And off we go again!
First stop: Wailua Valley State Wayside Park, with views of massive waterfalls in the valley
Oh, and a chicken in the parking lot!
I believe this is Upper Waikani Falls, also known as Three Bears Falls.
No time to waste ... here's another waterfall ... Wailua'iki Falls I think.
No hiking required! But very limited space for people to pull over so I imagine you might not be able to stop on a busy day.
I walked a little ways along the road for a better view:
If all that water makes you want to pee ... me too! So we make another quick stop at Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park.
Don't say I didn't warn you ... back to more waterfalls! These two are both located at Pua'a Ka'a:
Anywhere else they'd be one of the highlights of the day, but they don't look too impressive compared to what we've seen so far.
Ooh, but lookie here ... a rooster ... did I mention how much I love chickens?
Also seen on the road to Hana: ... a little Bob Marley:
The real gem cascades gently down the hill on the other side of the bridge: the left side of the multi-tiered Hanawi Falls
A completely different scene on the right side where the river hurtles down the rock face.
Finally ... we have reached the last waterfall before Hana, Makapipi Falls. If you stand at the edge of the road and looks straight down it looks like you Make-A-PeePee ... probably not where the name came from, but it does make it easy to remember.
Of course, I liked the mauka (mountain) side better so the little mnemonic won't help you here.
Gasp! Could it be? Have we reached Hana?
"Exactly what is so special about sleepy Hana that everyone wants to go there?" you ask.
Well, the truth is most people don't; the road to Hana is about the journey, not so much the destination. That doesn't mean you should skip Hana. If you want to relax and get away from it all this is your place. Or if you are like us and driving back and forth in a single day doesn't sound like a great idea; why not spend some time in Hana?
It's late afternoon by the time we reached Hana, but in our search for a place to stay we had fallen in love with a unique, eco-friendly property located about 10 miles down the road in Kipahulu so we're not quite there yet. Time to get going because this is not a road you want to drive in the dark.
Always on the lookout for fresh tropical fruit we do make time for a quick stop at this little fruit stand. There are no regular passion fruit, but she sells me a gourd like fruit that supposedly is a giant passion fruit.
Unknowingly, we saved the best for last: otherworldly Wai'anapanapa Park.
There's actually a blowhole at Wai'anapanapa, but none of those pictures came out right.
Overview of Pailoa Bay:
There's even a lava tube exiting onto the beach!
I could't resist a quick jump in the waves ... or rather 20 jumps by the time we got the timing right.
Good thing I didn't see these guys until I got out of the water: Portugese man of war ... and lots of them too.
There's a trail that leads down the other side of the bay
But it's the view when you head back that you'll never forget
So you see, Wai'anapanapa has a lot to offer! We must've spent a long time here, because it's really getting late and the blinding late afternoon sun makes an already white-knuckle-drive even more interesting. Are we even going to make it before dark? It could be just my imagination but it feels as if the road gets twistier and hairier the longer (and slower) we go.
With the last hints of daylight sinking into the ocean we pull into the driveway for Halemano, our home for the night, where we've rented a small wooden cabin -- one of several rental units spread out over the tranquil 7 acre resort.
After getting settled in, we join the other guests in the communal kitchen where our host has prepared an authentic Indian meal for us. She let us pick our protein before arrival and Sandy & I have both selected a delicious shrimp curry accompanied by a variety of traditional dishes. What a great meal! And to share it with our fellow travelers makes it an experience to never forget. Though tired from the day's drive we sit and exchange stories long after the food is gone.
Equipped with a headlamp we manage to find our way back, first to the bathhouse, then our cabin. Dark really means dark here.
Exhausted we immediately fall into a deep sleep.
Most beautifull watherfall, left side of the Hanawi Falls. I love that picture Cat!
ReplyDeleteThe picture of you jumping in the waves is very strange. It's impossibly to jump that high! Did you manipulate the picture?
I cann't quite understand the picture with the dead leaves. You get the impression that the leaves are floating in the air.
I really like this part of Hawaii.
See you later xxx,
Joeve
We love the Road to Hana too ... it's one of the most beautiful places we've ever been.
ReplyDeleteNo trick photography, I can really jump that high!