Pu'u Ma'eli'eli and Byodo In

P3170001  So it's a Tuesday adventure day and our friends couldn't come, so we decided to check out a new hike that I've been interested in. It's a small hill (pu'u) in Kaneohe. The initial approach was a bit tricky. Mom was wondering what in the world she'd gotten herself into! P3170003  She didn't stand up straight until this point - about 75' feet elev into the hike! P3170005  Lichen? I never did commit to memory the difference between moss and lichen, but I think that's what this is. P3170008  Further up the trail we heard (AND SAW!) wild pigs!
P3170010  Dense overgrowth makes this a good hike for preschoolers, but not tall people with packs on (and babies with heads poking out!). I literally crawled on hands and knees for some of it. P3170011  But here we are at the top. P3170016  "According to Hawaiian mythology, Pu'u Ma'eli'eli translates to "Digging Hill." The companion gods Kane and Kanaloa once raced to the top of the hill and had to dig into the slopes with their hands to climb up. (Sound familiar, mom?) The bunkers found on the summit are the reminants of the Heeia combat training area (Camp Heeia) built during World War II to support nearly 4,500 military personnel." (Did you catch the typo etched into the sign? Or is that only me with a sick predilection for catching typos? This caption is exactly how the sign reads.) P3170028  For my Uncle Tom who loves benchmarks...
P3170029  Snack time! Sam had a few issues on the way up with webs. He is an incredible web-spotter. He can spot ANYTHING, however small, that is dangling where it shouldn't be dangling. Sometimes it really freaks him out. Today he spotted the tiniest inchworm hanging from a thread. We spent much of the rest of the hike looking for more worms in webs and all other potential threats. P3170030  But then we found these bunkers and enjoyed making echoes into them (thankfully mom remembers what it's like to be a kid - I was all about finding a spot to put Ben down and see if there were any views to be had). P3170031  And look what we stumbled across 50 yards further along! P3170036  Nice!
P3170039  You could see out to Chinaman's Hat (behind mom) and all the way past the Marine Corps base. P3170041 P3170043  So panning from Chinaman's Hat... P3170044  to the sand bar (disappearing island directly in front of you)...
P3170045  To the base and beyond. P3170046  Kaneohe. P3170049  Another "BM" for Tom! P3170050  "Kealoha June 1950" - kealoha means "the love" as best I can tell.
P3170051  Coming down was a little tricky, too. This is a tried-and-true method. P3170059  Funny Sam is back! Not nervous about webs any more. P3170060  So relaxed, in fact, that he was a "mud diver" landing kersplat once or twice! I love this picture. P3170061  Whoa!
P3170062  "This is what a web-eater looks like." (Lower jaw moves up and down quickly - eyes closed so webs don't get in them. I teased him that he's so fierce he flosses with webs and then this face was created.) P3170063 P3170066  Looking across Kaneohe to our next stop - Byodo In - a replica of a Buddhist temple. P3170067  Mommy finally went down, too! I think the mountaineering term for this is "glissading"!
P3170072  There was a tire swing at the condo community park. We availed ourselves of it :) P3170073 P3170075 P3170076  The butts!
P3170077 P3170078  Beautiful, isn't it? Amazing backdrop. From my aunt's pictures of China, I feel like I could almost be there. This is Byodo-In (pron. Bee-YO-do Een), a replica of a 900 year old temple in Uji, Japan. P3170079  The koi pond had huge koi, and there were also peacocks and swans roaming about. Sam was having a pretty klutzy day, so despite the peaceful setting, our trip there was anything but! Sam almost dove into the koi pond, and fell off the platform while ringing the big gong (see next). P3170086  Tough work to coordinate pulling that big wooden pole back then letting it go just at the right moment to get a big GONG without going off the platform in the opposite direction (Newton's third law?).
P3170085  But here he's got it! And the sound for you, too. P3170080  Ben enjoyed roaming around, too. P3170084  Tricky taking pictures with such an active guy. I've got him by the clothes in back and sneaked the camera through the fence to shoot up at him, hoping for the best. He was peering over a 10ft drop thinking it looked like fun to explore. P3170088  Whispering to little brother that it's time to go!
P3170089  But little brother doesn't budge. P3170092  Look who we spied on!!! Daddy was at Kalapawai Cafe and Deli "studying" - do you see what is lined up in front of him? WINE GLASS, LATTE, and not pictured - COOKIE, TWO PLATES OF FOOD. I guess he was there a couple hours reading and preparing for his paper due next week. He took a couple days off work to concentrate on his writing. He is so good at preparing his papers and is getting good recognition in his coursework. I think he is pulling straight A's still. We like to tease him about having such a rough life. Can you imagine studying like this in college? What a grind that was...but still easier than doing it while working and raising a family. 2009-03-09AbortedJuddTrailHike (10) 2009-03-09AbortedJuddTrailHike (6)
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