Aloha O'ahu

We are back in Iraq now, but I wanted to share a few things that we enjoyed during our last weeks of holiday back home.

My mom was just about to go back to work, but luckily she had a free day to join us on an amazingly clear day to the top of Hawaii Loa Ridge.  This hike is one of my favorite and the views are stunning from the top if you aren't stuck in the clouds.

I haven't been to Jackass Ginger since they took out the rope swing and Tammy had never been, so we decided to cruise up the Pali one afternoon and check out the bamboo forest and the pool.  This spot used to be one of my favorite places on the island and now even without the rope it is still a great place to have a picnic or take a dip.  

Tammy and I were in town one day and I had an urge to check out the old temple in the big graveyard off Nu'uanu, so we stopped in to check it out.  I realized that there was a trail back there that led to the waterfall from the movie with The Rock and Stiffler that is supposed to take place in South America.  We started out on the trail and it was still really well manicured.  Looking at the color and depth of the water I can't believe we actually used to jump into this pool.  It's a shady jaunt to the waterfall, just remember to bring bug spray. 

One of the things that I love about Hawaii is all of the random architectural styles you will find in the neighborhoods.  The Hsu Yin Buddhist Association is tucked into a modern neighborhood in town.  

We went to the swamp meet to get some kitschy gifts and I was surprised to see that there are a lot more stands at the swap meet with stuff made in Hawaii.  A family was actually carving these tiki statues when we we walked by.  Maybe next time we are home I will pick up something small.  

Tammy, myself, and a few friends had a really active weekend before we took off.  The first two pictures are from Olomana.  We tried to hike Haiku Stairs one day, but we were a little late and the security guard was already there, so Tammy's friend suggested Olomana instead.  The Ko'olau views are unparalleled from the top of the first peak.  This hike really gets your heart rate up and my cousin conquered her fear of heights on the 15 foot vertical climb near the top.  

The next day we met up with some old friends and new friends and headed to the crater hike above Haunama Bay.  The ocean views are great, but there is absolutely no shade, so its best to start early.  

You can poke around a bit on the jagged coast and find tons of aama crabs scurrying away from potential death (us).  Careful of rogue waves, a few of our crew got their phone soaked from sitting a little too close, but it could have been a lot worse.  

The next day we headed out to Electric Beach on the West Side with a couple friends for a snorkeling session.  I had never been out here and I was happy to have a knowledgeable friend to show us which path we should take to follow the current and see the most fish.  The water in front of the water treatment plant is like a jacuzzi and the fish flock to play in front of the blast of heat.  If you swim in front of it, you will be pushed out 10 or 15 feet straight up to the surface.  Tons of fun, but the current picked up and we headed safely back to shore to avoid drifting out to Ka'ena Point.

For our final night in Hawaii, my parents took us out to Michel's.  Michel's is a gorgeous restaurant near Diamond Head with a stunning view of Kaimana Beach and Waikiki.  My Dad told me before we got there that this would be the nicest restaurant I had ever been to and he was definitely right.  We were lucky to snag this beachside table and we spent the first fifteen minutes people-watching and playing with our cameras.  This was a perfect way to say goodbye to Hawaii for another ten months.

We had a memorable Summer and I'm really grateful that my parents were willing to host us for the majority of it.  When we are abroad, I complain about the lack of Sriracha or bad weather, but the only thing I really miss is family.  It was great to focus on family this Summer and spend as much time as possible with the parents and siblings.  This Summer I golfed a bunch, swam a bunch, and didn't think about work at all.  Perfect?  Pretty close.  

We have been back in Kurdistan now for over a week and I'm finally feeling moved in to our new place in the capital (Erbil, not Baghdad...).  I know you all probably want to hear more about life in Iraq, so I will be posting more soon.

Aloha.