Main > Photo Gallery > Trips > Hawaii

 

I've noticed that people who've been born in Kerala (India) will come here and spout about how Kerala (and India) is "God's own country." Meaning? That it's the most beautiful place in the world.Obviously, ignorance runs rampant. I will tell you that compared to any place that I've been, Hawaii is the most beautiful place -- so far anyway.

In October 1999, after my then-current girlfriend and I broke up, Doug suggested that a vacation would do me a world of good. As he and his brothers were already planning to hit Hawaii in January 2000, I agreed to hitch along with my buddy Doug, and his two brothers Mike and Pete. We hit three islands in 5 days: Oahu, Hawaii [the "Big Island"], and Maui.

Two years after I started this Trip page, I finally got around to finishing it. It was just a question of taking the time to scan, resizing, tweaking, publishing, placing them on the page, and writing a witty caption.

Now I remember why it took me two years.

First Stop: The Island of Dr. Moreau....wait, sorry, Oahu

Tooling Around Waikiki Beach

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Our first day in, we just chilled out on the beach. I needed a break from chillin' on the beach, so Pete & I went hiking to the top of Diamond Head.
[l-r] My motley crew: Mike, Pete, and Doug
A beautiful panoramic from our trip around the island
Diamond Head, a huge dormant volcano in Waikiki
Another shot of Diamond Head
Wish I was that guy. Love that blue water.
 
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Still lovin' that water
No, I can not resist a lighthouse
Same lighthouse
Check out the license plates
Posing @ Diamond Head
 
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View from the top

A great shot of Waikiki Beach from the top of the volcano
The other direction, including the crater
 

Luau

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We went to a luau. She gave me a lei.
Doug, cutting into my action
Bring on the roasted pig!
The luau band
Money shot for the ladies
           
           
 
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Ah, how do those coconuts stay on?
Ooh, fire!
 
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Pearl Harbor

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Our 2nd day, we drove out to Pearl Harbor.
The USS Missouri, docked at Pearl Harbor
From the control deck
 
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Modern submarine coming in
More real naval ships
Check out that anchor. It's huge!
WWII submarine we also had a chance to tour while in Pearl Harbor
Modern battleship (or frigate?) docked nearby
 
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One of the Arizona's smokestacks
Another shot of the Arizona. Four ships were sunk at the battle of Pearl Harbor
USS Arizona memorial. You can only get to it by boat.
Us entering the memorial
You can see the Arizona from the gantry.
 
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The Memorial
       

Sightseeing Around the Island of Oahu

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We spent our last day on Oahu driving around the entire island. Up the east shore, to the west, and back down the west coast to Waikiki.

Neat little fountain in Waikiki
And I thought I'd pose for it
 
 
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Cool highway cutting through the mountain pass
Oahu's famous North Shore
Beautiful, soft, sandy beaches
 
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where the studs hang out
and the waves are big
 
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We found a fishing village with a harbor
     
 
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Doug's brother Pete going for the scenic shot
Time to eat, we stopped at a McDonald's...HEY! Oh, real mature, Pete. Hmph
"Is he taking a picture of me?"
Waiting for the sunset, I really just liked how this looked.
 
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Beautiful sunset on Oahu
       

The Island of Hawaii [with a big volcano]

With little time to spare, on our fourth day, we fly out in the early morning for Hawaii ["the Big Island"], which has active volcanoes. We only had a day, so we had to see as much as possible before flying out that evening to Maui.

Volcano National Park

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The last batch of pictures is forthcoming.
Volcano crater
No idea what I'm trying to do. Maybe it had something to do with the sulfur fumes
 
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Square miles of destruction & desolation
Cooled lava
 
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A tree in the middle of desolation
Man builds, but nature has its own agenda
That steam is where the lava is pouring into the ocean
 

The Rest of the Parks

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Magma tunnel, where it travels underground
A whole park full of waterfalls

Last Stop: Maui

Hmmm, ummm, uhhhhh. I have no pictures from Maui. I can't really explain it, but I was so into relaxing and going to clubs, I didn't take any pictures. Please bear in mind that it was 4 years ago, and documenting my entire trip (like I do nowadays) wasn't something I saw a point to do.

Sorry. However, I had a good time chillin' out, and I guess that's what is most important.