Every journey to a new destination is always special, it will leave in my heart with some feelings that I keep for long. I’ve never been to Hawaii before. In 2009, when I first joined a small group of individual investors, some investors suggested to celebrate the new business union, the Christmas and the New Year Eve by a trip to the Paradise – Hawaii.
Everyone excitingly agreed, rushed to prepare for the trip, but no one predict what could happen later, just in one year, the end of that union with intrigues. It was a long sad story! Today sharing with you about my trip to Hawaii, my pain, my sadness already healed, those people who went to this trip with me disappeared forever, without any track.
The view from the street to the apartment where I stayed in Waikoloa…
Flying with Japan Airlines, I had a stop-over in Tokyo, a whole day to walk around in this freezing city while waiting for my next flight to sunny Hawaii. Next day I arrived to the Int. Kona Airport and quickly moved to our rented apartment in Waikoloa Village.
The apartment in Waikoloa, the sofa bed was a best choice for my good night’s sleep…
It was December but the weather in this part of Big Island was so beautiful, the fresh air with a lot of sun, a lot of greens, bird chirping, little bit hot during midday but cooler in the evening.
Beautiful blue sky, plenty of greens, quiet street, Waikoloa in Big Island in December.
My area in Waikoloa – super quiet, almost no cars on the street. I walk from my apartment to the shopping area, around 20′, I meet no one, the shopping place empty. I just guess December – a week before Christmas would be a low season here.
I love to walk along this quiet street in the morning to the shopping place…
The shopping complex still very quiet in the morning…
Many places covered with this thick mud from volcano in Waikoloa
Blue skye, green tree, white dark stones and a lot of sunshine…typical Waikoloa
My quick snapshot of a bird while heard his song and saw a beautiful yellow creature…
A nice landscape along the street leading to the Macy’s mall…
My probably only companion in that morning walk…
The Hilton Waikoloa Village not far from my place, just walking distance, I went there and found they have a big lagoon inside the hotel…to keep dolphins. I spent a whole morning to watch them, as not the show time, so I could take only some photos while they were in the water. So cute these dolphins.
The huge lagoon inside the Hilton village, next to the beach…
A super cute Hilton resident kept walking quietly around the hotel lobby…
We went to the beach but as from Vietnam, to be honest we have many beaches much more beautiful until we went to the famous Waipio valley, only at that time I was convinced how beautiful the beach in Hawaii, how colourful the nature. Now writing this review, I just learn the road that leads us down into Waipio valley is the steepest one in US, probably in the world. No wonder why during our walk, some other visitors in their cars kept encouraging us!
I remember how carefully, slowly we went down, even some technique required to keep our walk along this road: either walk backwards or zigzag, otherwise quite difficult to keep the balance walking down. It took almost an hour to get down to the valley, it was hard but the way back up to the parking lot, another challenge!
Waipio Valley, the spectacular view of the mountain scenery
where the ocean, the river, the waterfall, the valley…all meet together, I call it Utopia…
The road leads down to the valley, the steepest one in US, possibly in the world…
The other part leading to the ocean, how happy I was – seeing this flat road…
I took this photo while walking down to the valley…
and here the ocean, good to watch, not for swim…
Several large waterfall into the valley to feed the river which flows from the foot of the largest falls at the back of the valley out to the ocean. I call this place simply Utopia – Paradise on Earth, breathtaking picturesque scenery. I regret that we didn’t go along the river to the water fall…
The beach at the Valley is far from the best, strong waves, big black sand…but enjoyable at the meeting point between the river and the ocean, you can lay down, to feel the water running under you…but whenever the ocean wave comes, you will be covered in sands!
and here it’s me, taking a rest while scrolling down into the valley…
We arrived to this Waipio valley in the morning, we had a quick lunch down in the valley, near to the ocean, I did swim or exactly play with the ocean waves a bit, I got all the ocean sands in my trousers’ s pockets while laying down on the beach, that sands still stuck in my pockets month later…like a souvenir from this Paradise.
In my next post I will share with you about my trip to Hilo, my flight in a helicopter to witness the volcano and my trek along the area destroyed by the volcano’s lava and the earthquake in Volcanoes National Park.
Le petit renard 