James and Paul Do Hawaii: Part 5: Maonoa Falls

Friday 11th November

We woke earlyish, and with sore heads from the late night partying at Tsunamis. We ate breakfast and then headed to Manoa Valley. It actually took us over an hour to walk from the university (where the bus dropped us) to the foot of the trail that leads up to Manoa Falls, and it rained most of the way, especially as we got further into the valley. However the air was hot as were we from walking hard so the rain made little bother to us, though we were soaked to the skin in no time.

As we started the trail I was absolutely knocked backwards by the sheer size, beauty and freshness of the rainforest. You could hear a river rushing in a deep gorge below and there were giant leaves of every shape. You could smell it, earthy and lush and green. I felt like I was in South America, or had stepped into the pages one of the many picture books I have fantasized over since my childhood. This was real rainforest. It was incredible and I was overjoyed, smiling and gasping all the way up the trail and back, slipping and scrambling over the rocks and winding tree roots, following the stream to the top.

Totally unexpected, the rainforest suddenly became bamboo forest. Exactly like out of the films Hero, House of Flying daggers and all those. It was eerie and utterly magic.

Naomi on the pathway (view from within the bamboo forest)

This tree was HUGE and interesting. Unfortunately the picture does no justice to what we saw and how we felt when we were there.

An interesting red bud on a plant, with big ants crawling over it.

The waterfall. Unfortunately fenced off since a rockslide a couple of years ago so we were unable to swim in the pool. We sat for a while eating our sandwiches by the fall, and would have stepped under the barrier to swim for a bit, only suddenly many visitors appeared to have caught up with us, including some unbelievable obnoxious and loud mouthed American teenagers so we raced off back dwon the trail to get away from them.

James and Paul Do Hawaii: Part 4: Tsunamis

Thursday 10th November

Thursday after work I met Naomi and the boys on Waikiki beach. We had planned swimming but sudden rain drove us up into Lulu's bar for early dinner and a couple of beers. After that we headed up the road to check out a rough and ready kind of bar named Tsunamis. We drank in the front of the bar, then moved to the back to play a game of pool (boys vs. girls- we won by default but would have cleared up the table anyway!!) and then a really good live band played the rest of the night and we danced happily into the small hours before heading back to sleep at Naomi's place.

James needs to practice making happy faces

Naomi in soft focus in Lulu's

James doing a card trick in the bar.

Pool chalk writing glows under black lights, I discovered, so experimented on on Pauls forehead writing 'PRAT' (you have to look carefully) and put war stripes on his nose and cheeks.

My plastic flesh tunnel spike glowing under the UV black light

Lots of dancing = sweaty happy faces!!!

English readers, don't be offended! This sign mean 'peace' out here!!

Me and James

Check out our double chins!!!

A-OK!

There's just something about other peoples aviators...

Oh yeah! I'm so cool!!

At the end of the night James got his eyebrow pierced by some very nice blokes in a tattoo shop opposite Tsunami's. It looks really good on him.

James and Paul Do Hawaii: Part 3: Diamond Head

So after we'd had lunch in Lulus we made our way to the foot of Daimond Head State Monument to hike. Here's the whole event in pictures...

A nice pic of the edge of the crater

This is one of my favourite pictures of the day. Genuine happy faces, and nice composition!!

Naomi encourages the boys to follow her through a very dark tunnel that leads to the foot of a huge flight of steps...

That she and James proceed to race up like crazy people.

Tada!! Champions!

More steps!! Paul and I peer down from the top.

Check out my red face!!

This one's a self portrait. Not convinced it was good enough, we got a tourist to take the next one for us...

Much better! Cue happy faces!!!

Waikiki

View af Waikiki (and Naomi!)

Kings of the castle.

Carlies angels? Bond girls? No, it's just us.

Blaaaah! The side effects of shave ice.

James and Paul Do Hawaii: Part 2: Happy Faces

WEDNESDAY 9TH NOV: LULU'S 24 HR COCKTAIL BAR

After work on Weds, I met the boys and Naomi in our favourite bar (Lulu's) that looks out over Waikiki beach. We had some lunch and attempted to look happy and smiley for the camera, with mixed results...

Paul tries a happy face but instead looks like he's about to knock my block off. Naomi on the other hand, is a pro at the happy face!

Paul and Naomi are highly amused by mine and James' attempts...

I demonstrate what a happy face is (but strain a bit too hard) and James

tries his best...

This one's not too bad!

Ok for future reference, this face says "psychotic" more than "happy", James

James and Paul Do Hawaii: Part 1: Guy Fawkes

My friends from Wales, James (above) and Paul visited at the beginning of the month so this post begins the illustrated accounts of some of what we got up to while they were here...

SAT 5TH NOV: GUY FAWKES NIGHT

We couldn't have a bonfire because our garden is too small, and we couldn't have fireworks because they're illegal, although the boys manages to get some sparkly fire crackers on the sly under the counter from some bloke in town, although we didn't do them in the end as my housemates were worried about us getting busted. So we ended up having a BBQ and we made a guy from a corn on the cob I'd eaten, with a marshmallow head and arms made from a palm leaf. My housemates thought it wasn't a very nice tradition to burn a figure on a bonfire but the little ritual pleased us, while we imagined the huge fires, fireworks and festivities that would be going on back home.

Hawaii State Art Museum- 2nd November

The 2nd of November saw Naomi and I visit the State Art Museum for one of our regular post-work get togethers. All the paintings, photography and sculpture is by Hawaiian artists who donate their work to the museum. There were several exhibitions on- of themes including the summertime, roots and culture, and photography of everyday life and portraits.

Naomi in the entrance of the museum- a really gorgeous building.

Here's a fun sculpture- a great big gecko on a sun lounger!!

The stripe bellied puffer fish makes yet another appearance! This time on a hand-made jug from a set of three beautiful and unusually sculpted kitchen vessels, painted gaily with different sea creatures on.


Here's a photograph I particularly liked- taken during preparations for a luau. Luaus are traditional Hawaiin events- great big feasts with lots of meat, dancing, celebration and displays of fire swinging. I haven't yet been to one but hope to before I leave because they are a big part of the Hawaiian culture.


This photo is so cool! Its a photo of a man painting a picture of the landscape he's standing in, although the quality of the picture makes the entire thing look like a painting.

The style of this huge painting reminded my very much of some of my sister Daisy's stuff, only her subjects are cowboys and indians, not rowers (anyone who has seen her work will know exactly what I mean), and she uses oil paints whereas this was done with acrylics. Still it jumped out at me, and thought she'd be interested to see it.


This one was Naomis favourite. It has an almost photorealistic quality to it, and shows the discovering of Hawaii back in the day when all the volcanic activity was still going on.

The shot above is of my favourite painting in the museum. "Whirl" by Carol Bennet. It is 3 canvasses, each one depicting a close up of a Hawaiian fish, a sailfish tang, lion fish and moray eel. I was so taken by this I would willingly part a lot of money to one day hang it in my house. I enquired as to whether it was for sale but the assistant said it belonged to the museum and was not for sale. Boo!

Here is a good shot of one of the three canvasses.

After the museum we went and ate lunch on Bishop Square, an area with an individual, cosmopolitan feel, with lots of little independant food outlets. We sat on tables and chairs on the pavement surrounded by the beautiful architecture and modern water features that are incorporated into the huge, squarely cut walls, steps and walkways. All around this area of Honolulu there are beautiful bike racks- well not racks exactly but designated bike parking constructions shaped themselves like bicycles. Usually they are just painted black, but the one by Bishops Square is painted with the American flag. Here it is...