Iao Valley

Aloha...Two weeks ago I met some cool people from Idaho who were here on vacation and they took me to Iao Valley State Park. This place is really beautiful...it has been the backdrop of many films and was just amazing. This place was a jungle with a wet tropical beauty and very different from the beaches that I am surrounded by everyday. We went on a hike through the jungle which was hot, but really neat. The air was thick with the smell of wild yellow ginger. A tropical flower that reminds me a little of huge honeysuckles. And the sticky sweet smell of guavas that were falling off the trees around us. After the hike we went wading in the cool mountain stream. It was nice to be in fresh water for a change. There was a bridge over a deep pool in the stream and I really wanted to jump off of it...but I wasn't prepared. I will next time!
Here are a few photos: