Summary Report

Maunawili falls pt 2 From where the person video taping (in this video) it was shallow and there were lots of rocks in the water and the sides of this little area rose up high along each side. As soon as we arrived to this spot it started to rain. It was so beautiful and the sound of drops hitting the leaves all around you was beautiful. So keep in mind while I tell you all of this it was also raining. In order to get to where the waterfall was you had to leave the rocks and step into this dark water not knowing where you’d step, what you’d step on, or if you wouldn’y step on anything at all. It wasn’t tha far of a swim buy the water was soooo incredibly cold that it made you feel like it was a long swim. My body was shivering rapidly as I was trying to breathe and take breaths but it was so hard while swimming and being so cold. Once I got over I climbed up the side and where you see that littel cluster of people is where I jumped off. It doesn’t look that high in the video but it was pretty high. You had to be careful of your footing and make sure you jumped out far enough just incase it was shallow or rocks around...always best to aim for the middle. Some of the boys went up passed the fall and up on the side of the cliff that looked so slippery. There was a big enough ledge to stand on but in the pt. 1 of this post you can get an idea for how much higher it was from the little spot where I jumped. In that video you can also see the little shallow rocky area where others waited and where we had to swim back to. After the jumping we gathered all our very wet clothing, and started our way back. It was getting dark by then. We made it passed most of the tricky parts to walk and then it was dark. One of the boys knew a shortcut but we had to be quiet because it was through someones backyard and he had done it before but they didn’t like it. We went down this wider path with trees surrounding us almsot like a tunnel and then all of a sudden we are going under and over all these branches and then there is light to a house and a gate. Seems so odd that this house was right there and in its backyard is a all this incredible beauty to be ventured. We were moving as quietly and quickly as possible not to be in the light too much and got to this wall that we had to jump off. Standing on this wall and looking out was just a normal neighbor hood, the street infront of us, and all us wet muddy kids trying to get down. Me and my sister are pretty short and one of out friends has to help us down because it was quite a tall wall/drop down. I’m sure it looked like something out of a movie. A soon as someone hit the ground we’d quickly head to the street and start walking ...everyone piling out of the forest over the wall. When we were finally all walking in the street 2 cars along the way stopped to talk to us and each time we thought we were about to get yelled at but each time they were just curious and smiling, asking how it was or  made a joke about it being rainy and dark. 

Maunawili falls pt 1/ Ocotber 19, 2020/ Today we went on my second hike to Maunawili Falls. We parked in this neighborhood and had to walk to it. It was incredibly lush and muddy. All around you was tropical forest. You could hear the water rushing somewhere below and constantly had to be looking at the ground ot watch your step. This was a more popular hike and everyone passing us were a bit muddy, no shoes, all in swim suits.... and I was thinking how I would hate to be walking on some of this and waht did we get ourselves into?! Some of my favorite parts along the way were... 1) it started to open up and looked like we had to turn a corner There was a little small hill we had to run up that was high enough to see everything around you and all there was was beautiful tree tops. Nothing else. All around us trees and no signs of life, you would seriously think you were lost in some big jungle. 2) if you could imagine the ground to look almost like the intertwined branches from the trees in the post below and laid out ahead of you in a perfect path with these thin trees lined up along each side that is what one random part of the hike looked like. You walked through it and it was almost like something from a fairytail. We started getting higher after that and noticed we couldn’t hear water anymore so we turned around. 3) We finally got to water and had to cross this big stream of it. Several times we had to cross it, trying to stay on the rocks, not slip, or get wet but at some point we had to just give up and step in the water. By then we made it to the water fall....

October sumthn.... Sofia’s boyfriend took us to surf in a differnet spot that was less crowded than Waikiki but it also happened to have bigger waves...the biggest I had surfed. Sof isn’t comfortable surfing as big of waves yet so she was a bit nervous and mad because she got smacked trying to get in. The paddle in was so long and reefy wich is something else we wern’t use to. Overall it was just darker so you couldn’t really tell how close the reef was to you. Man, the waves were rolling and hard! We had to get passed the line where the waves wer starting and with how big they were and at the rate they were forming, we had no choice but to take out sweet time. I was exausted by the time we finally got passed the line and still waves would come up and we’d have to paddle our hearts out in order to get passed them before they formed and crashed us!! It was a little frustrating and I really wanted to not movce my arms anymore but moving my tired arms was better than getting wrecked by a big wave adn then having to tumble under water, come back up, try ot get back on before the next wave and paddle past it (which usually I jsut wait it out because I am so tired by then but that means you lose your chances of surfing a wave). Me and sof just kept up with the waves and didn’t go for any big ones...maybe another time. We caught a few little ones on the way in and overall it was fun to experience something different.

North shore day pt. 3  It doesn’t look like it in the video but I promise you this beach was rollign with some big waves! A lot of bodyboarding and these 3 kids brought a whole mattress out and were trying to paddle out and catch waves with it! I had never seen anyhting like that before and it was hilarious to watch. Some of us sat up on the sand and journaled, and some of us went to swim in the big waves (not where people were surfing, more towards the left where the video begins. There were big waves but not as big and strong as the ones to the right). The most incredible sunset I had ever seen out of the two times i’d been here and since moving here was painted for us that night. It was incredible. There were these bright, thick, pink rays that looked like the kind of sunsets you draw. They were jetting out from the sun and lingered after she went away. There were mixes of orange and yellow that beautifully were layed against the light blue sky. It looked like a beatuiful painting and we were blessed enough to be in it. What an immaculate day, with immaculate people, and to be given and immacualte sunset to end the day. Something so awe inducing to put us in our place and instantly fill you with gratitude, that’s the kind of sunset it was.

North shore day pt 2.  We first stopped at Sharks Cove and saw so many beautiful fish, more than I had seen in Waikiki. There were all sorts of different species of fish, some I had seen for the first time that day. The colors and patterns were exquisit. My favorite finds of the day, however, had to have been a little black and white eel I saw while snorkeling and a handful of colorful shells. The little round green ones adn the pucca shells were such a blessing to find!!! I have never found pucca shells and the green ones are super delicated and usually all you find are pieces of them! It was so exciting!! Swimming in the cove was a little tricky because some places were shallow and some wern’t. When you stood you had to be careful not to step on any urchins (which there were a lot of) and make sure it was a clear sandy spot. When standing it looked like the place yo uwanted to go was so much closer and easy to get to but as soon as you were under water all these big rocks were in your way! It was amazing how deceving it was!

Northshore day Pt 1.  October 3, 2020 By this time we had met two other girls in our apartment and three other boys (don’t worry they all had to quarantine as well). With none of us having any family here, we all got really close and are now eachother’s little family. We go surfing together mostly or sit outside when we can, there are limits to how many people can be on the beach right now. We decided to have a big adventure day and go to North shore. I think the drive up is always so beautiful. You get to see fields, mountains, drive through diffrent areas that aren’t as big as in town which is nice, and once you get to a certain point you are able to see the ocean again and even though we just came from the ocean being 10 blocks from us it is just as exciting.Then the drive takes you down a littel furthur until your’e right next to the ocean and it fills you with even more excitment!

(This is apart of the September 13 post below)

(This is apart of the September 13 post below)

(This is apart of the September 13 post below)

(This is apart of the September 13 post below)

September 13, 2020 Today we went on my first hike (in Hawaii), Maikiki Heights in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve. Above in the other photos and videos, you’ll be able to see views from certain parts on the trail and my favorite photo of my sister confidently standing, looking out with a branch curved over her. We only encountered a few people along the way but for the most part it was just us. There were some of the biggest trees I had ever seen, tropical jungle like trees with trunks so big...I had only ever seen trees like that at my local zoo back home. Then there were these amazing other trees that looked almost like some part of the human body, like muscles or tendons... all of this and the most gorgeous plants surrounding us as we kept on going. There was one tree that had fallen over but still high enough to walk under and we discovered a little toy soldier amongst the many branches that intertwined and twisted around the trunk. On our back towards the begining/end of the hike we notices little wild guavas on the ground so we were trying our darndest to get some off the high branches! They were an odd texture, hard and almsot a little grainy, but slightly tangy at the same time-still plain though. (Just thought i’d note that the ring i’m wearing in the photo of the guavas was later lost in the Waikiki ocean :( It was my mothers ring and I absolutely loved that ring with all my heart. But I love the ocean with all my heart so I like to think that if there was anyone out there who I’d be willing to lose my ring to, it would be the ocean.)

September 6, 2020 We went out snorkeling in Waikiki (furthur down the beach in this photo) which I had never done and usually isn’t the place to go but with hardly anyone around and minimal places to go (especially since we don’t have car) we thought it would be fun! There is so much reef that is suprisingly close to the shore that you have to be careful of so you don’t get scraped up. Once we were out far enough we saw the most beautiful coral bed I had ever seen and wished I could just swim around it looking it up and down all day. There were some urchins, a sea cucumber, and lots of baby fish by the buoy. 

September 3, 2020 *THIS IS NOT MY PHOTO* but I will explain why I am borrowing it. This evening we went to some beach on the east side of the island. We parked on the side of the highway and stepped over the rail down into some brush that covered the side of the hill. We made our way down through the steep path of dirt and rock with bushes on each side and some tall grasses. It became more sandy the closer we got and through some trees there was somewhat of a cove. The hill above behind us was all covered in brush, to the right of us was a huge cliff that you could hike-the edge of it had a light house tha looked to sit one the edge of the rock. Infront of us, the ocean was wild at play. The waves were hughe and splashing around everywhere. Suprisingly there were a handful of boys out shortboarding and body boarding, I kid you not there were no girls out, if there were they were on the beach. My sister’s boyfriend went out to body board and me and my sister and our roommate went to go swim. Morgan (our roomy) was a bit nervous to go swim in the waves because she is use to little small waves at home and waikiki never has waves as big as these were. But sof and I are use to somewhat big waves becasue of where our grandparents live in northern california. So when we saw these we were so excited! I wanted to jump in right away and play with the waves. Our favorite things is to dive under right as the wave is coming or as soon as it builds and is about to break. It’s so exhilarating and I love the feeling ov being able to escape a big wave, feeling it roll over my body, and the water moving me forward and back. We were careful not to drift with the strong waves but I ended up getting stung by a jellyfish! It must’ve been a little once because all of a suddent I felt this intense sharp pinch and I didn’t know what was happening so I slapped my arm and chest where it was pinching. Jellyfish are definitely a call for getting out of the water, so we slowly but surely made our way out of the big waves, timing our exit perfectly so we didn’t get thrown or tumbled by the waves. Sure enough it was a sting, there were little red spots that stuck around for a few days but it wasn’t anything terrible. The photo above is what we saw on the shore, so I figured it had to have been one of those guys. Still had a lot of fun though.

These photos of Waikiki beach range from September to October. I know what your’re thinking. This isn’t very wild?! And you’re right, but this time, and in the month of August, was probably the closest thing to “wild” waikiki beach has been in a long time. At times, the beach would be completely empty. It was the strangest sight to see the sand so clean of people and their things, to see the streets empty, no music or nightlife, all the stores closed and everything shutdown except the ocean. This was the one place we could go to to get out and be in nature. For a little bit, hikes were closed and they were even threatening giving tickets to people driving to unnecesary places, so we would run down here to get out and escape being stuffed up. But I am so blessed to be stuffed up here. We at least could go to the beach which I am so grateful for. I try to get to the ocean at least once everyday. It doesn’t always happen but it hurts my heart when I don’t get out to the ocean. The beach is too crowded now, especially on weekends, but at certain times of the day its empty. Sometimes at night it’s fairly empty but not like before. The ocean is pretty flat now but earlier the surf was nice, not too big, but we go out just to at least be out there on the water and to feel like we’re still surfing.

This goes with the September 5th post below

(This is goes with Septemebr 5th post below )

September 5, 2020 - Today we tried to swim with dolphins. My sister and roommate had done it with their friends before (they grew up here and knew where to go). I had never done this and they wanted to take me. Unfortunately it was labor day weekend and there were some locals who were stopping people from doing so. It was quite the experience…we tried to speak with the one man who was telling us all this information about how we disturb their sleep patterns and it would be like someone coming into our home while we were sleeping and waking us up. That was a good point and we tried to explain that almost all of us were environmental students and some of us were local and we wern’t there to disturb them or try and mess with them but he wouldn’t here it, especially from us ladies. He only acknowledged the one dark male that was with us. Of course we didn’t want to disturb them or cause them harm, we understood the anger and passion behind his actions and words because there are a lot of tourists who come here thinking they can do what they like and no where in their mind is a sense of respect. That is disgusting and their entitlement is gross. But we wanted to respect them and what they were doing. He told us how far out we could go and ended up talking with him more about what he does and what we do (somewhat). We have not gone back since and I am conflicted if I people should be trying to see them…but there are shark tours where people go swim with sharks and couldn’t that be disturbing them as well?? I think there is a respecful right way to encounter animals in their natural habitat and we don’t have to completely shut our selves away from them. But even that is a selfish mentality, I dont know? It was still extremely beautiful and we wer egoing to enjoy it because we had woken up at 5am so if we could only swim a little that was ok. We saw some beautiful fish and a sea turtle which was the closest i’ve ever been to one besides while surfing -but you only ever see their little heads and some of their shell. Later we went to another beach and it wasn’t ideal for swimming or shell hunting. My sisters boyfriend and I were a little bit out from shore and my sister was swimming a bit aways from us when I saw something behind her…it was a seal and I was like “uhhhh should we tell her or do you think she saw and is trying not to freak out?” We yelled at her to make sure but she already knew and was doing her best to be calm and swim fast at the same time to get out. But man that seal was following her!! I was getting a little worried and also worried there might be others in the water or that something was chasing it which would be the worst scenario but we just kept swimming the opposite direction to give it space and get out as far from it as possible, Sof was getting out and so was the seal now! She was trying to run out and the seal kept following! I was at such a loss for words and just watching from the water not wanting to catch its attention. But she kept going up the sand and so did the seal until it plopped down into the sand. I let out my breath un such relif knowing ok she’s actually fine and so is the seal. It just also happend to be getting out at the same time. BUT OH MY GOODNESS THAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING and the way she describes it is so funny. I am just glad we were blessed enough to not have anything happen.