Ockey Family Adventures: Hawaii Day 3

We loved the green rainforest of Hawaii.

We were up early again, and this time it was for hiking. After breakfast of eggs and bacon, we drove down to Manoa Falls. It was a 1.7 mile hike, and it was supposed to be easy. It didn't seem easy to us, though! It was rocky, muddy, and pretty steep. At the end it was really steep! But we enjoyed the birds and the beautiful rainforest. Mark spotted myna birds, cockatoos, and green parakeets. None of these birds are native to Hawaii, but they have spread as invasive species, just like the mongooses. The trail was busy, but we hoofed it pretty fast, because we had timed tickets to another hike. We reached the waterfall, and it was really tall and pretty. After snapping a few pictures, we hustled back down the trail.

There was an old train car right in the middle of the trail. It was so cool.

The hike was more difficult than expected, but we still enjoyed it.

The waterfall was so tall! You couldn't get it in one picture.

The pool was beautiful.

We spotted this tiny gecko. It was so cute.

We saw so many neat birds on this trip.

It was a short drive to Diamond Head, which was our second hike. Mom and Dad weren't really excited, because we knew this one was difficult, but Seth had read about it in our blog book, and he had asked about it a lot of times. This hike was drastically different. Instead of the damp, shady rainforest, we walked through the dry, yellow grass up the bare hillside. But the hike is cool because there are a few tunnels and some fun overlooks. There were some cool birds on this one, too, and we even spotted several more mongooses. The hike was difficult, and we were sweaty and puffing by the end, but it was fun. We all agreed that we didn't need to come back for this trail again.

We hiked Diamond Head, and never again.

We saw some more mongooses on this trail, too.

We spotted cardinals in Hawaii, too.

The views were nice from Diamond Head.

The water color is beautiful.

We liked exploring the old fort relics.

Mom and Dad 10 years after the last time they hiked this trail.

Our next stop was Pearl Harbor, which Mom and Dad had missed on their first trip to Hawaii. When we got there, it was closed due to a maintenance problem, and our tickets were cancelled. We didn't know what to do, so we headed over to Waikiki Beach. The water was calm and beautiful, and we found a nice sandy section. The boys and Dad did some swimming. They even tried snorkeling, but the water wasn't so clear on this beach. Still, we spent a few hours and enjoyed the water. We also spotted a sea turtle way out at sea.

We tried snorkeling, but it wasn't good.

Seth is always playing in the sand.

Mark loved the birds running around the beach while he swam.

The snow cones were yummy!

After a short stop for a snow cone, we drove up to the Pali Overlook. This is a nice stop that looks out of the other side of the island from Diamond Head, so we saw most of Oahu today. The overlook was a short stop on the way to Byodo-In Temple. Unfortunately, as we pulled into the parking lot, it started to rain. Luckily it was a little drizzle, so we walked the grounds anyway. It was a pretty temple, and the boys enjoyed ringing the bell and practicing a little meditation.

The mountains were covered in clouds.

The lookout was amazing.

We loved the green overlook.

On the way out of the temple, we decided to count cats in the graveyard. We'd seen a bunch of cats on the way in, and there were signs reminding us not to feed the "wild" cats. With growing amazement, we counted 70 cats on our way out. Mark did most of his counting in Spanish, and Dax and Seth were laughing at every cat we counted! By the time we left the temple, it was dinnertime. We stopped at a sketchy restaurant (don't worry, we lived) and ate a variety of food. Dax made the best choice with the vegetable ramen, but Mom liked her kalua pork. While we sat and waited (and waited) for our food, the rain became a downpour. We watched through the window of the restaurant as it pounded down in the parking lot. It had been a long day. The drive home seemed long, too, but we'd seen and enjoyed so much!