DAY 3, 12/ 12/12:
DIAMOND HEAD CRATER HIKE:
We were AT THE DIAMOND HEAD CRATER railroad train to start our hike upwards the hill, brilliant as well as early...
Diamond Head State Monument, called Leahi (brow of the tuna) inwards Hawaiian, sits but beyond Waikiki as well as is i of Hawaii’s most famous landmarks. Formed to a greater extent than than 100,000 years ago, the 760-foot crater was used equally a strategic military machine lookout adult man throughout the 20th century. Today it’s a pop hiking goal alongside panoramic views of Waikiki as well as Honolulu.
This ancient volcanic crater is at the border of Waikiki as well as the top offers an incredible sentiment over the city.
Diamond Head, similar the residuum of the Honolulu Volcanics, is much younger than the principal volume of the Koʻolau Mountain Range. While the Koʻolau Range is nigh 2.6 1000000 years old, Diamond Head is estimated to live nigh 150,000 years sometime as well as extinct for 100,000 years.
The trail leads upwards into a World War II-era bunker as well as upwards some steep staircases (one of over 100 steps), hence the climb tin dismiss live a piffling rough.
Trail is nigh 2 mile long from the start to the summit.
English call 'diamond head' was given past times British sailors inwards the 19th century, who mistook calcite crystals embedded inwards the stone for diamonds.
The atmospheric condition changed every five minutes... nosotros needed our water, caps as well as pelting wear. Ponchos came inwards handy when it drizzled steadily inwards between.
The generally unpaved trail winds over uneven rock, ascends 74 steps, as well as hence through a tunnel as well as upwards some other steep 99 steps. Next is a pocket-size lighted tunnel to a narrow spiral staircase (43 steps) within a coastal artillery observation platform built inwards 1908.
We enjoyed panoramic views.
We tin dismiss larn a stamped certificate that nosotros take away completed the trail.
Had a slap-up sentiment at the top too... plumbing equipment vantage for the difficult climb.
Didn't leave of absence the GPS inwards the auto equally it's a high theft area—so needed 2 daypacks—to concur the pelting gear, umbrellas, caps, H2O bottle as well as the camera.
Parking lot was filling upwards equally nosotros returned...always proficient to practise hikes equally early on equally possible to escape oestrus as well as crowds.
The tour buses had started coming in... alongside their crowds... glad nosotros were through.
We returned to our hotel, had our tiffin as well as and hence started on the day's drive... it would take away been improve logistics to pack all our nutrient as well as continued on afterwards the Diamond Head trek but the several warnings nigh parking lot thefts, made us wary... nosotros could take away left our nutrient inwards the auto torso equally nosotros did on all other days.
HANAUMA BAY:
Anyway, afterwards a scenic displace along the coastline, reached the HANAUMA BAY.
The beach below is famous for snorkeling.
At the Halona Blowhole—water enters pocket-size hugger-mugger caves as well as when full, spouts through pocket-size holes ... spectacular sight.
View of rabbit island.
This is Makapu point.
Tried to hold back for the calorie-free solid hike trail.
Makapu calorie-free solid inwards the background.. couldn't honor the trail caput though... hence but enjoyed the scenic views.
Had tiffin at makapu beach... at that spot was a photograph shoot going on alongside a bride as well as her bridesmaids, equally nosotros tin dismiss encounter inwards the background
Tantalus- Round Top Drive:
We went on the Tantalus displace next.
Round Top Drive is i of the best roads to savor panoramic bird's optic views of Honolulu as well as Waikiki. The winding, canopy-covered route leads inwards a loop to the top of Mount Tantalus as well as dorsum down. It is quite narrow as well as curvy. There are a few scenic lookout adult man points along the way. The best i is at Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park. From hither i tin dismiss encounter all the means to Diamond Head inwards the eastward to Honolulu International Airport as well as Pearl Harbor inwards the west. The sunset as well as night-time metropolis calorie-free views are also amazing from upwards here.
Had a panoramic sentiment of Waikiki buildings from top of Tantalus drive... nosotros called it a twenty-four hr menstruum alongside this drive.
DAY 4, DEC 13, 2012:
Shangri La:
We had made reservations paying $25 per caput to encounter Shangri La, the solid of billionairre heiress Doris Duke... the richest immature lady inwards the world.
Went to the Honolulu fine art museum to live picked upwards for our tour to Shangri La.
Saw Doris collection of Islamic arts and crafts pieces inwards 2 rooms.
Saw Doris collection of Islamic arts and crafts pieces inwards 2 rooms.
Islamic glasswork. Islamic ceramic tilework.
Here's a diamonds, rubies as well as emerald studded gilt piece. emerald parrot holding grapes.
Awesome copper door alongside paintings inwards the 4 quarters as well as inwards the borders also.
Here is a brusk bio of the owner: Doris Duke (November 22, 1912 – Oct 28, 1993) was an American heiress, horticulturalist, fine art collector, as well as philanthropist.
Daughter of an immensely rich tobacco tycoon, Duke became the richest immature lady inwards the footing at the historic menstruum of 12 when her dad died.
She married a 38 yr sometime guy when she was 22 as well as embarked on a footing trip equally honeymoon.
Traveled through the middle eastward Islamic countries, as well as Republic of Republic of India as well as brutal inwards love alongside Islamic architecture as well as culture... on the lastly leg, came to Hawaii as well as decided to occupation an bounding main forepart belongings equally opor-garai home... hence apart from her New Bailiwick of Jersey home, Florida mansion, she built Shangri La inwards Waikiki...
Her personal life was unfulfilling. Doris lost her premature immature lady at birth; she was unlucky inwards love equally good alongside all the men inwards her life betraying her. When she was 80, she adopted a xxx yr sometime adult woman at the Hare Krishna facility inwards Republic of Republic of India maxim she was the reincarnation of her dead daughter... but inwards a yoke of years she disinherited her as well as left all her coin to charity. However, her Dad's volition had bequeathed his coin to her children afterwards her death. So the disinherited adult woman filed a instance as well as was given $65 1000000 equally settlement!!
Doris did a lot of philanthropic piece of work , some of it unknown to earth during her lifetime, as well as her estimated $1.3 billion fortune was largely left to charity.
The room beyond showed a brief motion-picture present on Doris Duke.
After looking at this share of the fine art museum, nosotros watched the brusk cinema on Doris (without the tragedies) as well as and hence took a particular tour coach to Shangri la. The coach also showed a synopsis of her life without the lamentable details.
Clip of Doris Duke getting married..
Here's the elementary exterior of a grand house... where each room is similar a palace room from the Islamic world...She had gone to slap-up problem to practise masterpieces but it all seemed labored as well as at that spot was no WOW factor!
Camels at the unimposing entrance to Shangri La...
At Shangri la garden. These are aerial roots...branches putting forth shoots that larn roots anchoring the tree to the ground...like Indian banyan tree.
Gateway to garden framed inwards Islamic tiles.
Central courtyard
Set of 12 columns, made for Shangri La's fundamental courtyard (inspired past times Safavid Western Farsi models) -
Date: c. 1937; Medium: Wood; carved, inset alongside mirrors
The principal solid at Shangri La revolves some this courtyard, an architectural characteristic fundamental to a lay out of buildings inwards the Islamic world.
Courtyards serve a multifariousness of functions, including separating world as well as individual spaces (as good equally manful someone as well as woman someone ones); as well as securing access to air current as well as H2O inwards warm environments.
The foyer, living room, as well as Syrian Room direct adjoin it, piece the to a greater extent than individual Mughal Suite as well as the service fly are located off split upwards hallways.
At the pump of the courtyard is a yellowish shower tree as well as irises clustered some a star-shaped fountain.
The surrounding 4 walls are covered inwards slowly thirteenth through early on twentieth-century Western Farsi tilework inwards a multifariousness of techniques: molded (unglazed as well as glazed), mosaic, as well as underglaze.
Tile panel, custom-made for Shangri La's courtyard
The perimeter arcade, which provides much-needed shade, features a forest awning supported past times columns inset alongside reflective mica.
On the upper walls are colored-glass windows—replicas of an original window on sentiment inwards the foyer. At night, the courtyard is illuminated past times hanging copper alloy lamps.
The primary aesthetic inwards the courtyard is Persian, as well as the bulk of its architecture as well as tilework tin dismiss live traced to Doris Duke as well as her hubby James Cromwell’s see to Islamic Republic of Iran inwards 1938.
While inwards Isfahan, the yoke documented a lay out of seventeenth-century palaces alongside large wooden pillared porches (talars) on their façades.
One such palace was the Ali Qapu (High Gate, 1590–1643), which faced the city’s renowned foursquare (maidan). The Cromwells carefully photographed this porch, as well as its undulating entablature supported past times faceted column capitals provided the model for the courtyard’s forest awning, which is supported past times twelve columns.
star shaped fountain
During their fourth dimension inwards Isfahan, the yoke also purchased or ordered the vast bulk of the courtyard’s tilework from—or through—the dealer Ayoub Rabenou.
The slowly thirteenth-century Ilkhanid panel on the northern “stepped” façade , for example, was acquired from Rabenou. The dealer also arranged for the purchase of a large lay out of seventeenth–nineteenth-century underglaze panels originally installed on the wall of a individual habitation inwards New Julfa, the city’s Armenian suburb .
Finally, Rabenou supervised an Isfahani workshop’s creation of custom-made mosaic as well as underglaze tilework for the fundamental courtyard’s remaining surfaces. This piece of work included 4 mosaic grills for the upper corners ; underglaze spandrels as well as borders for the arched entrances ; as well as mosaic panels for the northern as well as southern façades. The latter were the most complex commissions, as well as both were inspired past times tilework on the façade of the Masjid-i Shah (Shah Mosque, 1612–c. 1630), a congregational mosque located to the correct of the Ali Qapu.
As before said, nosotros did non experience the WOW element piece viewing the interiors!
As before said, nosotros did non experience the WOW element piece viewing the interiors!
Great sentiment from the deck.
View of the drinking glass walls of the living room... the drinking glass doors were lowered into the basement past times Otis elevate when at that spot were parties. Fountains as well as landscaping... Doris was hands on as well as was involved alongside blueprint equally good equally execution.
Outdoor fresh H2O swimming pool.
Honolulu Art Museum:
We were dropped at the Honolulu Art Museum/Honolulu museum of fine arts... by the tour shuttle as well as given the costless pass.
Artwork alongside bamboo exterior the museum.
We meant to pass a few minutes glancing through the exhibits but were hence highly impressed past times all the exhibits nosotros spent quite a long fourth dimension inwards all the pavilions.
The permanent collection is presented inwards 32 galleries as well as vi courtyards.
These are the lovely courtyards.
Oriental courtyard here.
Koi pond alongside lilies—-these koi fish are supposed to convey proficient luck according to oriental schoolhouse of thought. Koi fish symbolize good luck, abundance as well as perseverance.
Chinese Pavilion:
Chinese Pavilion entrance... carmine color as well as the smile Lion welcoming us.
Chinese pavilion... embroidered robe.
At Shangri la nosotros were given a newspaper fan... nosotros didn't demand it equally the atmospheric condition was cool as well as pleasant... it's a overnice souvenir.
Indian Pavilion:
Now nosotros came to the Indian wing.
Nandi donated past times a rich Indian family—they had donated exquisite jewellery equally well...
lovely South Indian pilus pieces. belt alongside diamonds, rubies, emeralds.
Chettiar mangalsutra.
Silver temple, deity within altar, borders studded alongside turqoise as well as corals.
Carved sandalwood panels.
Lord Ram alongside his bow inwards the pump panels flanked past times floral blueprint on both sides.
Krishna, Lakshmi inwards the correct panel
Kerala sculpture—sad the hands are broken for the principal deities.
Intricate marble carvings from a Jain temple.
Lakshmi doorway alongside rich carvings.
Beadwork.
Lovely Sevres Porcelain.
Such awesome craftsmanship to carve a lacy clothing inwards a slab of marble... the nostrils, eyes as well as pilus are also hence life like.
Giambologna's famous Rape of Sabine women sculpture —small version inwards bronze. Saw marble original inwards Florence inwards May 2014.
Italian discussion Rapito is loosely translated equally rape but inwards reality should read abduction.
In 750BC, afterwards forming Rome, Romulus as well as his men wanted to wed neighboring Sabine women but the Sabine men did non desire that.
This is the abduction—there was no violence involved—the women were costless to take away as well as were given equal rights.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT MAKING THIS SCULPTURE TO CAPTURE THE DYNAMICS INVOLVED.
Classic sculpture equally hence much displace as well as expressions are caught
These are other overnice bronzes.
David. Saw Michael Angelo's original inwards Florence inwards May 2014.
Mahogany chest
Came out of the museum reluctantly afterwards some 3/4 hours.
Honolulu Zoo:
Went off to the Honolulu Zoo for the 2 hours left of the day.
Started at the aviary... greeted the penguin first... penguin inwards tropical weather??
Later saw penguins inwards their natural habitat close the Antarctic on the Penguin isle inwards the Beagle channel inwards December 2013.
Monkeys... lemurs... caught their antics on video.
Alligator.
Zebra joins the giraffes... all of them are waiting to move off to their nighttime sheler.
Leopard.
At lastly i animate beingness out of a cage.
Oops... the peacock hides its human face upwards ...
next shot is futile equally well... but a 2nd agone it was posing hence well
Two peahens—quite tame as well as improve posers equally all ladies are!!
AHA...finally caught the peacock.
.Baby elephant.
Time to banking enterprise check if nosotros take away covered the whole ground.
Papaya tree laden alongside fruit.
Kids corner at the zoo alongside statues of fairy tale characters.
Covered the hippos, lions, tiger etc past times video as well as exited the zoo at 5PM... did non desire to live locked in!!!
Report on days 5, 6 is here:
Hawaii Trip Study Solar Daytime 3: Diamond Caput Hike, Hanauma Bay, Tantalus Drive; Solar Daytime 4: Shangri La, Fine Arts Museum, Zoo
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Oleh
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