CC Ya Later

I enjoyed my day off in Waikiki until the wee hours of the morning. I got home just in time to take a 20 minute nap before we headed to do the illegal Stairway To Heaven hike! The stairs were repaired for a steep $875,000 in 2003 but were never opened again due to liability concerns. There is a guard that watches the beginning of the stairs starting at 3:30am. Based on what I've read, he usually only chases people off and ensures they don't climb the stairs. Hence why we went so early, before Guard showed up to work!

We got to the neighborhood of Haiku VIllage around 2:45am then followed instructions left by a fellow hiker on Yelp (Sheila R.'s review on 3/3/13) to find the stairs. We reached the bottom of the stairs around 3:10am with no guard in sight and then began our ascent. The first stretch of climbing is by far the hardest and seems never ending. Several increments are almost like climbing a vertical ladder. The full moon was a few days prior so we climbed by moonlight, not needing to use our headlamps because it was decently lit. The fact that you're illegally climbing in the dark and quickly rise above the H3 Freeway with cars zooming by definitely intensifies the thrill. But you're soon calmed by the sturdiness of MOST of the stairs and all the other hikers. Illegal hike, schmeelegal hike!! We encountered at least 60 to 70 fellow hikers, all up early and enjoying the climb!

There are 5 platforms in total, #5 being the very top. We eventually made it to the first platform with a clear view of the sleeping town below and the ocean's horizon beyond that. The view was breathtaking (as if we had any breath left after the initial climb!)!

We were in the clouds by the second platform and the temperature only continued to drop as we ascended. We used this platform for a quick breather then kept on trekking!

The third platform has a decrepit building with old equipment in it.

As it turns out, one of my friends painted the Pink Panther in the following picture :-)

The fourth platform is a quick climb up from there.

And finally, you've made it to the fifth platform when you see the building with old satellites on top!

I've heard the temperature drops about 10 degrees per 1k feet of elevation. We were at about 2,800ft elevation and it was raining. There were 26 people while we were inside this building, all trying to keep warm while waiting for the sun to rise. (Note: the pictures I've posted thus far besides the 1st platform pic were all taken on the way down, after the sun was up.) We got to the top around 5am so we chatted and tried to nap until about 6:30am, at which time the sun was up so we began our descent. The weather conditions were not ideal with the rain as it made it colder, the stairs very slick, and visibility pretty poor.

Waiting in line to descend...

Me, Elko, and New Hiker Friends!

The Freeway is now in sight as we climb down.

This pic is for my Granny: Chinaman's Hat off in the distance :-)

The steepness of some of the first stairs...

Back on solid ground - we survived!

Despite my tiredness from no sleep and the bad weather conditions, I loved this experience! Several people warned us of how the stairs haven't been maintained in years. But the fact of the matter is people do this hike every day and I didn't feel unsafe at any time. The last time someone got hurt while doing this hike, they actually died...of a heart attack, not from the condition of the stairs/climb. It is definitely a gnarly hike and I've been sore ever since (it's MONDAY!) but it was totally worth it! I will do it again in a few weeks when there are better weather conditions so I can get awesome pics for you all :-)

Sending you love!
CC

First up, the WWOOFer bathroom!

The shower we all use.

And the moment you've all been waiting for - my tent :-)

I love the living accommodations here on the farm. I've been given the option to sleep in a house a few times and actually prefer my tent because it's my home! Although, I did avoid my tent for about 2 weeks because a large centipede snuck in during the night and then I lost it. But he appeared yesterday (dead, thank goodness) so I'm back in my home, happy as ever :-)

<3 CC

I've shot some quick videos to give you a glimpse into this lil thing I call life here in Hawaii...

Here is Sensitive Plant which has leaves that close up when they are touched.

These are the sounds I wake up to every morning :-) The video is of the ceiling of my tent around 6:55am.

There are bugs everywhere on the farm! Found all these guys under a rock while weeding and discussing astrological signs.

Filmed this while watching a lacrosse game in Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. You can see the beautiful mountains and a little of Downtown Honolulu in the background.

These little chicks are only about a week old and are some of our newest farm members.

We went for a steep hike up the ridge behind the farm. The best part is running down along the ridge using ropes tied to trees! I've got to get a better video of how fast the guys and I run down :-)

This is Lolita, one of the cats here whose job is to look cute and catch rats.

We burn stumps of trees using old steel barrels and wood. I just liked the fire so I took a video, lol. You can see the ridge line behind the farm about halfway through the clip.

When I first arrived on the farm here in Waimanalo, I met Tim and Margo aka "the couple from New York." They are your typical New Yorkers and a blast to hang out with. Tim reminds me of a Jewish mother and could keep up with my sarcasm. Margo is in the best shape I've ever seen and such a sweetheart, despite her New York accent and tattoos :-) We spent a good bit of time together, sneaking off to the beach on our break or spending the day in Honolulu, and were fast friends. However, they were only on the farm for a short while. They left after my first week to head off to another Hawaiian island, Kauai, for a bit before going on the Asian leg of their trip.

Margo had insisted a couple times that I come join them and I missed spending time with them so I decided to make it happen. While at breakfast on a Tuesday morning, I tell one of the farm founders "Hey John, I've decided I want to go to Kauai for a few days to see Tim and Margo..." Before I can finish my sentence, John interrupts with "I think that's a great idea. I can take you to the airport in two hours." ::jaw drops to table:: "Wow, uh thanks John." Meanwhile, I'm thinking about how I hadn't even talked to Tim or Margo yet and don't even know what to pack (my packing is a bit excessive; however, we'll get to that in another post [insert jokes here, guys!]). So I tell myself, "Well CC, you always say you only live once (YOLO) so what the heck!" I quickly worked on chores and packed my bag.

Literally two hours later, John sweetly drops me off at Honolulu Airport and tells me to have a great time. I've text Margo a few times to let her know I'm definitely coming but haven't heard back yet. I buy my ticket online using my phone while standing outside the security gates, which is cheaper than buying it at the ticket counter FYI. So I fly 35 minutes from Oahu to Kauai and have no idea what I'm going to do next since I STILL hadn't heard back from Margo.

I walk outside Kauai's Lihue Airport to the information desk and tell the woman that I'm hungry and need a beach. She informs to call the Marriott and their shuttle will pick me up for free and take me to their resort where there is a nice beach and plenty things to do within walking distance. Cha-ching! As soon as I get dropped off, I head to Duke's (Duke's Kauai) for an adult beverage called Lava Flow and their fabulous fish and chips. I sat at the bar and chatted with a nice gentleman from North Caroline with a familiar Southern drawl. From there, I wandered around and settled on the Kalapaki Beach

I went back to Duke's for a sweet treat and enjoyed almost all of a piece of their famous Hula Pie

After a few hours of relaxing, Tim calls me - Margo had been in the spa all day so she didn't have her phone but they were excited I was there and would come get me soon.

Over the next few days, we chatted, joked and wandered around Kauai together. I took a surf lesson from a new friend of their's and totally rocked surfing! This was one of my goals while in Hawaii and I can't wait to improve my skills. We also went to Waimea Canyon which is like Hawaii's version of the Grand Canyon

It's the rainy season in Kauai so we saw a lot of beautiful, full rainbows. Rainbows are special to my family so I took a lot of pics :-)

I was also able to check off another item on my bucket list while on Kauai: seeing a legit sunset!

After our few days together, we all came back to Oahu and spent one more night together. Saying goodbye was bittersweet but we'll definitely stay in touch and I hope to visit them in NY some day. I am currently kicking myself in the rear for not getting a picture of the 3 of us. But for your viewing pleasure, I stole this pic of "the couple from New York" from Facebook

Lesson learned through this experience: Spontaneity is well-worth it so don't be afraid to just go with the flow. Sometimes life pushes us in a particular direction for a reason we may or may not know but we just have to trust the Universe sometimes <3

To Tim and Margo - I'm so happy for the time we had together and thanks for the great memories. I hope you're enjoying Asia, donkeys and all :-)

- CC

My work day starts around 8am and usually goes until dinnertime. The best part about the daily schedule? The few hours of break in the middle of the day where we're free to do whatever our hearts desire. We either get dropped off or we ride the farm's bikes

I'm at a beach at least five days a week. Halona Cove had a little cave that went under the road to the other side where there was a beautiful valley that you can't really see from the road. Lanikai Beach, which has been ranked as one of the best beaches in the world, has corals to snorkel around, islands to kayak to, and beautiful white sand.

Sandy Beach has very talented bodysurfers, skim boarders, and boogie boarders to watch all day long. Waikiki Beach has great people-watching as it is a popular tourist attraction and offers a great place to learn to surf in the summer.

Waimanalo Beach is the closest to the farm, only about a mile away. It's a wonderful three-mile beach that often times only has a few people here and there. The water is crystal clear and there are sometimes decent "little" (by Hawaiian standards) waves that are a lot of fun to play in.

Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore is famous for its huge waves and is known as "the world's deadliest wave" (Banzai Pipeline). Great surfers and boogie boarders tear up the waves just like in the movies. Its a good spot because the waves break close enough to shore where you can watch a surfer shred through an entire tube.

My most recent adventure was this past weekend when me and the other two WWOOFers at the farm ventured up to the North Shore. We bussed up to Malaekahana State Park and camped for the night. We went for a late night swim and warmed up by the fire afterwards while chatting with a local couple also camping near us. Our tent was on top of a slope, overlooking the beach and ocean

We packed up early the next morning and hitchhiked for my first time up to Pipeline. Don't be alarmed - hitchhiking is common in Hawaii and we used our guts and best judgement. The first guy that picked us up took us the whole way and had a big cuddly dog that rode in the truck bed with us. We enjoyed Pipeline then ate breakfast at Ted's Bakery (Ted's) - a MUST if you visit the North Shore. We spent a few hours on the beach, napping, chatting, and watching the surfers. Once sun-kissed and fulfilled, we hitched four rides all the way home which was about 40 miles.

Needless to say, the farm's founders were quite impressed we made it all the way home on our own because of the long distance.
Helena, me, and Patrick - current WWOOFers at the farm. We bonded, worked on our tans, and enjoyed our adventure together.

Every day brings something new to explore and experience. I'm very pleased that I chose to start my journey in Hawaii and highly recommend visiting these islands to see what Hawaiian life is all about.

- CC