Trip Through the Jungle

My final day I figured I'd try to do something I'd never done before. Learning to hula (man-style) would be cool. But then there was the having walked in female sandles across the city. My feet couldn't take it. I stopped by a tour company, and was very interested in the round-the-island tour, but while I was deciding, it filled up. Which left the hike through the jungle, unfortunately something I'd already done.

But it did give me a lot of spectacular views, and opportunities to see beautiful plant life. This video taken from the top of the mountain clearly shows the different biomes of Hawaii, with the increase in transpiration and the rain shadow effect of the hills as the clouds come in to the windward side of the island and get trapped at the top. On an incredibly sunny day down below, it is fog, clouds, and moisture worthy of Washington on top of the mountain.


The hike took us through the bamboo, past creeping vines and banyan trees. They plant themselves at the top of another tree and send their roots to the ground. Gradually the central tree wears away, leaving only the banyan. This approach allows banyans to grow very large, with multiple trunks.

Towards the end, in the middle of the jungle, we came across the geologic base of Hawaii, what all of it has grown on, lava. There are two types of cooled lava the world over, named after Hawaiian words: pahoehoe, smooth and flowing; and chunky, blocky a'a.

It was the final day in Hawaii. A man was carving with his feet, just as they do in Morocco. I'm finding everywhere here there are similarities among vendors. Even bargaining in the local souqs. 'Cept they know nothing about how to truly bargain with a Moroccan like myself.





A couple days ago I moved into the local hostel, as I was staying a couple days beyond the class, and no longer was being covered by my Education Development Funds for housing. By way of saying Aloha, a large police force suddenly converged next door, coming from all directions, reminding me again that, even in laid-back Hawaii, I was in a different land, one with guns, and far more violent than where I now live.

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It also has appears to have a police force with a quicker reaction time than those where I live.