DAY 3, 12/ 12/12:
DIAMOND HEAD CRATER HIKE:
We were AT THE DIAMOND HEAD CRATER
ready to start our hike up the hill, bright and early...
Diamond Head State Monument, called
Leahi (brow of the tuna) in Hawaiian, sits just beyond Waikiki and is
one of Hawaii’s most famous landmarks. Formed more than 100,000
years ago, the 760-foot crater was used as a strategic military
lookout throughout the 20th century. Today it’s a popular hiking
destination with panoramic views of Waikiki and Honolulu.
This ancient volcanic crater is at the
edge of Waikiki and the top offers an incredible view over the city.
Diamond Head, like the rest of the
Honolulu Volcanics, is much younger than the main mass of the Koʻolau
Mountain Range. While the Koʻolau Range is about 2.6 million years
old, Diamond Head is estimated to be about 150,000 years old and
extinct for 100,000 years.
The trail leads up into a World War
II-era bunker and up some steep staircases (one of over 100 steps),
so the climb can be a little rough.
Trail is about 2 mile long from the start to the summit.
English name 'diamond head' was given by British sailors in the 19th century, who mistook calcite crystals embedded in the rock for diamonds.
The weather changed every 5 minutes... we needed our water, caps and rain wear. Ponchos came in handy when it drizzled steadily in between.
The mostly unpaved trail winds over uneven rock, ascends 74 steps, then through a tunnel and up another steep 99 steps. Next is a small lighted tunnel to a narrow spiral staircase (43 steps) inside a coastal artillery observation platform built in 1908.
We enjoyed panoramic views.
We can get a stamped certificate that we have completed the trail.
Had a great view at the top too... fitting reward for the hard climb.
Didn't leave the GPS in the car as it's
a high theft area—so needed 2 daypacks—to hold the rain gear,
umbrellas, caps, water bottle and the camera.
Parking lot was filling up as we
returned...always good to do hikes as early as possible to escape
heat and crowds.
The tour buses had started coming in...
with their crowds... glad we were through.
We returned to our hotel, had our lunch
and then started on the day's drive... it would have been better
logistics to pack all our food and continued on after the Diamond
Head trek but the several warnings about parking lot thefts, made us
wary... we could have left our food in the car trunk as we did on all
other days.
HANAUMA BAY:
Anyway, after a scenic drive along the
coastline, reached the HANAUMA BAY.
The beach below is famous for snorkeling.
At the Halona Blowhole—water enters small underground caves and when full, spouts through small holes ... spectacular sight.
View of rabbit island.
This is Makapu point.
Tried to look for the light house hike trail.
Makapu light house in the background.. couldn't find the trail head though... so just enjoyed the scenic views.
Had lunch at makapu beach... there was a photo shoot going on with a bride and her bridesmaids, as we can see in the background
Tantalus- Round Top Drive:
We went on the Tantalus drive next.
Round Top Drive is one of the best
roads to enjoy panoramic bird's eye views of Honolulu and Waikiki.
The winding, canopy-covered road leads in a loop to the top of Mount
Tantalus and back down. It is quite narrow and curvy. There are a few
scenic lookout points along the way. The best one is at Pu'u
Ualaka'a State Park. From here one can see all the way to Diamond
Head in the east to Honolulu International Airport and Pearl Harbor
in the west. The sunset and night-time city light views are also
amazing from up here.
Had a panoramic view of Waikiki
buildings from top of Tantalus drive... we called it a day with this
drive.
DAY 4, DEC 13, 2012:
Shangri La:
We had made reservations paying $25 per
head to see Shangri La, the house of billionairre heiress Doris
Duke... the richest girl in the world.
Went to the Honolulu art museum to be
picked up for our tour to Shangri La.
Saw Doris collection of Islamic craft pieces in 2 rooms.
Saw Doris collection of Islamic craft pieces in 2 rooms.
Islamic glasswork. Islamic ceramic tilework.
Here's a diamonds, rubies and emerald studded gold piece. emerald parrot holding grapes.
Awesome copper door with paintings in the 4 quarters and in the borders also.
Here is a short bio of the owner: Doris
Duke (November 22, 1912 – October 28, 1993) was an American
heiress, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist.
Daughter of an immensely rich tobacco
tycoon, Duke became the richest girl in the world at the age of 12
when her dad died.
She married a 38 yr old guy when she
was 22 and embarked on a world trip as honeymoon.
Traveled through the middle east
Islamic countries, and India and fell in love with Islamic
architecture and culture... on the last leg, came to Hawaii and
decided to use an ocean front property as vacation home... so apart
from her New Jersey home, Florida mansion, she built Shangri La in
Waikiki...
Her personal life was unfulfilling.
Doris lost her premature daughter at birth; she was unlucky in love
as well with all the men in her life betraying her. When she was 80,
she adopted a 30 yr old woman at the Hare Krishna facility in India
saying she was the reincarnation of her dead daughter... but in a
couple of years she disinherited her and left all her money to
charity. However, her Dad's will had bequeathed his money to her
children after her death. So the disinherited woman filed a case and
was given $65 million as settlement!!
Doris did a lot of philanthropic work ,
some of it unknown to the public during her lifetime, and her
estimated $1.3 billion fortune was largely left to charity.
The room beyond showed a
brief movie on Doris Duke.
After looking at this part of the art
museum, we watched the short film on Doris (without the tragedies)
and then took a special tour bus to Shangri la. The bus also showed a
synopsis of her life without the sad details.
Clip of Doris Duke getting married..
Here's the simple exterior of a grand house... where each room is like a palace room from the Islamic world...She had gone to great trouble to create masterpieces but it all seemed labored and there 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 become roots anchoring the tree to the ground...like Indian banyan tree.
Gateway to garden framed in Islamic tiles.
Central courtyard
Set of 12 columns, made for Shangri
La's central courtyard (inspired by Safavid Persian models) -
Date: c. 1937; Medium: Wood; carved,
inset with mirrors
The main house at Shangri La revolves
around this courtyard, an architectural feature central to a number
of buildings in the Islamic world.
Courtyards serve a variety of
functions, including separating public and private spaces (as well as
male and female ones); and securing access to air flow and water in
warm environments.
The foyer, living room, and Syrian Room
directly adjoin it, while the more private Mughal Suite and the
service wing are located off separate hallways.
At the center of the courtyard is a
yellow shower tree and irises clustered around a star-shaped
fountain.
The surrounding four walls are covered in late thirteenth through early twentieth-century Persian tilework in a variety of techniques: molded (unglazed and glazed), mosaic, and underglaze.
Tile panel, custom-made for Shangri La's courtyard
The perimeter arcade, which provides
much-needed shade, features a wood awning supported by columns inset
with reflective mica.
On the upper walls are colored-glass
windows—replicas of an original window on view in the foyer. At
night, the courtyard is illuminated by hanging copper alloy lamps.
The primary aesthetic in the courtyard
is Persian, and the majority of its architecture and tilework can be
traced to Doris Duke and her husband James Cromwell’s visit to Iran
in 1938.
While in Isfahan, the couple
documented a number of seventeenth-century palaces with 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 square
(maidan). The Cromwells carefully photographed this porch, and its
undulating entablature supported by faceted column capitals provided
the model for the courtyard’s wood awning, which is supported by
twelve columns.
star shaped fountain
During their time in Isfahan, the
couple also purchased or ordered the vast majority of the courtyard’s
tilework from—or through—the dealer Ayoub Rabenou.
The late 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 number of seventeenth–nineteenth-century underglaze panels
originally installed on the wall of a private home in New Julfa, the
city’s Armenian suburb .
Finally, Rabenou supervised an Isfahani
workshop’s creation of custom-made mosaic and underglaze tilework
for the central courtyard’s remaining surfaces. This work included
four mosaic grills for the upper corners ; underglaze spandrels and
borders for the arched entrances ; and mosaic panels for the northern
and southern façades. The latter were the most complex commissions,
and both were inspired by tilework on the façade of the Masjid-i
Shah (Shah Mosque, 1612–c. 1630), a congregational mosque located
to the right of the Ali Qapu.
As earlier said, we did not feel the WOW factor while viewing the interiors!
As earlier said, we did not feel the WOW factor while viewing the interiors!
Great view from the deck.
View of the glass walls of the living room... the glass doors were lowered into the basement by Otis elevator when there were parties. Fountains and landscaping... Doris was hands on and was involved with design as well as execution.
Outdoor fresh water swimming pool.
Honolulu Art Museum:
We were dropped at the Honolulu Art
Museum/Honolulu museum of fine arts... by the tour shuttle and given the free pass.
Artwork with bamboo outside the museum.
We meant to spend
a few minutes glancing through the exhibits but were so highly
impressed by all the exhibits we spent quite a long time in all the
pavilions.
The permanent collection is presented
in 32 galleries and six courtyards.
These are the lovely courtyards.
Oriental courtyard here.
Koi pond with lilies—-these koi fish are supposed to bring good luck according to oriental school of thought. Koi fish symbolize good luck, abundance and perseverance.
Chinese Pavilion:
Chinese
Pavilion entrance... red color and the smiling Lion welcoming us.
Chinese pavilion... embroidered robe.
At Shangri la we were given a paper
fan... we didn't need it as the weather was cool and pleasant... it's
a nice souvenir.
Indian Pavilion:
Now we came to the Indian wing.
Nandi
donated by a rich Indian family—they had donated exquisite
jewellery as well...
lovely South Indian hair pieces. belt
with diamonds, rubies, emeralds.
Chettiar mangalsutra.
Silver temple, deity inside altar, borders studded with turqoise and corals.
Carved sandalwood panels.
Lord Ram with his bow in the center panels flanked by floral design on both sides.
Krishna, Lakshmi in the right panel
Kerala sculpture—sad the hands are
broken for the main deities.
Intricate marble carvings from a Jain
temple.
Lakshmi doorway with rich carvings.
Beadwork.
Lovely Sevres Porcelain.
Such awesome craftsmanship to carve a
lacy dress in a slab of marble... the nostrils, eyes and hair are
also so life like.
Giambologna's famous Rape of Sabine
women sculpture —small version in bronze. Saw marble original in Florence in May 2014.
Italian word Rapito is loosely translated as rape but in reality should read abduction.
In 750BC, after forming Rome, Romulus and his men wanted to marry neighboring Sabine women but the Sabine men did not want that.
This is the abduction—there was no violence involved—the women were free to choose and were given equal rights.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT MAKING THIS SCULPTURE TO CAPTURE THE DYNAMICS INVOLVED.
Classic sculpture as so much movement and expressions are caught
These are other nice bronzes.
David. Saw Michael Angelo's original in Florence in May 2014.
Mahogany chest
Came out of the museum reluctantly
after 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 in tropical weather??
Later saw penguins in their natural
habitat near the Antarctic on the Penguin island in the Beagle
channel in Dec 2013.
Monkeys... lemurs... caught their antics on video.
Alligator.
Zebra joins the giraffes... all of them
are waiting to go off to their night sheler.
Leopard.
At last one creature out of a cage.
Oops... the peacock hides its face ...
next shot is futile as well... just a moment ago it was posing so well
Two peahens—quite tame and better posers as all ladies are!!
AHA...finally caught the peacock.
.Baby elephant.
Time to check if we have covered the whole ground.
Papaya tree laden with fruit.
Kids corner at the zoo with statues of fairy tale characters.
Covered the hippos, lions, tiger etc by
video and exited the zoo at 5PM... did not want to be locked in!!!
Report on days 5, 6 is here:
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