Photos of Hawaii from Chhiring Sherpa
I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations.
Earlier last month, my outdoor grounds crew foreman Chhiring Sherpa and his son, Mingmar, returned from a brief trip to Hawaii. Once described by Mark Twain as "the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean," the Hawaiian Islands form an archipelago in the North Pacific Ocean encompassing a land area of 6400 square miles. Hawaii consists of 137 volcanic islands. The eight main islands are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi or the Big Island. On this eight-day trip, Chhiring and Mingmar visited Maui and O'ahu.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- This grove of eucalyptus trees in Maui is located along the Hana Highway. Eucalyptus can grow hundreds of feet tall.
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- They can also have a diameter of up to six-feet. Eucalyptus trees thrive in warm, humid climates.
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- Hawaii is the only US state situated entirely on an archipelago, and the only state not geographically connected with North America. The United States incorporated the region into the state of Hawaii in 1959. The islands are exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle.
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- Chhiring and Mingmar spent one day driving to Hana on this winding road along Maui’s lush eastern coast. The popular road trip includes 620 curves and 59 single lane bridges. They described the roads as “like a roller coaster” with all the ups and downs.
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- Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach is located in Wai’anapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana. This type of black sand is formed by volcanic materials and lava fragments left millions of years ago – very different from the tan and brown sand found on mainland beaches.
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- The weather was pretty dry during their vacation, but the father-son duo did pass a waterfall during one of their hikes.
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- Here is Chhiring surrounded by growing bamboo. Bamboo is not native to the Hawaiian islands. It was brought to Hawaii by Polynesian voyagers who used the versatile material to make canoes and fishing poles. Bamboo grows very fast and has become invasive in some areas.
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- This is the Iao Valley State Park and the historic natural rock formation called the Iao Needle, a 1200-foot-tall pinnacle of greenstone that towers over the park’s lush valley. In 1790 King Kamehameha I defeated the Maui army in a pivotal battle in his quest to unite the islands under one rule. That battle took place here.
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- Chhiring and Mingmar visited The Maui Dharma Center founded in 1974 – a well known and respected place for the practice and study of Tibetan Buddhism.
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- The Great Paia Lha Bab Peace Stupa is the gateway to the Maui Dharma Center. It stands 27-feet tall and houses a large prayer wheel inside.
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- Look carefully and see the beautiful rainbow Chhiring photographed. The islands’ abundance of sunlight and water, combined with geographical location, make rainbows a common occurrence on the islands of Hawaii.
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- They also visited the famous Pearl Harbor National Memorial constructed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu Island. This is where we remember one of the most pivotal moments of US history – the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise military strike on the United States, drawing it into World War II.
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- These are ficus trees. Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees, they are native throughout the tropics. Many have aerial roots like these and a distinctive growth habit.
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- Many beautiful palm trees dot the Hawaiian landscape.
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- This is a grove of screw pines, with their distinctive stilt roots that harvest rain water.
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- Here is a group of rainbow eucalyptus trees with their beautiful trunks. Because these trees shed bark, the bark colors are in a constant state of change.
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- Chhiring and Mingmar made it a point to visit Lahaina, the town ravaged by the August 2023 firestorm. This ferocious storm killed 100-people and left the area in ruins.
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- It was difficult to see the devastation, especially up close.
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- But then they noticed a Buddha that was left undamaged. This 12-foot-tall copper statue was in front of a temple. Luckily, there was nothing immediately around the statue that could burn.
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- And here is a gorgeous sunset. Because Hawaii is far from any landmass, there is little atmospheric disturbance and the horizon remains unobstructed. This, and the sun’s perfect angle over the water make Hawaiian sunsets stunningly dramatic. Thanks fo the photos, Chhiring – what a nice trip.
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