A photographic journal of images from O'ahu by Dana, Jamie and Kala! =)
Pictures are all taken during the course of my activities such as paddling, surfing, hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up paddling, rock climbing, archery, skeet shooting, and soon diving - due to my schedule, some postings are done in advanced and posted automatically by blogger on the dates specified. If you have any suggestions, comments, etc for photos you would like me to take, do not hesitate to let me know - enjoy and thanks for stoppin by - Live, Love, Laugh and share the ALOHA!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
A 15 mile bike trek around Kaena
I wanted to get my friends permission before posting these pictures. I like this "reflective" image. I did a photoshop adds of the thumbnails for the 39 other images I photographed during our ~15 mile mountain biking trek through muddy, hilly, sandy, rocky trails with tons of potholes to maneuver through a couple of days ago. She was photographed into some of the images to add perspective to the photo. Many hugs to my friend and "master navigator" Adri for bearing with me on this "stop", "wait", "pose", bike trek - it took us about 5 hours total round trip time on bike and foot to the beach and back.
I love horses - did I mention I love horses? yup - I used to always look out the window of my high school english classroom gazing at these magnificent animals when I should have been reading and writing - thus, why my grammer is so bad!
This was inspired by Sam's Daughter's horse photo and Nicola's post:
And cya all in five days coz I will be away away and away - thus the premature postings. And mahalo nui loa for ALL the comments and my apologies for not being able to write you back!
...a bike and a surfboard (at Waikiki Beach near "Publics")What do these three things have in common?
Anyway, I should give you some info on the this and the last three "scenic" images. They were taken on the south, North, West, and East sides of the island within the past week - four completely different locations with variations in vegetation and weather. It can be rainy on one side and completely sunny on the other.
Mahalo nui loa (much thanks) to Jim and Lori for allowing me to take this photograph. For alot of visitors who have been walking all day on the sand and browsing the shops at night, a foot massage is simply the best way to end the night. This photo was taken on the sidewalk along Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki (near the Duke Statue) where you will find many performance artists and other activities going on along the sidewalks from about 7 PM to 11:30 PM. I am completely impressed with their entrepreneurship and hard work!
I decided to end my "Sandys" posting with this final image - the blue and white on booze patrol - drinking alcohol on public beaches are prohibited and at this beach its enforced even more for good reason. The roads leading to and from this beach are single lane narrow winding stretches of asphalt that is unforgiving to even minor driving miscues. A tragic traffic accident happened here a while back that killed five people due to a drunk driver. So many peoples lives are impacted forever by such careless acts. Press HERE to see the road I'm talking about as well as the rest of the 27 photos from the set!
Technically, it's already the next day since its 2 A.M. right now, so I'm posting very early!! Here's the beach itself - I did a photoshop job to darken it a bit since it was a little too bright so the sand looks darker in this image than it actually is in real life. The red flags are to attract beach users to read the sign that says "Warning - Dangerous Shore Breaks."
This is a classic "Sandys" day with steep wave faces, strong undertow and formidable shore breaks that can wreak havoc on the body for the inexperienced and unlucky individual. Notice how close the breaks are to shore? Of all the beaches on the "south side," Sandy's breaks are one of the most challenging; fun to watch but reserved for the skilled veteran. Over the years, people (locals and visitors alike) have suffered from broken backs, necks, collar bones, legs and even died as a result of brain injury. When I was in high school, I had a classmate who died while body surfing here. Twenty times more rescues are performed here than in Waikiki, the most heavily used beach on the island.
Not far from here is another beach that is probably just as beautiful, not as crowded as Waikiki, and much safer for the inexperienced to do some ocean wave riding. If you are planning to visit the islands and want to know some safer beaches to play in, email me. The absence of continental shelfs surrounding the islands as compared with our surfing neighbors in California makes hawaiian waves much more powerful and steep due to less dissipation of energy from the ocean bottom.
The type of board used in the above image is called by various names including sponge board, body board, or boogie board. People will lie, kneel and even stand on these short boards with no skegs (not to be mistaken for the surfboard with skegs).
On a final note, before venturing into the water on any beach in the islands, observe from shore for a bit or talk to the lifeguard before going in since waves come in sets and the last thing you want is to get caught in between a big set. Tomorrow, I'll show you the sandy beach!
As promised from my Friday posting, I've posted a day time photo of the same beach (sandys), buzzing with activity. The next three days, I will post images of close-up activities in this area as I write more about this beautiful yet potentially dangerous beach. This photo was taken from the lookout. This area is also a notorious stalking ground for criminals, stealing things from vehicles when unsuspecting visitors leave their rentals unattended and unlocked to walk the short distance to the lookout. Lock your cars and windows even in the short time you will be gone - seconds is all it takes!
...not my room, but a friends room - the photo was taken from the penthouse suite balconey that faces the "Kokohead" or east side of the island and overlooks Kapi'olani Park, Waikiki Shell Concert Hall (bottom right - partially covered by trees), the Honolulu Zoo and Diamond Head.
[ Press here to view Panoramic image of the area. ] -> 1.9 MB (The picture is really large and should fill at least half your monitors height so your web browser may reduce the image to fit to screen. If it does, mouse over the image and click on it to enlarge)
We were at the beach tonight, so I decided to attempt a night photo but it did not turn out too well. The moon was amazingly bright. This weekend, I will take a picture of this beach during daylight when it is beaming with activity. BTW, thats a couple on the bottom left side of photo - yea, that black smudge. Lotta couples out tonight! This place is sorta like "lovers lane." Thanks to Nebel for providing his georgous moon shot:
..."Rainbow Crossing"There's actually two rainbows - not sure if you can see the fainter one above the regular one. There's also a speed limit sign that you probably cannot see because its too dark - located on the bottom middle of picture. Photo taken at the uni.
In a rare treat, the Honolulu Academy of Arts is offering free admission to view some 500 artifacts collected by German Natural Scientists during Captain James Cooks 2nd and 3rd voyage through the Pacific in the 1700s. Thirty five of the artifacts are from Hawai'i while the rest are from the other Pacific islands. This collection is on loan from the University of Göttingen in Lower Saxony, Germany and the first time that the entire Göttingen collection will be on display in a public museum. I photographed the images during my visit. The inset photo is a neck ornament called Lei Niho Palaoa (here's large image), made from the carving of a Sperm Whale tooth and braided strands of human hair. The last day of display is May 14th! In 1779, Captain James Cook was stabbed to death by islanders at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island.
This place is filled with memories - we'd come here at night when I was growing up and I still come here with friends. Its a nice area that is fairly unspoiled and a great place to have lunch with someone "special" ;)
As promised, here is the road near my house. On the right side (not shown) is a community college and down the road is a "middle" school. Sometimes, at night you can hear people scream as they speed down this hill. Pic of that beach tomorrow! =)
...the Royal Hawaiian... and one of the first hotels built in Waikiki! During WW II, this hotel was closed to tourist and used by the military for rest and relaxation. Surfers are lining up for the next wave. Click on image to enlarge!
This photo is dedicated to Denton of Greenville S.C. for noting my earlier post was the first from a canoe...Well, here is a second from my canoe about a mile outside of Waikiki. Smiles!
...Mountains allows us to dream.[ Click on image to enlarge ]
This image is dedicated to Mark and his wife in Saint Maxime - to many more years of shared dreams come true! I photographed this image from Olomana Golf Course =)
For the next two weeks (Final Exams) I am going with the "minimalist" approach of very simple images with very few words. Interpret as your heart desires.
May day is Lei day here in the islands and a day to rejoice in celebration of a tradition that is very much an integral part of the culture and custom of the islands. It begins with the lei maker who in the process of making the lei also weaves within its strands and flowers, the mana (power) and energy of the maker. By giving the lei to someone, a part of the lei maker is given in love and friendship to the person receiving the lei. So, the next time someone shares a lei with you, know that the lei was put together with much care and love. It is the aloha (love) that binds us all.
There are many ways to make a lei - from the simple to the complex, the threading, braiding, and intricate weaving that goes into making a lei. The shell leis in the image above are made first by carefully drilling fine holes before they are stranded together. The process takes approximately three days. On Sunday, the eve of May day, I had the opportunity to watch my auntie as she carefully and meticulously made a "hili" lei. This form of lei making is one of the more complicated methods and I have taken some pictures if you are curious. I also added some pictures of May day into the gallery before my camera petered out. I need a new camera - any suggestions?
I wanted to get my friends permission before posting these pictures. I like this "reflective" image. I did a photoshop adds of the thumbnails for the 39 other images I photographed during our ~15 mile mountain biking trek through muddy, hilly, sandy, rocky trails with tons of potholes to maneuver through a couple of days ago. She was photographed into some of the images to add perspective to the photo. Many hugs to my friend and "master navigator" Adri for bearing with me on this "stop", "wait", "pose", bike trek - it took us about 5 hours total round trip time on bike and foot to the beach and back.
