Oahu - A walk in paradise

Yesterday, when I went out shopping, I came to realize that I live in absolute paradise. It was a rare day on Oahu in which there were no clouds or haze at all. The skies were crystal clear, the sun was hot, the water was clear, and you could see for miles. Basically, it was an extraordinarily beautiful day! Unfortunately, I could not go hiking because I had the PRT (Physical Readiness Test) the next day so I managed to enjoy a few of the more scenic locations as I shopped. Please enjoy my photowalk through Haleiwa and Chinaman’s Hat.


The other day, I was talking to my local friend at work about how I was looking for a specific present for my fiancé’s birthday and she recommended Haleiwa. Sadly, Haleiwa failed me in that respect.

Several of the stores were completely unfamiliar with Oahu and its geographical features. Chinaman’s Hat is not the Mok Islands. They look nothing alike yet a clerk tried to convince me that I was wrong. Sigh….. ^^;

Even with the conniving sales clerks at one particular store, Haleiwa itself was actually a very enjoyable walk.

This is Haleiwa’s white bridge. It’s always shown when a surfer movie wants to let you know they are in Haleiwa…or so I was told.

Old Haleiwa is very nice because it has that laid back North Shore feeling…..

Crossing a river in Haleiwa. Occasionally, kayaks would pass through here….

After checking all the stores, I couldn’t really find anything. Most of the stuff there was….all about North Shore. That made sense, of course, so I would have to look someplace else….

But, while I was in Haleiwa, I had to try some of their shaved ice! I heard it’s pretty good so I got in line with all the tourists and went ahead and tried it.

Their menu was pretty extensive so I just went with the tropical flavor (guava/papaya/lilikoi). It had all of my favorite flavors in one. (:

Their ice machines were kind of neat to watch. They would put large blocks of ice on a spinner and it would turn into finely shredded ice.
Then employees would scoop these ice shavings into a paper bowl surrounded by a large plastic cup (to prevent spilling).

The shaved ice was just….heavenly.
There was no shade today and it was pretty hot so the tropical ice really “hit the spot”. It felt like summer was already here. (:

After searching Haleiwa and coming up empty, I set off for some of the most rural areas of Oahu.

I love driving through this part of Oahu and always have my car windows down. I love the sea breezes and fresh country air in Kahuku, Laie, Hau’ula, Punaluu, and Ka’a'awa. It’s my favorite part of the island. (:

Eventually, I finally made it to Chinaman’s Hat.

Chinaman’s Hat or Mokoliʻi is an island just off the coast near Kualoa Ranch and north of Kaneohe. Sadly, because it’s on the windward side, most of the time it’s a bit cloudy and dark at the beaches near the oddly shaped island. But, not today. (:

Today, I was given a rare view of Chinaman’s Hat on a crystal clear day. It was amazing!

Aside from the “hat”, there’s also the “turtle”.
Do you see the resemblance?

In the distance, you could see three of my favorite mountains in the Ko’olau Range. On the left is Pu’u Konahuanui; the tallest mountain on the windward side of Oahu. In the center is Lanihuli; a wicked saddle shaped mountain that I want to climb badly. And, lastly, on the right is Pu’u Keahi a Kahoe which is famous for the Stairway to Heaven hike. If you look carefully, you can see the small Haiku Stairs satellite at the summit even from way out here. (:

Ah….paradise.
It looked like I was walking in a post card. Everything was too perfect. What a beautiful beach! (:

The main reason I love Chinaman’s Hat is not so much for the views but for the memories I have there. It was under this palm tree that I asked the woman I love to start a life together with me.

As I returned to this spot, I really missed her and all of the good memories came back. She’s in the mainland now but will return soon to sunny Hawaii. I can’t wait for that day! (:

Looking away from Chinaman’s Hat, you can see the towering peaks at Koala ranch. So beautiful….

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little photowalk. I did find a very nice present for my fiancé and I know that she’ll find it special. (:

Aside from the beautiful beaches, I do plan on more adventures though. My priority is on the stuff that no one has blogged about or visited. It’s hard to imagine but on this tiny island there are places that have not been photographed yet. I….will photograph them. It is what I enjoy and have a passion about.

I do hope that you are enjoying this little scrapbook that I’ve collected along the way. (:

Till next time.

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