The Falls (Read On… It Has More Than One Connotation)

Not one…Not two…Not Three…but Four. Count them – that’s how many times I fell on the return trip hiking down from the Hanakapi’ai Falls. More about this later.

Louise had the day off and we wanted to take advantage so we decided on a day’s hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls. We drove to the northern end of the island and managed to find a parking place, even though we did get a late start.

We planned for an 8-miler that would have 6 river crossings; a rest stop at a beach that was known to “take the lives “of those who chose to swim in it and end at the base of a 120 foot falls.

We started climbing from the get-go! There were lots of deep tree roots to climb over, although a most rocky uphill with enough muddy and slippery spots even though it was a dry day. The first real view of the coast was at “windy point” - it was beautiful.














Further along there was a crescent view of the beach.



Our first river crossing was a no-brainer – shoes off, slung around my neck! We took a break on the beach and had a snack to fortify ourselves for the climb to the falls.


From the beach, we leave the Kalalau Trail and take the “side trip” to the falls. We pass by the remnants of stonewalls, built with beautiful dark lava rocks. The area was once a coffee plantation and a tall chimney, presumably from the roaster, remains in tact.


We also passed an area dense with bamboo. In the 70’s the area was gentrified (if the word existed then) by hippies who took advantage of the bamboo and built lean-to’s in which to live.

The soil was black and particularly rich. The flowers, little bright pink puff balls, of the mountain apples were in full bloom At different points on the trail, there was a magenta carpet from the mountain apples tree whose flowers had fallen. The contrast in color was amazing.


Then the river crossings began in earnest. For me, shoes off with slow and careful foot placement. Back and forth the river many times until the large rock-to-rock crossing: here stood a strong young man who offered his hand! Shoes on – success! Chivalry is alive and well enroute to the falls. The upper trail was muddy and slick but the first glimpse of the falls was worth it…it was a WOW moment!











It was a spectacular falls, about 120 feet of falling water and pool. Success! Getting into the water was another story. The sun was already past peak, so the pool was in the shade. Think Atlantic Ocean on Memorial Day weekend. The initial gasp and “take your breath away” inhale was short lived; the water was crystal clear and felt soothing.

We dressed for the descent, and heading down after lunch on the rocks. Good fortune would have the camera stored in the waterproof camera bag in the backpack. Looking back one last time, we said goodbye to the falls. The first fall was a delicate ”oops” as I was holding on to a tree and sat down on the rock laughing (no biggie). The upper section of the trail was very muddy and very slick. The river crossings were the same for me – shoes off! When we returned to the site of the “chivalrous” crossing, we need to find a different place, as there was no one extended a helpful hand! The second “slip” was getting old for me – no injury, just dust myself off (or try to wipe off the wet dirt) and keep on trucking. On one of the river crossings, I found myself standing without my shoes on, on a large rock. I took another step. This rock was a “wobbler” – and as you might imagine, I was not able to balance myself before hitting the water. Louise grabbed my wrist, thinking I might head off down the river in the rapids! A head to toe check yielded the following: legs okay, butt okay, left wrist slightly tender (it might have been from Louise hanging on to me), and pride crushed! Oh yes, camera was well protected! In most cases, the third is the charm - particularly with a dump in the river!

We continued down through the carpet of mountain apple blossoms, the bamboo field and the old plantation, reaching the beach. I did the last river crossing tentatively, but successfully with my shoes off. We did watch a few hikers take the plunge and others successfully rock hop!

We headed down the trial as a “slow and steady” pace. Many hikers passing us more than once! I was being particularly careful of foot placement, as I felt I had done enough damage to myself for one day! Somewhere very close to the trail head, I remember saying “oh nooooooooo…”* as I heard a crack. I thought the sound were my glasses breaking, but it was my head on a rock. Ouch! Oh yea, this was the big one. With the assistance of two hikers behind us, I was assisted up and did the head to toe check: head – very large bump on forehead; alert and oriented – no loss of consciousness; left wrist very sore and abrasion on shoulder; left knee abrasion and very large bump on shin; glasses in one piece! The hikers cleaned my abrasion, gave me ibuprofen (nothing like taking drugs from a stranger) and walked closely behind me for the remainder of the hike. Thank you’s were given.

Louise and I took a quick dip at Ke’e Beach (no pictures, :( ), bought some ice and headed home. Now was the time for the nurse to heal herself with the help of her massage therapist cousin!

The following morning, I felt as though I had been beaten up. Although the discussion was mostly about “how my cousin tried to kill me on the way back from the falls”, I did want to that to be the title of this chapter of the blog. I had new rib the next day and spent most of the next days taking Motrin and applying ice. Each day has gotten better and I was able to increase my activity level resuming my previous active lifestyle. The beaches are beautiful, but sitting around gets boring!

*While in Israel, Mr Bill came up in discussion. When I was in Philadelphia, I spotted Mr Bill in a store. I thought it was one of those lucky convergences and purchased Mr Bill without thinking twice. He was lucky enough to come to Hawaii with me. At times, he avails himself as a useful prop!

And the adventure continues!

The Gardens - The Timely Arrival for the Guided Tour

At last, the Israeli breakfast of tomatoes, cucumbers and eggs has been replaced with a daily fruit smoothie. Louise makes beautiful blended concoctions of various shades of pale orange. Yummmmmm.



I have always admired my older cousins. I am the youngest of the generation and thought the world of many of them. My cousin Louise, in particular, was a role model in high school: she was a cheerleader and full of energy. Some thought she was a "goodie two-shoes"! After our last experience at the garden, I was nervous to return, fearing they would remember us and Louise's persistence that we should be able to take the self-guided tour because "the rules", so to speak, were not made clear to her on the telephone. So here I am traveling solo in search of the elusive garden tour. Louise and Keith were hard at work and I was heading south enroute to the National Tropical Botanical Garden for a guided tour of the Allerton Gardens: 100 acres of rare and endangered plants. Since becoming a non-profit, the organization requires a guided tour to see these gardens.



The Gardens have a little bit of everything; I felt like I was at school needing to raise my hand and ask permission. We boarded a small van for the 3-mile ride to the entrance of the garden we would be touring. One of the first vistas is this beautiful beach; believe it or not, it is “off limits” except to those who arrive by boat. As we know the water and beaches “free”, access is the issue. It is also rumored that local kids have found a way to sneak onto the property for a little boogie boarding! Unfortunately, we would not get any closer to the beach than this picture due to river flooding. (It was off the tour today.)

In 1964 the US Congress chartered the preserve as a National Garden. The goal was, and still is, to protect and to propagate native species. The primary mission is to collect, preserve, study and disseminate these native plants. The secondary mission is to study the medicinal quality of plants; most of the medicinal plants are in the adjacent McBryde Gardens. There is a large research center on the property. As we left the visitor center, our guide pointed out that a large meadow was being developed and 1200 units would be built selling at $3m each. How sad is that?

The Allerton Estate was originally established in 1847. Queen Emma planted the gardens in 1870 when she arrived here after the deaths of her husband and son. The cost of the estate was $50,000. The design of the gardens was two-fold: to create a feeling of rooms with visual surprises in each, and for water to "perform" in a myriad of ways. The property is lush, green and perfectly manicured. These are some of my favorite pictures.




























Temperatures of at least 60 degrees are needed for tropical plants. The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. The top of the pineapple can be planted and a new plant will grow. (This is not my own experience!)








The Lobster Heliconia was one of my favorites – the flower really looked like a lobster claw!










The Noni plant has medicinal properties. This one was actually photographed in Louise and Keith’s yard. (it was the better pic) The plant has been used in the treatment of hypertension as well as for muscular aches and pains.







The Chinese Banyan trees are fascinating. The tree has aerial roots. As the roots grow and touch the ground the circumference of the trunk thickens in some eerie and magical ways. Does the tree look familiar? Jurassic Park was filmed on the estate; this is where one of the kids found the dinosaur eggs.











The reflecting pools are serene.







A Buddha had a very special place in a plot of bamboo. I find it amazing that they can manicure a small bamboo jungle!






All of this knowledge saturated my gray cells; I felt compelled to spend the remainder of the day swimming and reading at Salt Pond Beach.

This beach distinguishes itself by being the only natural salt pond in Hawaii that is still used to make salt. I learned this after the fact, so I never did see the actual salt flat! Two rocky points, creating a relatively calm pool in which to swim, divide the beach.





Magic continues to happen. On the way home, I was caught in a short but intense thunderstorm. When the sun came out, I patiently waited and was rewarded with a beautiful rainbow. I did pull off the road for this Kodak moment.






And the adventure continues…

Kauai – The Garden Island

Let me start by sharing the good news - I have officially completed the educational requirements for my sabbatical! I sent an email to my faculty advisor requesting that she read my blog and let me know if the postings would meet the requirements of the course. Her initial reply was that she would read them, but a written paper was a course requirement. Since I have been thinking “outside the box” this year, I was hoping that she would as well. Sure enough, after reading all 13 entries, she was amazed and felt that the blogs far surpassed any requirement for my 6-credit travel study course.

I guess that means that I am now officially on V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N.

I feel as though my life has been a continuum. Visualize Philadelphia as the center point. To the far right is Israel about 4000 miles to the east; and on the left equidistant to the West is Kauai, where I am currently exploring! Yes, life is good. The differences between the two locales literally ask to be compared!

Israel, by and large, was monochromatic: between the Jerusalem limestone and the arid desert landscapes of the Negev, it was tan. Step out of the baggage claim area in Lihue (Lee-hoo-ay), and lush flora abounds.

Language is next: Hebrew is full of consonants: guttural “ch’s”and tzk’s as compared with Hawaiian, which is the land of vowels: a = ah; e = ay; i = ee; o = o; u = oo.

Shalom is Aloha; Todah is Mahalo.

Cats : Israel :: Roosters : Kauai

Museums are omnipresent and most have multi-media components in Israel; on Kauai, beaches are everywhere: north, south, east and west. If the question was what museum should I see today; the question now is which beach is it? Is it sunny on the north side or the south side?


I received a real Hawaiian welcome! The history of the floral lei dates to the 1800’s. Ancient Hawaiians wore braided leaves, flowers feathers, stones and bones to beautify themselves and offered these hand made garlands to each other and to the gods as symbols of love and friendship. The lei are worn with pride by people of all ages. The tradition continues today: the tender flowers and leaves are hand woven to create a work of art. Leis are worn on all special occasions and given to family and friends as gifts of love. The lei is a symbol of Hawaii.

I loved the tours of Keith and Louise’s property: first a walking tour with Louise: the orchids are in full bloom and the pink and brown chocolate one was so fragrant. They have carambola, mango, bananas, sapote (sour sop), and lots of citrus: Meyer’s lemons, grapefruits, mandarin oranges and limes. The second tour was in a car, driving around the perimeter of the property! It’s too much fun to go out in the yard to pick a banana.

My first outing with Louise and Keith was to Hanalei bay. The ride up the coast was beautiful with peeks along the way to the aqua green ocean. We stopped at the scenic overlook for a better view of our destination. I thought we were going swimming; Surprise! Surf’s up and it was my first lesson. So sorry, no paparazzi was available. I at least got up on my knees and rode the board to shore.

Louise and I went off on a bike ride: both on and off the road.













We saw the old Spalding Plantation that is now privately owned and in part sub-divided for million-dollar construction. The remnants of the old estate fallen into disrepair.



We did have an up close view of King Kong or The Sleeping Giant rock formation. We took the dirt road back and passed by a great family farm with a menagerie of animals and fruit trees.








Another outing was to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The tour unfortunately was not to be; we were late! We walked through the display gardens at the Visitor Center, which is a restored 1920’s sugar plantation home. We wandered back to the center to ask a few questions and one of the staff, feeling very sorry for us, offered to let us ride in the van with her as she picked up the last of the visitors who were at the McBryde Gardens. It was a lovely ride with a private, although brief, tour! She did point out a night blooming cereus plant that had at six blooms ready to pop! (No, they did not offer evening tours to see the flowers open.)












So on this day we settled for watching Spouting Horn. This natural wonder occurs when water rushes under a lava shelf and bursts through a small opening at the surface. The salt water can spurt 50 feet into the air. This particular blowhole differentiates itself by blowing air, making a loud groaning sound, with the water: Of course there is an associated legend. As the story goes this coast was guarded by a large mo’o (lizard) who ate everyone who tried to fish or swim nearby. One day, a man named Liko entered the water. When the mo’o attacked, Liko swam under the lava shelf and escaped through the hole. The mo’o became stuck and was never able to get out. The groaning is the cry of hunger and pain from the lizard still trapped under the rocks.

We spent the remainder of the day Poipu Beach – sunny and glorious.

And the adventure continues…

Jordan - Click your Heels; We’re Not In Israel Anymore

The Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing is reported to be one of the easiest. We met another family with whom we would be traveling and Ken facilitated the process for all of us. The area felt like a “no man’s” land. The fencing and barbwire had the decided feel of a military installation. We paid the fees, (“plastic” works here), and walked the distance to the Jordan side of the border. It was very windy AND the sand was blowing. Welcome to the Negev!

With our passports stamped and visas in hand, we met Walid, our Jordanian guide. Our adventure was under way as we headed north on the Kings Highway through Aqaba to Wadi Rum. I wasn’t sure if my eyes were burning from the sand or the lack of sleep. After a mere 4 hours of shuteye, I was expecting a bit of” down” time; it was not to be!

The first things that you notice about the highway are the periodic speed bumps that require vehicles to slow down significantly. Think about this for a minute; who in their right mind would put speed bumps in the middle of a major road that extends from the southern port of Aqaba through Ammon to the northern border of the country? The King's Highway is one of the oldest trade routes in the world and runs for more than 200 miles through Jordan.

We learned about the history of Wadi Rum in a video at the visitors’ center; you only have to walk outside for the first of many breath taking sites: Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The paved roads end at the visitor’s center, so we headed out in two open 4 WD Jeeps to explore the great sand box known as Wadi Rum. This desert interior is a series of wadis linked by the imposing red sandstone mountains (A wadi is valley, gully, or streambed that remains dry except during the rainy season.) This might have been the first time that I thought the native Arab headscarf, a "keffiyah" would be useful against sun, wind and windblown sand. It was the headgear of choice.

There are traces of ancient civilizations in the many carvings that are found throughout the area, from pictographs to Thamudic, Nabatean and Arabic texts. The most enduring monuments in Wadi Rum, however, are those carved by Nature - the natural rock bridges, the towering rose-colored sand dunes and challenging peaks. It is a climbers’ dream. The smooth rock faces are the granite showing through the worn down limestone.






We ran up and down the sand dunes, and the more adventurous climbed to the top of the arch. Burdah Rock Bridge. This natural wonder stands 35 meters high and is considered one of the highest arches in the world.










The Bedouin people that inhabit the area still maintain their semi-nomadic lifestyle.
They are a hospitable tribe and offer a friendly welcome to visitors, often inviting them to sit and enjoy a coffee or sweet tea. Malka was enjoying Bedouin hospitality in the tent.



Wadi Rum’s claim to fame is the movie Lawrence of Arabia. Much of David Lean’s 1962 epic movie starring Peter O Toole, Alec Guiness and Omar Sharif was filmed on location here.




This spot is the ruins of Lawrence’s house; Raffi thought he had located us on the map, which was good as the jeeps were barely surviving the heat! It took many great minds to diagnose the problem.



The best was the Tourist Police Officer who accompanied us on this outing.
He was one cool dude!








There were many stops on the return trip for jeep maintenance; it’s amazing they were still running.















As we headed back to the visitors’ center with a setting sun,
the landscape was vast, echoing and almost God-like. There were seemingly endless landscapes with either camel tracks or 4WD tracks. With the changing light, the cliffs turn a deep red. The monolithic rocks appear to rise from the desert. It was quite a day…

We were staying at the Movenpick Hotel in Aqaba. It was almost
9 pm by the time we checked in. The luck of the draw had me registered in a lovely suite. What a waste to be a solo traveler on this night!

We had an early departure planned for Petra in the morning. I would going with my new family: The Golombs: mom: Dahlia, dad: Eli, son: Elad, and grandfather: David and of course, our intrepid Bedouin tour guide, Walid.


Since Petra was named one of New Seven Wonders of the World in July 2007, its popularity has soared. The ancient Nabatean city of Petra, the legendary lost city carved into the walls of a hidden desert canyon, is the most famous of Jordan's many dazzling sites. Petra is a stunning city carved from a cliff face. It is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 1985, and a world-renowned monument.

The Nabataeans were a powerful Arab dynasty around the 3rd century BC. The meeting point of several major Nabataean caravan routes, Petra grew as a centre of commerce. It flourished for centuries until the Romans occupied it in 106 AD. Then, shipping routes replaced camel routes and Petra fell into decline. The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was re-discovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.










The only modes of transport allowed within Petra are on two feet or on four feet (camel, donkey, or horse). Horses are available for travel to the entrance of the Siq, or you can choose to take a horse-drawn buggy through the Siq.







Princess Alia Clinic/Brooke Hospital for Animals, located just inside the entrance to the park, educates owners about then humane treatment of equestrian working animals and treats the animals at no cost. Walid’s brother, a vet, runs the program. There are times that the donkeys, horses and camels are mistreated either through overwork, or carrying overweight tourists or being excessively whipped. The Brooke Clinic strives to improve conditions for the working animals.


The "city" is only accessible through a narrow cleft in the rock, known as the Siq. The Siq, is a winding, 2 mile-long fissure ((in places only 3–4 meters wide) in rose-red sandstone cliffs over 300 feet high. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colors and formations of the rocks dazzle your senses.

As you near the end of the Siq, there are glimpses of the city that are OMG (oh my God) moments.
By far the most famous, and most beautiful of Petra's buildings, the Khazneh, or Treasury, is the view that greets you as you come to the end of the narrow Siq.






Its name Kazneh means "treasure" and comes from the Bedouin belief that the Pharaoh chasing the Israelites hid his treasure in the urn at the top of the Kazneh. It was carved in the early 1st century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people. This is also the place that was made famous by National Geographic and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (as the resting place of the Holy Grail).




















At its end, the Siq emerges into a sunlit canyon surrounded on all sides by magnificent cliffs into which the Nabateans carved hundreds of temples, tombs, burial chambers, dining halls, baths, staircases and other amazing structures. The site had all its water piped in through clay water channels you can still see in the Siq. When Romans captured the site, they built more temples and a Roman theater seating 3,000. Today you can see the city's central street, several large stone temples and other buildings, but most of this 20-square-mile city hasn't even been excavated yet.

Throughout Petra, vendors will offer bottles of decorative sand art. While they may appear similar to other such souvenirs found on locations, these are unique in that the sand used to create the art is naturally colored sand that is scraped from the rock walls of various Petra canyons. Walid demonstrated great technique.






We (me, my adopted family and Walid) opted for a donkey ride up to the Monastery and a walk down. Riding a donkey is an experience onto its own. The donkeys required little direction, as they knew their way up the steps by heart. Dahlia’s complaint that they smelled was very true! It was quite a site at the top; it was also teaming with humanity.







At first glance, the Monastery's facade is much like the Treasury, but it is larger measuring 50 m wide and 45 m high and much less ornate — in fact, there's virtually no decoration at all. The flat plaza in front provided an area that could contain the huge crowds that gathered for religious ceremonies. The Monastery is the largest tomb façade in Petra. Despite its name, it was built as a tomb monument. The journey is well worth it: all 847 steps (according to Walid). There are sweeping views of the entire Petra basin.



The next day was a day off for me. After 2 very long jammed packed days in Jordan, I thought I should take advantage of the 4 star hotel and hangout! The view from my balcony was of the City of Aqaba beneath its protective mountain range. I started with pictures from the balcony and the detail work of the hotel.













I spent most of the day staying cool in one of many bodies of water!
















I rendezvoused with the group at Wadi Rum and we drove to Petra for an overnight. My second day at Petra would entail an early morning hike to The High Place of Sacrifice. Walid sent me off with directions and a meeting place later in the day..







High Sacrifice is a popular destination in Petra. The site at the top of the mountain contains elaborate rock altars used for sacrifices. From the High Place, one can view much of Petra from above. From the top I could see for miles and we began to get an appreciation for how big the area actually is. The trek down the backside of the mountain reveals many interesting tombs and carvings. The colorful rock striations inside the tombs are amazingly beautiful.










Excavations have demonstrated that it was the ability of the Nabataeans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city, by creating an artificial oasis. The area is visited by flash floods and archaeological evidence demonstrates the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits. These innovations stored water for prolonged periods of drought, and enabled the city to prosper.






On the way back down I followed the route down the beautiful Wadi Farasa (Butterfly Valley), which still remains the highlight of my trip. The garden tomb was fantastic and I was able to go inside many of the ancient buildings and tombs I was able to listen in on some English speaking guides with small groups, but for the most part, I was enjoying the tombs, the goats, the vistas and the solitude.


My approach to the crossroads gave me a very different vantage point to see the excavation of the Great Temple. On the street level it is barely noticeable; from the backside of the Sacrifice,


the ruins were impressive. Brown University, alma mater of Marj and Hank (my parents), currently has an excavation team at Petra. Here is a link to their website, which has a succinct history.
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Anthropology/Petra/excavations/history


The real beauty of Petra, in addition to its antiquities, is the ever-changing hues of the canyon walls. As the sun sets on this day, I was leaving Jordan and flying back to Tel Aviv for a flight to Philadelphia on the following day.

Saying goodbye is never easy; this Jordanian excursion felt like the frosting on the cake!



And the adventure continues…