Travel Diary

The next morning, my dad and I set out for a long drive and a longer hike to reach Waimoku Falls. We would be traveling on many small roads on the south side of the island eastward to reach a mountain side full of more long road and in some places, goats and cows and chickens would be on those roads. The road went along the coast as well and in one spot, I noticed that it was quite low and susceptible to flooding should nature decide to pour on some rain. Finally, we reached date hiking trails base camp. If you’re doing this you’ll need patience and some nerves for those twisting cliff edge roads.

We parked the car and then the hiking began. One thing I noticed right away was the sound of obnoxious leaf blowers. Workers were just having at it, blowing leaves off the road, and sure, I suppose was necessary but the noise just really threw off the peace and quiet of the area. In time, we were out of earshot of that and able to enjoy the scenic trail.

The trail was not terribly inclined, but there were many branches which grew across it, making it a little risky for susceptive ankles. In time, we reached one small waterfall but it was barely flowing. It was Falls at Makahiku and really not too impressive. The photos were not great. After a while, we saw another more impressive site: a small waterfall poured into a nice pond which led to another small falls. Pretty cool. And bridges made it easy to gain a good vantage point of it. I definitely snapped a few photos there.

Onward, we entered a cool bamboo forest. The trail was completely surrounded by exceptionally tall bamboo and if you were quiet, you could hear the knocking and clacking of the bamboo as the wind blew through it. This was a great area to just relax and take it in ambience of nature and the gentle breeze casually chatting away. At that point forward, the trail probably got much wetter up there so it had walking planks for the most part, which made things a lot easier.

The rain had not really been an issue until then but suddenly, it was pouring. I had my trusty umbrella in my backpack and it worked fine to keep me dry. I didn’t see anyone else with umbrellas. They either had plastic protectors or just got wet. To me, an umbrella certainly seemed out of place; however, it was the perfect device to stay dry with. Dare to be different sometimes. Not like I knew any of the people we were passing by.

Finally, we reached the key spot: the view of the falls. They were impressive, coming down hundreds of feet. The trail was closed off at that point. Certainly, some people advanced farther for a better view, but we stopped there. As well, there were many signs along the way about sticking to the trail due to dangerous and deadly cliff drops. Probably best to avoid that risk. Hard to see the ground when it’s covered in vegetation. Often, it’s not a mistake one gets a second chance at.

Heading back, it was all downhill, but of course we were a bit tired. The hike had been a couple of hours coming in and now it would be a couple more hours heading back. But in time, we were back at the car.

I drove the way home. It was a long drive, but uneventful. Just more of the same thing. With the tight narrow roads, it was often just wide enough for one car to fit, so I would try to get into caravans, but not be the leader of it. The one in front has to cautiously navigate the turns and ensure no cars are coming the other way. If you’re the third or fourth car behind the front, all that work is gone. Any accidents would smash into the first car.

Luckily, no severe rains had come and the roads all remained unblocked. I stopped at a few places for photos, but the day was losing daylight quickly.

We arrived in time for me to grab my trusty camera (iPhone 13) and race off to the beach for some sunset photos. Ah, this is the magic of Hawai’i. It was not quite as magical a sunset as the previous night but it still worked fine. The sun showed for most part as it headed into the horizon, though clouds stole it away at the last moment. I snapped quite a few pictures and a few video clips. I got my feet wet in the water as I had run out to buy some sandals right before the trip. My parents joined for a bit and then we headed back to the condo.

I relaxed a bit and then we headed out to dinner at a nearby place. Good food and friendly staff. My diet was on hold as it is for most vacations so I ordered what I thought looked good and ate all of it with no take-home box.

Back home, it was more Hearts. I didn’t play too well the previous night, but I had not played the game in years and needed to learn how once again. I was doing much better the second night and even won a round—by surprise!