This article is written by Vikram Narayan
Aloha! and welcome to the paradise folks. It was a 32 hour air journey escaping the European winter and landing at the tropical pleasant temperate Hawaii. During the dead of the night when we landed, it looked not so different from Goa or rest of the Kerala country side. We reached our hotel which our company had booked for us and pretended to sleep to overcome the jet lag. The beach and the mountain facing resort, threw up all its grandeur as and when the dawn tore up the dusk. A picturesque view from the apartment balcony had such an embossing impression that the landscape looked as if it was artificial and painted. Hawaii is the southern most tip of US and lies in the same latitude of Nagpur. The Hawaii state is an archipelago with the biggest island called as Hawaii (Big Island). The capital of Hawaii state Honalulu is in a different island from that of the big island. The mean temperature is a warm 25 C with a variation of 3 C above and below. No torrential rainfalls or floods and no major recurring natural calamities makes Hawaii a paradise on the Earth.
Hawaii has a typical biodiversity which can rarely be come across. Some species of plants looks like the one which can be seen on some planet X as in the serial star trek. The sparrows look typically Indian except that they are soaked in some sort of turmeric color. The lizards have a weird colour of green and resemble more of a chameleon. The landscape is dotted with baniyan, coconut, gulmohar, peepul, neem, banana, palm, eucalyptus, cactus and a wide variety of flowers rich in both fragrance and color.
Hawaii was initially discovered by Polynesian sailors who arrived on ships a thousand years back. They seemed to be expert sailors and in the absence of magnetic compass and cartography, they relied on tide direction, flight of the birds, and knowledge of the stars to navigate their ship. They developed a typical language without a script and continues to be spoken till date. The first contact with the outside world happened when the British sailor Capt. Cook discovered the island for the rest of the world. Over the period of the next two centuries sly diplomacy and brute force the US successfully annexed Hawaii into the union and what happened later in the Pearl Harbor episode is well known in the history.
Todays Hawaiian population is typically German, Japanese, Swedish, Portuguese and the native Hawaiians. Unlike the rest of the states, this has the least Anglo Saxon influence. Its a thriving agricultural economy with commercial cultivation of coffee, exotic herbs and fruits. The islands depends on hydro electricity and solar power. It has a flourishing university and an array of energy research laboratories. All the civilization, people or the biodiversity in Hawaii is foreign and the only thing that is native is the lava.
Hawaii is an volcanic island having a large active volcano. The road dredging and agricultural activities are fraught with the risks, as it might lead to revelation of lava tubes and chambers. That apart Hawaii lives upto its hype. One square feet of land is around 3000 USD which is expensive by US standards, but Indians living in Mumbai or Bangalore consider this price very much affordable 😉
A couple of ranches are owned by Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Jack Nicolson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The car chase sequence in the movie Commando was shot at Hawaii. And most of the US presidents spend their winter vacations here. Nevertheless, it also throws up many affordable and clean accommodations starting at 50 USD per night.
We were put up at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resorts & Spa, Kona. It is amongst the best and the most expensive resorts with the prices starting from 372 USD per night. The resort has a fitness centre, swimming pools, jaccussi, indoor and outdoor sports arena, spa facilities, a couple of restaurants, bars and a mini shopping center. More useful, it has a ATM machine inside the premises.
The most important attraction of Hawaii is its active volcano. The state has a volcano observatory and a seismic station to monitor the volcanic activity. This is a must visit for those who are going to Hawaii.
The Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano
The diversity of the landscape is so large, that one can see an Icelandic, Mediterranean and tropical climates in one go.
Another popular attractions are the magic sand, black sand and green sand beach. In the magic sand beach, sand disappears during winters to reappear again during summer. The green sand beach is a carpet of green crystals and stones occurring due to volcanic activity. This requires a 1 mile trek and it is away from most of the touristic attractions. The black sand beach is constituted by powdered lava and is the home to the Hawaiian turtles.
Best time to visit:
All the year except the Christmas time. This is because of the high cost of hotels and flights.
Public Transportation:
Not much. Renting a car is the only viable option. But, for minimalistic purposes, there exists a kona trolley which costs 1 USD a trip. Taxis are available but for phenomenal prices.
Hotels:
Available from 50 USD to 1500 USD per night.
Must brings:
A pair of slippers, coolers and swim wear. Because, its just unaffordable to buy any of them here. An ordinary swim short costs here 30 USD.
Food:
Subway, McD, Pizza hut, … are there in abundance and you can manage to survive if you are a veggie.
Tours and Excursions:
Roberts Hawaii run a Grand island circle tour which costs 80 USD per person which is really worth the money.
Additional information:
It is illegal to tamper with the local environment, sand, animals or plants and it is liable for criminal proceedings starting with a fine of 10, 000 USD to prison terms upto 5 years.
Mahalo!
Vikram Narayan
23 Jan 2011
http://vikramnarayan.sulekha.com/blog/post/2011/01/a-visit-to-hawaii.htm
