the whole process and I had big trouble getting them to eventually leave.

DAY 253

This little beach on Hickam is truly my happy place! When coming here during low tide, the water level is very low and safe for kids of any age, therefore I can relax while my boys entertain themselves for hours! It's a win-win - I get to kick back and read a book while the kids run off their energy by digging in the sand and splashing in the water. We come here every chance we get, often several times a week.

DAY 254

A view of Koko Head - a headland that dominates the eastern side of Maunalua Bay. If you look carefully, you can see the straight trail towards the middle-left that leads to the top of the crater. The trail actually consists of 1048 deserted railroad ties and I have made this trek up the crater rim twice, both times to watch the sunrise. My legs were sore for many days afterwards as it is a steep incline of 1200 feet bottom to top!

DAY 255

Although we have big flocks of green parrots visiting our feeder daily, I had seen a blue parrot only once and for a very short while before it took off. This morning as I was sitting on the lanai enjoying my coffee, the blue parrot came around once again and stayed long enough for me to go grab my camera and take some photos!

DAY 256

Went for a late evening walk around the historic Ford Island and witnessed a pretty amazing sunset.

DAY 257

This was the longest hike we have done with our boys so far - 7-mile long hike to Ka'ena Point from Yokohama Bay. We have done the northern route a few times before, which is 6 miles long, but this was our first time hiking it from the south. It was a beautiful hike along the ocean and we saw 5 seals, lots of albatrosses with their little chicks, mongooses, and even pods of whales breaching and spouting out in the distance. Although this is a fairly long trail regardless of which route you take, the opportunity to see the wildlife here is worth all the effort!

DAY 258

My boys found this little ''critter'' washed up ashore. This is what is left of the spiky sea urchin after it dies (or gets eaten) and all the venomous spines [needles] fall off. The shell is extremely fragile and this was the first time we saw it all intact as usually we stumble upon them broken up in pieces. A pretty neat find!

DAY 259

As I was not up for a beach today, I decided to pay a quick impromptu visit to the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden instead to let my boys wander around and explore. Although we have been here before, it is such an amazing place that we can keep coming back over and over again and it will never get old. We went to the lake to feed fish and birds, walked around the garden and took a drive through the park to various lookouts. The Ko'olau mountain range adds a magical backdrop to this place.

DAY 260

I have seen these locally made tiles (by various artists) in several shops here in Hawaii. They are usually all one-of-a-kind and come in various sizes. They all have different Hawaiian themed paintings on them, from ocean and animals to flowers, waterfalls and sunsets. They are really pretty and can be used as decorative wall accents, drink coasters, collectible items or anything else one might want. I could not resist getting one for myself as well!

DAY 261

Although I have seen sugarcane drinks on offer before, I always though it would be too sweet for me as I am not into sugary, syrupy drinks at all. As we stopped by several food trucks on the North Shore for lunch, the boys begged me to let them try sugarcane juice. I gave in and got one for them as I was quite curious about it myself. To my surprise, it was not that sweet at all and was quite refreshing as it was all 100% natural with no additives. I will surely have it again!

DAY 262

With travel still restricted, we decided to create our own little mini getaway and opted for a weekend staycation - camping on Bellows beach right here on Oahu! I am not a fan of tent-camping; however, I knew my boys would love the experience, so I sacrificed. And how do you not love it when your view for the weekend is like this?!

DAY 263

We definitely had fun these 2 days at Bellows - we played in the sand; had a round of mini golf and soccer; explored the campground territory on kick-scooters and played late night card games at boys' request. The only downside was that due to warning level winds, the waves in the ocean were too rough for safe swimming or water activities. However, we weren't too upset as we can enjoy the ocean any day we want anyway. Camping, on the other hand, was our first experience of this type and we liked it more than I thought. And - we already have future camping reservations booked!

MARCH

DAY 264

I had run out of parrot food for a few days and finally refilled the supply today. Shortly after I put it out for them, 6 parrots showed up. It looks like my birds have been starving because a food fight broke out at the feeder! They just did not want to share today!

DAY 265

A view of the scenic Kahana Bay - a place that I have never seen crowded. The waves near the beach are usually small enough for kids to practice their boogie boarding skills. The river that branches off from the beach here offers beautiful rainforest and mountain views and we like to come here for kayaking and paddle boarding. The park also offers beachfront camping and it is a popular spot with locals. If you drive by, definitely make a short stop to check it out!

DAY 266

Hawaiian Moorhen or 'alae 'ula is an endangered water duck native to Hawaii. Nowadays, due to habitat destruction it can only be found on the islands of Oahu and Kauai. It needs freshwater to live and feed, so it prefers rivers, streams, marshlands, freshwater wetlands and even taro fields. We saw this little ducky at Waimea Valley.

DAY 267

Surf's up in Hawaii! Today we went to White Plains beach again for my 2nd attempt at surfing. I have come to conclusion that surfing is not for me. I spent a lot of time paddling on the board, falling over, losing waves from underneath me and in the end never really got to fully stand up on my board. But even with all that, it was still a great experience and a fun day! I am sure I will give it a shot again... once my (emotional) wounds heal.

DAY 268

When driving on H-3 today, I snapped a quick photo of one of the most well known hikes on the island - Stairway to Heaven. If you look in the middle of the picture, you will notice almost a vertical staircase - 3992 steps lead to the top of the ridge for dramatic views over the island. Now, the most important part is that this hike is illegal due to safety issues and there is often security posted at the bottom issuing $1000 fines to anyone attempting this closed climb. But every once in a while when passing by, we still see people climbing the stairs. I do hope that eventually the staircase will be repaired and the hike will be opened up to public again.

DAY 269

The water on many beaches here in Hawaii is so crystal clear that you can see not only rocks and corals underneath but even make out all the fish swimming around. We have been so lucky to live here, especially during Covid, with access to sun and outdoors 24/7. Ocean and hikes have been our go-to activities for the past 9 months!

DAY 270

Our third time hiking Lanikai Pillbox trail and it takes us by surprise every time. No matter how many times we see these amazing views, they never cease to astonish us! This has to be a must-see on everyone's list when visiting Oahu!

DAY 271

Taro fields with workers near Pearlridge Mall. Taro is a Hawaiian staple - it has a rich nutty flavor and is a vegetable root of a light purple hue. Ancient Hawaiians ate taro not only as a nutritional side, but also used it for its healing and medicinal properties. A traditional food made by Native Hawaiians called poi is made from a mixture of taro and water until it becomes a paste-like substance, similar to porridge. You can buy poi at several locations around the island to sample this traditional Polynesian dish.

DAY 272

When driving up and down the mountainsides, I have noticed these bright yellow trees popping up along the roadsides. Nicknamed 'gold tree' it is a large tree originating from Mexico and Central America and unveils a colorful display in early spring. These bright yellow flowers will later be replaced by green leaves and the tree will blend in unnoticed in the rest of the Hawaii landscape. But for now, they are truly fascinating to look at!

DAY 273

We have been having several days of heavy downpours and flooding all over the island, so once we finally got a break in the weather for a few hours, we decided to take a quick trip to Lyon Arboretum to see if there is finally any water in the waterfall. The past two times we were here in the fall, the falls were just a trickle. This time however thanks to all the rain, there was plenty of water rushing down the mountain and feeding the falls so we finally got to see it. Third time's a charm!

DAY 274

This weekend was supposed to be our camping weekend at Ho'omaluhia Botanical garden (reservations for which are very hard to come by)! Unfortunately, we have been having lots and lots of rain for almost 2 weeks, flash flood warnings daily, landslides, overflowing rivers and beaches, washed out roads and even washed away cars and houses. The island has really had a horrible month of March so far with just rain, rain and more rain. I already suspected that our camping would be a no-go, but we headed out to the garden to just check on our camping site for our own peace of mind - sure enough, it was all soaked and muddy. And with dark clouds hovering over the mountains and more rain in the forecast, we made the decision not to camp. It would be no fun. We will try again in a couple of weeks.

DAY 275

With a little sunny break in between all the rainy days we have been having, we decided to load up the car with our boogie boards and head out to Bellows. Unfortunately, as we got there, we saw a big warning sign put up on the beach. Due to all the rainwater runoff from the mountains and into the streams that wash into the ocean, the bacteria levels along all the Windward facing beaches were at unsafe levels for people to swim in. I guess that's why the beach was so empty on a Saturday. There were a few uncaring souls in the water, but the lifeguard advised us against it - would possible diarrhea, vomiting, fever and infection be worth a few hours in the water today? Probably not as we can come back another day when the ocean has cleared up and is safe again. Unfortunately, another one of our weekend plans was a bust due to the impact of recent persistent rain.

DAY 276

As we were driving through the mountains on H-3, I could not stop admiring the cloud-covered scenery outside the car windows. As much as I am fed up with all the rain, it sure makes the mountains look very mystical. And on top of that, all the rain creates rivers and streams high up on the ridges which then gush over the mountain-sides creating several hundred feet tall waterfalls. This phenomenon only happens during winter rainstorms.

DAY 277

Kids don't need much to have fun. Although extremely windy with passing rain showers on and off, it was all ignored for an opportunity to jump off into the water from an old cement dock, over and over and over again. Meanwhile, I was sitting aside wrapped up in a towel for some warmth. Kids are tough!

DAY 278

A little while ago we purchased 2 new kayaks and it was finally time to give them both a try. The big orange one is a ZRay Drift kayak we intend to take to several off-shore islands in the ocean once summer and calmer waters come around. It can actually carry all 4 of us with no problem which was our goal. The green one is a much smaller youth kayak for kids and our 5-year-old took to it right away and loved it! We do not plan on letting him go alone across reef breaks and open ocean with it, but it is just a fun activity for him to do along the beach.

DAY 278

Back to Ko Olina lagoons we went in search of some sun and warmth. We can almost always rely on this place when it is dark and rainy across other parts of the island.

DAY 279

I can smell the spring in the air here... Although Hawaii really does not have summer or winter in a sense that most people understand it by, it still has its dry season (summer) and rainy season (winter). Right now we are slowly approaching the end of the rainy season and many trees and flowers are perking up for more sunshine that is about to come and I have noticed colorful blossoms and flowers starting to appear all around. Plumeria, pictured below, is one of my favorite Hawaiian flowers and they come in all assortment of colors!

DAY 280

More flowers we noticed today on our walk scattered all around the sidewalks. This big blossom comes from a tree called African tulip tree which was introduced in Hawaii in 1800s. These trees grow as tall as maples or oaks and are so sturdy and ready to grow in any conditions, that they can easily overtake other, more temperamental, native Hawaiian plants putting them in danger of vanishing. Therefore, they are considered invasive species and pests. Nicknamed the flame of the forest, they do look stunning though.

DAY 281

Our visit to the Honolulu zoo felt very surreal today. As my kids are not into public school system yet, I had forgotten the fact that this week was spring break in Hawaii. As we entered the zoo, it was the most crowded I have seen anything since the start of the pandemic. There was a long ticket line; the usual long line to women's bathrooms; line at the cafeteria; all picnic tables taken... If not for obligatory face masks and the obvious social distancing (spread apart tables, chairs, viewing platforms), it almost felt like things were back to NORMAL! The ''normal'' that I had not experienced since more than a year ago! It was such an odd feeling to be in a crowded place again that I almost started to miss my solitude. But as much as I love having all the sights to myself alone, I think it is time for people to make a step forward and enjoy the world again! I can't keep it all to myself forever, unfortunately.

DAY 282

With all the rain and flooding, we had not had a chance to go hiking for a while. And when given a choice, even my 5-year-old requested to go on a hike this weekend (instead of a beach or a playground), so the plan was made. I picked a short trail that I have been eyeing for a while. Short, because I suspected any trail would have a lot of mud at this point, and it would also give us a quick way back to the car if it started raining. Judd trail is a very simple 1.3-mile long loop trail to a waterfall. It requires a stream crossing which was at a very high level due to all the rainfall so rock hopping was out of the question. So across we went - with all our socks, boots, pants and all - but it made for quite a fun adventure for the kids.

DAY 283

Scientifically named Ravenala Madagascariensis, this is a tree that is something between a palm tree and a banana tree. We can see them often here - in parks, backyards, roadsides - and they always amaze me with their perfectly straight arrangement of leaves. It is most commonly known as 'traveller's tree' or 'East-West palm' because its fan tends to grow in the east to west direction (that way giving olden day travelers an idea of their bearings). Hawaii is so full of little wonders!

DAY 284

Just a simple day of riding our bikes and scooters around the neighborhood. Tropical plants along the sidewalk are several times bigger than the boys themselves!

DAY 285

Although Hawaii is a US state, in reality, it is quite far from one - literally and figuratively. Hawaii is the furthest island in the world from any continental landmass, reaching 1860 miles (3000km) away from California, USA; 3850 miles (6195km) from Japan and 5594 miles (9003km) from Australia. Geographically, Hawaii is also not a part of North American continent but belongs to Oceania (Polynesia). Therefore, the Hawaiian culture and language is tightly linked with all other Pacific islands (like Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa etc). Hawaiian language is still used and spoken here, and there are several schools here where teaching / learning happens only in the Hawaiian language.

DAY 286

With my husband taking the boys out on a daddy-son date today, I had all day to myself. So, I decided to finally pay a visit to Bishop Museum which is the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History. There are several exhibit halls and buildings portraying Hawaii - from their ancient gods, kings and queens, people, culture, ocean voyages to sea life, volcanoes, animals and plants. Although the museum is not overly big, I spent almost 4 hours here! Without kids, it was so nice to finally just be able to take my time, read information plaques and actually pay attention to the exhibits rather than chasing after my kids!

DAY 287

''The Wave'' - a traveling sculpture made solely from garbage, lost boat ropes, fishing nets and trash washed up on Hawaii beaches. It is part of the plastic free movement and was made to draw attention to all the plastic use and ocean pollution, asking people to limit their plastic footprint and recycle. You can see here lots and lots of rope, plastic barrels and jugs, broken surfboards, storage boxes and lots of other items people have discarded of, lost or dumped in the ocean. Definitely a sad sight to see.

DAY 288

A very exciting weekend for our boys - another camping trip! After our camping at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden failed 2 weekends ago due to historic rains and flooding, we rebooked it for this week and got lucky, the weather was perfect - warm, sunny and dry with no rain. So, we set up our little campsite with some gorgeous mountain views and enjoyed the day by playing games, exploring the garden and sitting by the campfire.

DAY 289

Today was our second day of camping and we had the whole day to spend at Ho'omaluhua Botanic garden. After making some coconut pancakes for breakfast, we headed out to explore many of the the garden's trails, roads and lookouts as well as walked down to lake to feed some fish. It was a fun weekend with lots of quality family time. You can read a more in-depth story of our camping adventure (with lots of photos) in the article A Different Kind of Getaway - Camping at Bellows and Ho'omaluhia in Hawaii.

DAY 290

After a long time, we decided to take a trip downtown Honolulu and walk along Waikiki beach just to check out the local scene. Whether due to spring break, weekend or overall easing of Covid restrictions across the globe, it was the most crowded I have seen Waikiki since the start of the pandemic. People were tanning, swimming, playing beach volleyball or other beach games, surfing and just lounging around and enjoying what Hawaii has to offer. We also noticed quite a few people and groups speaking foreign languages like Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and others. International tourism must be slowly coming back.

DAY 291

One of the most popular musical instruments in Hawaii is ukulele. Any traditional Hawaiian song you can think of, it is almost guaranteed there will be a ukulele played somewhere in the song. It is a guitar-like string instrument but smaller and with a much different and very distinct tune. It is an integral part of Hawaiian culture - luaus, street musicians, hula dances or even house parties - a ukulele will be played. My husband has learned to play quite a few songs and today we bought 2 little ukes for our boys as well to ''practice'' on. Here you can hear one of Hawaii's most famous artists and songs of all time, performed with just a ukulele: IZ ''Somewhere over the rainbow''.

DAY 292

Statue of Makua (young surfer) and Kila (Hawaiian monk seal) in Kuhio Beach Park. It was made based on a children's story of honoring Hawaiian values of love and respect for ohana (family) and the ocean.

DAY 293

As I was passing the Honolulu port today, I looked back at this lonely cruise ship docked by the pier. It has been moored here since almost a year ago due to Covid restrictions and international border shutdowns. It is such a sad sight as tourism industry has been impacted by Covid the most - from airlines to cruises. I just CANNOT wait for it all to be back up and running again. And in hopes of turning tides, we actually booked ourselves a family cruise to New Zealand and Australia for spring 2022. Now we are crossing our fingers for travel and cruising to get the green light yet again soon enough!

APRIL

DAY 294

As much as I was poking fun at my husband a few months back about his wimpy state of well-being after his 2nd Covid vaccine, today I did not feel one bit better myself. 1st Covid shot had no affect on me and I breezed right through it; however, the 2nd dose really got me with chills and overall worn-down feeling. So, I was not able to do much more than just drag myself out to the balcony, plop down into a swing-chair and stare in the distance... Good thing the view is definitely one worth staring at all day!

DAY 295

I am not much of a gardener (and have never been as all plants die in my care!); however, I have acquired quite a mini-plantation of pineapples right here in my backyard. I had no idea before coming to Hawaii, that you can just cut off the crown (leaves) of the pineapple and if they get planted, they will eventually root and grow a new pineapple. The process is slow though and 1 plant will produce only 1 pineapple after 18-24 months of care! I have planted 12 of them so far, and keep adding more every time we purchase a pineapple...

DAY 296

When a 5-year old requests to go on a hike, that is not something to say 'no' to. Mostly, I believe, he requests the hikes because per our tradition we always get bubble teas for everyone after hiking, and I suspect he really wants to earn his bubble teas... Nevertheless, he is ready to work for them instead of just demanding them, so we oblige to his requests for hikes. Today we picked the simple 2.3-mile long Moleka and 'Ualaka'a trail near Honolulu. It was an easy, relaxing weekend stroll through a rainforest with tropical plants, trees and even a bamboo forest. I really do enjoy our family hiking time in the wilderness and beautiful Hawaii scenery!

DAY 297

Happy Easter everyone! Although I usually try to color Easter eggs by Latvian traditions, this year I did not prepare properly and did not have all the supplies needed (like onion peels or blueberries), so I decided to just go ahead and do it the American way. It was alright and the kids enjoyed the process, so I guess I can call it a success. And the Easter Bunny had even come and hid a few eggs in our backyard! Sneaky!

DAY 298

Just a beautiful scenery I noticed when driving on this mountain road - engulfed in tropical foliage and eucalyptus trees!

DAY 299

One of those days when neither one of us felt like cooking anything, so we went to Maui Tacos in Kailua to try out some local flare - fish and shrimp tacos. While waiting for our to-go order, I noticed these really cool tables at their restaurant. It is actually a map of Hawaiian Islands. I thought that was just a really neat idea for a local restaurant as I had never seen it before anywhere else! Maps on the walls, ceiling and even floors - yes, but never a table. And, the tacos were really good too!